Spiders are comrades in my ongoing extermination war against against mosquitoes.
this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2025
875 points (97.1% liked)
Science Memes
13467 readers
1293 users here now
Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
One thing to notice Most animals that are inside your house, are inside your house for a reason. And if you put them outside to "live" they will just die if they cannot return to a suitable environment with a reliable source of food and proper cover from the weather and predators.
So, sorry for taking away the guilt free feeling of putting an animal outside thinking it will live a long happy life in the wilderness.
I often think about this too, though a quick search about house spiders did suggest to me they have a decent chance of survival through winter. I don’t think human structures have been around long enough for species to have adapted to be dependent on them.
Spiders deserve to live, Mosquitoes deserve to die
Even vegans agree.
Are mosquitoes angels?
I cry.
Those spiders you find inside may be of a type completely adapted to living indoors with humans. Putting one outside means death.
I made this mistake with a stink bug when it was winter. It was ok with being on the piece of paper I had it on. When I opened the door and the cold air hit it, it backed away towards me. I set it down and it stopped moving. Oops. :(
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(2 replies)
Even though I still have arachnophobia, I've intentionally lived with spiders for over a decade and I've not had issues with mosquitoes even if I left all of my windows open. And my roommates are thriving!
They're very chill roommates, too! After about 1-2 months of adjusting to living together in my old apartment, they stopped spinning webs in the areas which I used frequently and focused on the zones which I left out for them - ceiling corners, gaps between walls and furniture, etc. I did occasionally clean up their old webs every now and again (while taking great care not to bother the spiders themselves) because they also gathered a lot of dust. But they'd replace the old webbing in a matter of days.
And they never developed overpopulation issues, even though I did see them producing egg sacks regularly. I was expecting to drown in spiders by the end of the first year of trying this arrangement, but I never counted more than 15-20 spiders apartment-wide.
15-20? Do you tend to have open windows or doors?
Generally, yes, even during winter for the most part.
Yeah I've always had similar arrangements with spiders. I don't bother them if they don't bother me. Wolf spiders chilling in my bathtub do get expropriated through the nearest window though.
Oh, wow! I'd probably just die if I ever saw a wolf spider in my tub! Like, complete simultaneous organ failure, the energy which is me would just eject from my body.
Lucky for me, I live in Temperate-Continental, so my biggest threat is seeing a Long-Legs dangling down to check up on me while I'm showering!
And I'm serious about this. Maybe it was just me imagining things, but I swear they started inspecting me every now and again. Like, I'd be at my desk playing, and I'd see one rapelling from the ceiling, like 20-30 cm away from me. Seldom has any descended onto the actual desk, though, they'd just hang for a bit, then climb back up. It was strangely comforting, though, it makes them feel a lot more alive and present than the mind would tend to think about an eight-legged thing right out of my nightmares. They really have become my roommates.
load more comments
(3 replies)
load more comments
(1 replies)
I only wish spiders wanted to be hugged and kissed as much I want to hug and kiss them. Actually, this applies to a lot of things.
I think they die outside or come back in.
i love spiders, they are such helpful creatures.
To be fair, the spider will likely be responsible for the deaths of many other insects, but honestly, I'm ok with that. They can live in my house rent free if they keep the other bugs from making my home their home.... And they don't crawl on me. That's just begging to be killed....
Spiders are bros.
Spider bro is my ally against the wool moths, at the moment. If I catch one I'm putting it in the closet.
They earn their keep.
We had aphids in the garden last year. Wolf spider moved in, big fat guy. Made short work of em. Wolf spider is welcome among my lettuce any day.
My rule has always been simple. It I'm in its house (outside), it's not my business. If it's in my house, I have to make a choice. That choice was always smash (I'm arachnophobic), but my daughter has led me down the paragon path and I now save more than half of all spiders inside of my house. Maybe more. I don't get that many spiders in my house here in arid western Canada.
load more comments
(2 replies)
I have so many spiders on the lower floor of the place I'm in now I've given up on even bringing them outside. I identify what they are to keep track if we have an uptick in dangerous ones. If it is a particularly gross one it goes in the garage to war it out with the cellar spiders otherwise I just shoo them under furniture so I don't have to think about it. Damnit I'm turning into my dad...
They keep the bad stuff out, I figure. I try to put them in my plant pots if I find them around.
I agree that we shouldn't disturb nature, but let's not forget that animals kill each other all the time. There's no such thing as ethics in nature.
Spiders are good, they eat the other bugs that cause trouble. The spiders we have are tiny though.
to continue the story: so, he was released in the wilderness and the other 2 spiders saw him all clean and posh that decided to beat him up and mug him.
Unless the spider in question is a likely danger/hazard, leaving them be is generally my policy. They don't usually bother me. That said, the time a calisoga spider got in the house, it caused a visceral fear reaction. I didn't kill it though, just got safety glasses and trapped it before releasing it outside (I didn't know that it was not a tarantula at the time).
Cute!
Mecore
Yo.. is this a random gw2 post???
Just a shoutout.
I've been playing a ton lately and hear this LITERALLY ALL THE TIME. That, and something about wanting more violence ;)
Haha, I played a lot of GW1 and met some of my best irl friend in GW2 in the early days. I basically got the dragon mount and stopped playing shortly after that was released. Sad because I loved, LOVED Cantha in GW1. I should check in again. I have something insane like 4k hours into it. Didn't feel the need to escape so much after I moved abroad.
I just tried to respond but it failed I think.
You really should, the new content is good. Lots of stuff has been refreshed, the story is really starting to both answer questions and ask more. Icebrood saga was awesome and the three (omg you didn't play eod either omg) new expansions have been great. Anet changed their model so there's no more separate living world, those in-betweens will be included with the price of the expansions that will now be released more often. Dx11 is now baseline. There's fishing. And boats. And there are spear builds. And a new trinket slot! And other stuff I don't want to say! And the dailies system has been replaced and it's actually good!
I don't want to spoil anything, but you really should check in again!
I played a little bit of those. I think it was more everyone I used to play with got old and busy. :) I would like to check in soon though, give me a few weeks first to finish everything I need to do lol.
Also anet just announced another expansion is coming out in October.
Ooo what's the mechanic they're adding this time? I have in skiff but it isn't upgraded at all.
Nothing simple that isn't also a spoiler
My preferred method is using a piece of paper, slide it gently under them and lift.
Tried and true! I also add a jar because they make me jump, I can't help it lol. I have had big orb spiders crawl on me in the woods while climbing in the US and we have large spiders here incl. the giant English house spider here. They are both the size of hands. Freak me the fuck out haha.
So far the few I have around here give me a wide berth. Long as that continues we can all coexist
I agree, but I make exceptions for black widow spiders. I once even found one nesting in my car's trunk.
My partner has turned me into a spood fan. I oscillated between being scared of them and liking them in my childhood, but after meeting him, I think of them as weird little guys that hang around the house
view more: next ›