Editor:
How refreshing to read your article demystifying bats and explaining how important their role is in nature. (‘Do something positive for bats this Bat Week’, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024)
Another much maligned species is the spider. Some people are so terrified of them, and/or unaware of their benefits, that they treat their houses with toxic chemicals in an effort to destroy them. But spiders, like bats, serve an essential purpose in nature, and in your home.
Spiders, like bats, are major predators of insects, like mosquitoes, houseflies and roaches. They quietly go about their business, controlling insects in your home, garden and yard. Without spiders. we’d soon be overrun with creepy crawlies.
A recently released book, Eight-legged Wonders, The Surprising Lives of Spiders by James O’Hanlon, contains myriad surprising and wondrous facts about spiders who jump, use static electricity to ‘fly’, disguise themselves as ants and live in such diverse climates as near the top of Mount Everest!
So next time you see a spider, leave him or her alone. And if you truly can’t bear one in your dwelling, carefully remove them to the outdoors.
Debra Probert
