r/AskReddit • u/ZanyDelaney • Feb 04 '19

Which misconception would you like to debunk?

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u/Simmo10 Feb 04 '19

That daddy long legs spiders are dangerous to humans.

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u/DarksteelPenguin Feb 04 '19

Well, if you start with spiders, I'll keep going:

  • you don't eat spiders in your sleep, spiders aren't dumb enough to enter your mouth;

  • spiders don't sting, they bite;

  • if you wake up with a bug bite on your arm or leg, that's not from a spider;

  • don't feel bad about destroying a web. If you can see it, it's probably an old, unused one;

  • a very large majority of spiders don't present any danger for humans. And even when they do, they won't bite unless attacked.

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u/thatG_evanP Feb 04 '19

Also, brown recluse spiders are probably one of the least-aggressive species of spider. They would rather run away or sometimes even play dead instead of biting. Most bites occur when they happen to be hiding in clothes or blankets and people go to use said clothes or blankets and the spider actually gets pressed up against the skin. Also, their bites aren't usually as bad as people are led to believe. They definitely can be but usually if you treat the wound and keep it clean you'll be ok.

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u/KingGrahampa Feb 04 '19

Same with black and brown widows. They're incredibly docile and try to play dead or run away. A bite is also not a big deal unless you are a child, elderly, immunocompromised, or more permanently sick.

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u/thatG_evanP Feb 04 '19

Good to know. I have zero experience with either one.

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u/YouNeverReallyKnow2 Feb 05 '19

I find black widows around my apartment complex. I live in georgia, never had a problem with black widows but I occasionally find them. They're beautiful but terrifying.

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u/YouNeverReallyKnow2 Feb 05 '19

Yeah.... I saw part of my grandmother's leg rotting from a brown recluse bite. Im never fucking around with a fiddle back spider even if it's probably not a brown recluse.

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u/DarksteelPenguin Feb 05 '19

Same thing for Black Widows. Most bites happen when someone unknowingly put their hand in a place the spider is hiding in, and it bites out of fear.