About 1,200 different species of spiders live in the United States. Spiders are arachnids, related to mites, ticks and scorpions. Spiders, therefore, are not insects. Spiders differ from insects in three important ways:

• Spiders have only two body regions (head and abdomen) rather than three.
• Spiders have eight walking legs rather than six.
• Spiders never develop wings, unlike many insects.

Spiders live everywhere, even inside homes, yet because they tend to hide, most people are unaware of their presence until the run into a web used to catch insects.  Spiders are a very important insect predators and help to keep insect populations in control.  Even though all spiders have venom-injecting fangs, only a very small minority are able to pierce human skin. Among this minority, only a few pose any threat to human health. The brown recluse and widow spiders are two well known, highly venomous examples.  It is important to know that spiders do not try to bite unless trapped or provoked.

It is a fact that while spiders are very beneficial most people are fearful of them and do not like to have them around. They can become annoying if they build webs that collect dust and debris, resulting in cobwebs. If you are ever bitten by a spider, try to capture the spider for identification and immediately call a doctor.  Prompt treatment can greatly decrease the danger of complications as a result of the bite.