ARE SPIDERS BUGS: THE TRUTH REVEALED

There is no doubt that spiders are one of life’s great anxieties. They creep into the smallest spaces and can hide in every nook and cranny in your home. But what actually are spiders? Insects? Bugs? A third new thing? Read on to find out everything you need to know about one of the most commonly feared creatures on the planet.

So, what are spiders exactly? What are spiders identified as?

Informally, many people use the word ‘bug’ to describe any insect-like creature they see. So, the term ‘bug’ can be used to refer to most arthropods (which include insects, arachnids and small crustaceans such as slaters). Spiders belong to the arachnid family of arthropods, and share the same common features: a segmented body, bilateral symmetry (their left and right sides are mirror images) and an exoskeleton. Another feature is the ability to moult (or shed) the exoskeleton as the creature grows.

Bottomline, spiders are technically NOT insects but arachnids.

How many types of spiders are there?

In total, there are over 45,000 species of spiders in various habitats around the world. Among the many species of spiders found in Australia are the huntsman spider, the black widow spider, the orb-weaving spiders, the trapdoor spiders and the wolf spiders.

How do spiders see?

If you ever get close to a spider, you’ll see that they have more eyes than we do! Many spiders have eight eyes, although some species have six or fewer. But, despite having so many pairs of eyes, most spiders have poor vision. A lot of spiders are near-sighted, which means they can’t see very far. Rather than using their eyes to get around, spiders rely on tiny hairs on their legs that are sensitive to the slightest vibration. These hairs also help them navigate and differentiate their prey and help guide them away from danger.

There are a few species of spiders that have fantastic eyesight, much better than ours. These spiders usually live in trees, on the ground or in burrows.

Can spiders smell?

Yes, spiders can smell, but not in the same way humans do. They have very sensitive sensory organs on their legs and use these to smell and taste. The hairs on their legs can help them detect whether or not an object close to them is edible. Their finely-tuned sensitivity to vibrations allow them to tell the difference between different types of prey.

What is a spider’s web made of?

The silk-like masterpieces that are spider webs are a materialisation of protein and amino acids, which are produced in the spinneret glands located at the tip of the spider’s abdomen. Most spiders use webs to catch their dinner or to wrap their victims in after they’ve been caught. Some spiders will use webs to protect their burrow or hiding place, and to encase their egg sacs, while others don’t produce webs at all.

How do spiders get in your house?

With their poor eyesight, you’d hope any spiders that come into your home are simply lost. Not so. If you see one of those eight-legged arachnids trampling around your home like they own the place, it could be because you’ve made your home inadvertently inviting. After all, for a spider, your home is a warm place out of the dangers of the outside world filled with morsels of food (i.e. smaller insects) and droplets of water for them to enjoy. But, how do spiders get inside your home in the first place?

These creepy crawlies are always on the lookout for opportunities to squeeze through any crack, hole, gap or cranny around your home. So the first step on learning how to keep spiders away from your home would be to search the perimeter of your home for any cracks or holes and plug them up. Don’t forget to check for any gaps around your doors and window frames, any holes in your porch or basement and any breaches along the piping and guttering around your home.

Seal all these entry points (from the inside as well as from the outside) to stop spiders from trespassing into your abode. Use a good quality surface spray like the Mortein PowerGard Crawling Insect Surface Spray Barrier Outdoor and apply it around every space that might be an entry point for spiders. That way, if any spiders do somehow get through, they’ll die soon after and you can rest easy knowing your spider problem is taking care of itself.

Whether spiders are bugs, insects, arachnids or what have you, and no matter what types of spiders you encounter, dealing with any of them can be a pain if you don’t know how to. Learn how to kill spiders by using the best products to protect your home from these creepy crawlies.

References:

• World’s largest spider. (n.d.). [Video]. Animals. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/spiders
• Spiders commonly found in Australia. (n.d.-b). School of Biomedical Sciences. https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/department-of-biochemistry-and-pharmacology/engage/avru/discover/spiders/spiders-commonly-found-in-australia
• Garrison NL, Rodriguez J, Agnarsson I, Coddington JA, Griswold CE, Hamilton CA, Hedin M, Kocot KM, Ledford JM, Bond JE. Spider phylogenomics: untangling the Spider Tree of Life. PeerJ. 2016 Feb 23;4:e1719. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1719. PMID: 26925338; PMCID: PMC4768681.