Nebraskaland

52 Nebraskaland • October 2022 MIXED BAG Most people don't care much for spiders, especially indoors. After all, spiders have long creepy legs, no one likes an unexpected web to the face, and some of them are really dangerous, right? What if I introduced you to a spider that has relatively short legs, doesn't make webs, is completely harmless to people, and also looks like a cute little teddy bear? Ok, the teddy bear part might be a bit of a stretch, but some of us do think they're cute. Also, they eat flies. Does that help? Meet the jumping spider. We almost always have a few jumping spiders living in our house. They tend to hang around our windows where flies are buzzing around and bumping against the glass. Jumping spiders don't use webs to catch prey. Instead, they creep slowly within range and then pounce on flies or other small insects. When they jump, they attach a "safely line" of silk before leaping in case they miss their target. Instead of falling to the ground below, they drop a short distance before getting caught by their safety line and can simply crawl back up to where they were. In fact, if you can catch a jumping spider, you can get it to jump from one hand to the other. You can see the safety line in action if you pull your second hand away while the spider is in the air. Sold yet? Another great thing about jumping spiders in the house is that they're great roommates. They don't leave old webs hanging around, and they spend most of their time hiding in tiny crevices around windows or other places where they're not in your way. They're also completely silent as they help reduce the number of flies and other insects flying around your home. You won't even notice them most of the time. When we do see the jumping spiders in our house, they're usually either hunting on or near a window or making their way from one window to the next. If we approach them, they'll often turn and look at us through their big gorgeous eyes. They don't like us to get too close, but if we're careful, they'll let us watch from a distance as they hunt. Our household is pretty tolerant of indoor spiders of all kinds, which I know is a lot to expect from most families. Apart from the adorable little jumpers, we have funnel web spiders in the corners of a few windows, skinny cellar spiders making webs between the ceiling joists of our unfinished basement, and parson spiders and others crawling around here and there. Those are just a few examples. We'll clear out the webs downstairs when they start getting in the way, but for the most part, the spiders live their lives and we live ours. I 'v e o b s e r v e d , photographed and held thousands of spiders over my lifetime and have never gotten bit. The vast majority of spiders are no threat to people and aren't interested in biting you unless you force them into it. Even then, most can't break your skin. Most people who think they've had spider bites are wrong, and doctors seem to be getting better at diagnosing red painful/itchy spots as the ingrown hairs, chigger bites or whatever else they actually are. There are, of course, a few spiders with potentially serious bites. It's a very good idea to know how to identify brown recluses (violin shape on their back) and black widows (red bowtie on their belly) so you don't try to pick them up. However, while those spiders can be dangerous, they don't spend their lives trying to chase you down or waiting to attack you while you sleep. I won't try to talk anyone into going from "burn it with fire" to hanging a welcome sign out for all spiders. That's a losing proposition, and I know it. I would, though, encourage you to keep an eye out for jumping spiders around your windows. If you spot one, consider giving it a chance to prove itself as a worthy roommate. You don't have to become best friends right away. As with any relationship, it takes time to build trust and get used to one another's weird eating habits. If you give it a chance, you might find that a little jumping spider can become a welcome sight. If not, there's always the cup- and-paper method of escorting it gently outdoors. OUR SPIDER HOUSEMATES By Chris Helzer CHRIS HELZER

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