Spiders are phenomenal creatures. An air-breathing class of arachnids — eight-legged invertebrate arthropods — spiders are a misunderstood and widely feared creature. They are not insects, as some people believe, and they generally pose no real threat to humans. In fact, spiders contribute to the world through insect control. They also provide a source of natural beauty and wonder, and a potential source of new medicines to treat debilitating diseases.

While all spiders are venomous, only 9 or 10 species of the nearly 50,000 species of spiders pose any threat to humans. Furthermore, even the more dangerous spiders do not seek to hurt humans; it is only through accidental contact that spider bites occur. Spiders do, however, pose a real threat to insects, including those that are truly dangerous to humans. For instance, spiders eat mosquitoes and cockroaches, two insects that are known to spread deadly diseases. They also eat pesky insects like earwigs and flies. Spiders are a real boon in home gardens and on large farms, too, because they serve as a natural form of pest control: they feast on aphids, moths, and beetles that can be devastating to flowers and crops.