www.caioc.org

Halloween is the perfect time to talk about the creepy-crawlies that frighten people the most: spiders. Many people suffer from arachnophobia. In some cases, just the sight of a web or even a picture of a spider can trigger intense fear. But the truth is that most spiders are harmless. Tey serve a beneficial role, catching and killing pest insects.

A lot of fears about spiders come from misunderstandings or outright false- hoods that have been spread around for years. So let’s bust the seven most common myths about spiders.

MYTH #1: Spiders Are Aggressive.

Unlike mosquitoes and ticks, spiders do not feed on human blood. Tey have no reason to seek out humans just to bite them. Spiders don’t usu- ally bite humans – even when you give them the opportunity to do so.

Russell Wright, professor of Entomol- ogy at Oklahoma State University says in the report titled Spiders: Brown Re- cluse, Black Widow, and Other Com- mon Spiders, “only one spider in the world is considered aggressive – the funnel-web spider of Australia, Atrax robustus, which reputedly will attack without provocation. No other spider is overly aggressive unless cornered, in- jured, or otherwise overly provoked.”

MYTH #2: Spiders Bite You In Your Sleep.

“A spider bit me while I was sleep- ing” or “I didn’t see what bit me, so it must’ve been a spider” are two things pest control professionals fre- quently hear. People blame spiders for all types of bites, bumps, rashes and growths.

But because spiders don’t feed on human blood, there’s no reason for them to venture near a sleeping hu- man. Even if you were to roll over on to a spider in your sleep, it would be very hard for a spider to bite you because its fangs are located under- neath its body.

To help reduce the possibility of a spider getting into your bed, start by removing all cobwebs and thorough- ly cleaning the room. Ten, when making your bed, don’t let your blankets or the bedspread touch the floor or walls.

If you’re waking up in the morn- ing with bumps and sores, you may want to see your doctor. Tere are numerous conditions that may be misdiagnosed as a spider bite. Many alleged spider bites are actually an MRSA infection, which is caused by antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria.

MYTH #3:

Dangerous Spiders Lurk Under Toilet Seats.

Tis is an internet hoax that can be traced back to September of 1999. Disguised as news, the hoax’s origina- tor claims an article in the Journal of the United Medical Association warns of a deadly South American spider lurking under toilet seats. Known as Arachinius gluteus —literally “the butt spider” — this spider supposedly killed several women who went to the bathroom at Big Chappie’s Restaurant in Chicago’s Blare Airport.

If you do a little homework, you’ll find that the Arachinius gluteus spider does not exist. Also, there is no medi- cal journal with that name, no such restaurant, and no Blare Airport. Con- sider this myth completely busted.

MYTH #4:

Te Orb Weaver’s Web Is A “Nor- mal” Spider Web.

If someone asked you to picture a spi- der web, chances are you’d imagine the orb weaver’s web. Tese are the kind often depicted in Halloween decora- tions, but orb weaver’s webs are not the most common type. Orb weav- ers construct organized, circular grid webs that tend to be large and can be up to three feet in diameter. Often sus-

15