Basic Spider Facts

• There are nearly 40,000 species of spiders worldwide and about 3,800 in the US.
• Spiders range in size from small enough to balance comfortably on the tip of a pencil to almost 14 inches in diameter.

Spider Silk

• Spider silk is one of the strongest natural fibers known.
• Bridge builders have studied spider webs because of their remarkable ability to absorb tension.

Spider Venom

• Components of spider venom show promise in medical research, including areas of Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease and even in preventing permanent brain damage in stroke victims.
• There is no correlation between the size of the spider and the degree of venom potency.

Strange But True...

• Little Miss Muffet was a real person.  Her name was Patience Muffet and she was the daughter of Thomas Muffet - a late 16th and early 17th century entomologist.
• Aristotle advocated swallowing a spider every day as a means of staying healthy.

However, homeowners aren't completely off base in their strong dislike for these household pests.  Various species of spiders found in the United States pose serious health threats and require vigilant control procedures.

Information found at http://www.pctonline.com/News/news.asp?Id=2761.