Many people admit to having a fear of spiders. At Arrow Exterminators, we think that people might not be so scared of spiders if they knew more about them. Spiders are crucial contributors to our local ecosystems’ regulation here in Oklahoma City—if there were no spiders around, the area would be overrun with insects. Beyond their helpfulness, spiders have some interesting quirks that we happen to find quite fascinating. Read on to learn some fun spider facts from our spider control experts!
10 Facts About Spiders You Should Know:
- They’re everywhere: Research suggests that you’re no more than 10 feet from the closest spider at any point! Don’t let this freak you out though, spiders like to mind their own business and stay hidden.
- They’re quite diverse: There are over 35,000 known spider species, and experts believe that there are many more yet to be discovered! There is a wide range of differences in size, appearance, habits, and habitat across spider species worldwide.
- Some spiders are dancers: As is the case with many other kinds of animals in the wild, male spiders perform a mating dance to attract females. These often consist of patterns of hurried movements and leg-waving.
- Male spiders are generous (sometimes): In addition to dancing, some male spiders offer the female they’re courting a gift wrapped in silk. It is usually a fly or some other insect, but sometimes a spider will deceive their date with scraps of leaves or other junk instead.
- Female spiders are vicious: Many female spiders will eat the male spider during or after copulation, or even before if they aren’t impressed with their courting! This is where the name “black widow” comes from.
- Most spider bites aren’t harmful: Although there are some spiders that can deliver nasty, venomous blows, most spiders don’t have enough venom in their bites to even cause considerable pain.
- Spider silk is a liquid: Before a spider’s web is spun, their silk is stored inside their bodies in liquid form. It is hardened into a solid when it meets the air.
- Spider silk is strong: Although spider webs seem flimsy, this is only because of the density of the strands of silk. A strand of spider silk is actually five times stronger than a strand of steel of the same size!
- Spiders have blue blood: Instead of binding to iron like in our blood, oxygen binds to copper in a spider’s blood, resulting in a blue appearance. Freaky!
- Their muscles have a unique function: Spiders can only retract their muscles inward, not push them out. To restabilize, spiders have to push a fluid through their legs that extends them out again. This is why dead spiders have their legs curled in.
Spider Control Experts in Oklahoma City
Although spiders are friendly passersby for the most part, we understand that having a spider infestation in your home can make you quite unsettled. There are even some dangerous spiders to look out for around Oklahoma City, like the brown recluse and the black widow. If you need help getting rid of spiders, reach out to our spider exterminators at Arrow Extermination today and receive a free quote!
