233067
Letters  

Spiders


The article posted regarding spiders and their reputation to hurt, being debunked, is a fallacy.

Yes, I agree that spiders should be given a lot more credit for what they do (I, myself, find that I need to fear these creatures less, as my 3 year old is extremely intrigued by them - but is sadly beginning to acquire my fear). They eat flies and other insects considered nuisances in your house. 

Yes, I agree they [spiders] are getting increasingly scared of your home, the farther they travel in. And that they cannot travel up your pipes. Unless you just tried to wash them down and they crawled back up. I speak on behalf of every person who has ever washed an alive spider down the drain, and watched in horror as it crawled back up. 

I also agree, the 'wolf spider' doesn't exist in BC. And I agree that, generally, they do not harm you.
But this is where the article is incorrect, and it doesn't take an entomologist to find the error in the statement.

Black widows are the only spider species in BC that can harm a human. Wrong!

What this statement is doing, is telling all the unfortunate victims of Brown Recluse Spider bites, that their skin did not disintegrate away, and that the spider that bit them, did not cause the flesh eating disease attacking the bite location. And that all those people (myself included) who have been (extremely painfully) bitten by a Black Widow spider, that we are lucky to be alive.

That is wrong. Yes the black widow bite hurt like heck, and yes I know FOR SURE that it was a Black Widow, but in no way was I in danger for my life. Did I go to a doctor? Not even. 

Please edit your story to include Brown Recluse and any other spider that is actually really found in BC, that harms people. If you read print with any scientific value, or speak to a doctor who has treated a Brown Recluse bite victim, you will edit your article. And perhaps do research before an article is put out like this! It is extremely dangerous to tell people not to worry about the Brown Recluse!

Thank you,
Elicia L
 



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