Myths about spiders: what is really behind the scary stories!

Myths about spiders: what is really behind the scary stories!

in the dark premonition of Halloween, when the shadows become longer and the creep fairy tales increase around the eight-legged creatures, the NABU Lower Saxony brings light into the dark of the spider myths. While many people are afraid of spiders, many of these fears are based on myths that hardly correspond to the truth. So what about the scary stories that are around the little crawls?

A particularly stubborn myth says that every person has already eaten a spider in their sleep. This widespread claim that goes back to a column from the 1990s is nothing more than an urban myth. "Spiders are very sensitive animals. They feel our breathing and flee before they come close to our mouths," explains Kristin Schaper from NABU Niedersachsen. So if you hear this myth on Halloween, you can breathe a sigh of relief - it is simply wrong!

The truth about spiders in our houses

Another myth says that spiders "move in" into people's houses. The answer to this is complex: some types of spider get lost in our apartments and cannot survive there for long, while others feel comfortable in our four walls. "Cross spiders and zebraspringer often get lost, while trembling spiders and house angles have adapted to the conditions in our houses," said Schaper. Many spiders are looking for shelter, especially in the cold season, but avoid closeness to people and usually stay on the ground or on walls.

Another common terror's myth is the idea that spiders climb out of the vacuum cleaner alive. NABU expert Schaper is skeptical: "The suction power of a vacuum cleaner is so strong that the spider will pop against the pipe when sucking in and probably suffocate before she has the chance to come out alive." These myths are not only unfounded, they can also cause people to be unnecessarily afraid of these useful animals that often catch insects such as mosquitoes and flies. If you prefer to see spiders outside, you can capture them gently with a glass and take them outside. So the scary remains within the Halloween night-and the spiders can continue to make their important contribution to nature.