Even though spiders are creepy crawlers that you probably despise, killing them could actually do your house more harm than good. Here's why.
Besides having long legs and a creepy demeanor, most people are scared of spiders for one specific reason: Their bite. If you’re not sure the type of spider, there’s always a chance that the spider could be venomous. However, it has been proven that only about 10 percent of spider bites lead to necrotic skin lesions. These types of bites actually don’t come from the innocent brown spiders that make a home within your home. In fact, it’s actually quite difficult for a spider like that to bite you.
So if that’s the case, why in the world are we so drawn to killing spiders? If anything, spiders can actually help our homes instead of harming them. Since spiders are natural predators, they capture pests within your home. Regardless, this simple step will keep spiders out of your house.
Now, these household pests aren’t just flies, which can be a common misconception. Spiders even prey after disease-carrying insects. They go for those nasty indoor pests such as cockroaches, mosquitos, earwigs, and even clothing moths. The more you keep daddy long-legs around, the less mosquitos you’ll have floating around your home. Check out the most elaborate spider webs found in nature.
Typical household spider species will include cellar spiders (pholcidae, also known as “daddy long-legs”), cobweb spiders (parasteatoda tepidariorioum) and brown recluse (loxosceles reclusa). These spiders will create webs where their food source is coming from. So if you see a spider on its web, it’s even more of an inclination to leave that spider alone. They set up camp based on where the bugs are, so they will be getting rid of those bugs for you!
Obviously, it isn’t pleasant letting spiders roam around your home. If you cannot stand having a spider in the home, don’t squish it to bits. Instead, capture it with a jar and release it outside. It will find somewhere else to go and will continue preying on the bugs you also despise.
Spiders aren’t the only household creatures you want to keep around. Ever see those crazy looking house centipedes? They also have a huge impact on your home! Here’s why you should never kill a house centipede. Now, check out these 13 secrets about bedbugs, termites, and other creepy pests.
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Killing a spider will not attract other spiders. Spiders don’t have the ability to sense other dead spiders, let alone be attracted by carcasses of dead spiders. Many people confuse this behavior with some other insects, like the bees. In the family of bees, all members are attracted to the Queen bee, whether it is alive or dead. The queen bee has special pheromones that they emit, which are meant to attract other bees to it, especially if it’s in a time of stress. Spiders don’t have these pheromones, and they are not
attracted by dead spiders. Some spiders will even hunt other spider species if they get caught inside their nets. No, killing a spider will not attract other spiders. Spiders aren’t as family-minded as bees are. They’re more of an individualistic species that focuses more on its needs rather than the needs of the group. It is exactly this group-minded behavior that prompts bees to be attracted by other dead bees, particularly if it’s the Queen bee. On the
other hand, spiders don’t really care about other dead spiders, as harsh as it might sound. They don’t spend their entire lives in groups – instead, they prefer to go solo, hunting other insects and looking out for ways to survive in this world. This means they’ll not follow other spiders or dead bodies. So if you’re worried about having a spider in your room or your home and you’re thinking about killing it, then it’s highly unlikely that other spiders will come to the carcass of the
spider you’ve just killed. However, it might be likely that the spider carcass will attract some insects and potentially even other spiders. For example, the brown recluse spider is well-known for scavenging dead bodies, particularly bodies of other insects. It’s also possible that they will scavenge for food if they see a dead spider body – so in this case, the dead spider will attract
other spiders indirectly, although the likelihood of this happening is pretty low.
Do Spiders Give Off a Scent When They Die?
No, spiders don’t give off any scents as they do, which means that they will not attract other spiders to the “scene of the crime”.
Some people confuse this behavior because it’s something that bees and some other insects do, for instance. Bees give off a scent of pheromones when they die, which is a hormone that is supposed to attract other bees to the site of the death. It’s also a hormone they exude when they’re in danger or when they want to fire the alarm to warn other bees.
It’s a very specific survival technique that they’ve mastered in the millions of years they’ve existed. Bees rely heavily on their group, so they need to have a way of alarming other bees and enabling them to find the dead bee so they’re attracted to it.
Spiders don’t have this capacity. When they die, they don’t give off any scents or other hormones like some insects do. They mostly die alone, because they’re lone wanderers for the majority of their lives. They prefer to live this way as well because they’re often capable of surviving on their own just fine.
Dead bodies of spiders are a good opportunity for scavenging insects and spiders to get a free meal, though. This means that there’s a small chance that a dead spider will attract other insects and potentially scavenging spiders when they die – most likely though, these animals should be gone from the scene quickly.
Should I Avoid Killing Spiders Because They Attract Other Spiders?
Many people say that they avoid killing spiders because the dead body of the spider will attract other spiders – but that is not true. If you have an infestation of spiders, then you should not worry that a dead body will attract other spiders.
However, there are other reasons as to why you might want to reconsider killing that spider that’s been lurking in the corner of your room for some time now.
Firstly, spiders are a good way to control insect populations in your home naturally. They’re sort of a natural insect killer, and they’re harmless as well, unlike some chemicals that people use in repellents to get rid of insects.
Secondly, the vast majority of spiders that might come to your home are harmless. Even the spiders that might have a potent venom will not look to attack you – in fact, spiders are quite shy of humans and they’ll do everything they can to stay well away from you. Of course, if you’re worried about it, you should remove it yourself or seek help.
Thirdly, did someone tell you that killing spiders brings bad luck?
In all seriousness, as long as you don’t have an infestation of spiders or if you’re suffering from arachnophobia or fear of spiders, then you should be fine. You don’t need to kill that spider that’s hiding in your room that urgently.
And no, killing it will not attract more spiders to come to your room.
What Happens if I Kill the Spider?
Nothing especially will happen, just a few minor things:
- You’ll lose a natural shield from insects in your home
- You might create a stain on your wall if you’re not careful with the method of killing
- You’re killing a spider that is not looking to harm you, especially if it is a smaller and relatively harmless species
However, if you’re afraid of spiders or the spider that’s in your room is potentially seriously venomous – like a black widow, then you should probably remove it ASAP.
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Conclusion
To conclude, killing spiders will not attract other spiders. They don’t give off pheromones as they die as some bee species do, and they spend the majority of their lives alone.
This means that you don’t have to worry about other spiders coming to your home if you decide to kill one.
I am the founder and owner of Fauna Facts. My mission is to write valuable and entertaining information about animals and pets for my audience. I hope you enjoy the site!