Wait before killing that scary spider in your bathroom- it might actually save your life.
By the end of this blog post, we will prove that spiders are actually saving lives.
Our video version of this post is amazing, which you can watch by clicking HERE now.
Also you can download the podcast version by using the button above!
Before we can prove spiders save lives, we need some context first:
Rural Africa’s Problem
One of the biggest problems in Africa is that they don’t have access to proper medical care, making people living there more susceptible to dying to various diseases.
They are trying to expand their economy and wealth, but this is a bit hard to do when you’re already struggling to make it to age 18. This becomes a never-ending cycle which is very difficult to break out of.
Hot African countries as well as other countries near to the Equator suffer especially from diseases transmitted by insects, specifically the fly.
In fact the mosquito is technically the deadliest creature on Earth. We have created a video on this subject. They are the deadliest creatures on Earth because they transmit deadly diseases such as malaria.
Deaths from Mosquitoes
According to the World Health Organization, mosquito bites kill at least 1 million people per year. The majority of these deaths is due to malaria being transmitted to the victim, but also includes other diseases and complications as a result of mosquito bites.
The World Health Organization estimates that a child dies every 30 seconds due to malaria caused by mosquito bites. An estimated 300 to 500 million cases of malaria occur each year.
Of course not every case is deadly, but it can still cause other complications such as the individual not being able to work for a period of time.
While this isn’t as much of a problem in the USA, Canada, and Europe, in Sub-Saharan Africa this is a serious issue preventing them from expanding and living abundantly.
Even in colder climates found in America, mosquitoes can still transmit deadly disease and non-deadly disease which just gets you sick!
That’s where spiders come into play… do you see where this is going?
A Spiders Diet
What do spiders eat? Annoying bugs, such as mosquitoes!
Every year spiders eat an estimated 400 to 800 million tons of insects and other pests alone.
We humans eat about 400 million tons of meat & fish every year, to put that in comparison.
Spiders play a very important role in keeping pest populations down. Without spiders we might have to deal with large, dangerous swarms of insects.
Spiders eat more insects per year than the total weight of all humans on Earth combined!
The Impact of Spiders
Let’s really put this in perspective. One mosquito weighs an average of 2.5 milligrams to 5 milligrams.
400-800 tons is equivalent to 362,874-725,748 kilograms. When we take the low estimation of tons of insects eaten divided by the high weight estimation of mosquitoes, and the high estimation of tons of insects eaten divided by the low weight estimation of mosquitoes, we get a total estimated range of mosquitoes that are eaten every single year by spiders.
Spiders eat an average 72.5 BILLION to 290.3 BILLION insects every single year!
Now this IS an extremely wide range based on approximations, but still this is quite the shocking fact! Even at the low range of 72.5 billion mosquitoes hunted by spiders, this means that spiders are doing their due diligence when it comes to keeping mosquitoes & other pest populations in check.
Imagine for a moment that all spiders disappeared from Earth for one year. This would mean that by the end of the year we’d have an extra 72.5-290.3 billion other insects & mosquitoes, and even if spiders “re-spawned” at the end of this year they would struggle quite a lot with keeping them in check because there would be too many (and they would be having more babies also!).
Not only would the spread of deadly disease sky-rocket, but so many other problems would be caused such as pest infestation in homes, contamination of food & water, and manufacturing problems as insects take over.
The results would be a huge disaster rand billions of dollars in damages. It would take years (or even decades) for the problem to be fixed!
One Tiny Spider…
One simple, tiny spider- while insignificant as one- is part of a greater alliance secretly aiding humanity and changing our lives for better. Spiders are killing literally hundreds of millions of tons worth of pests & mosquitoes every single year which would otherwise infest our homes, contaminate our resources, and kill innocent people by spreading diseases.
Next time you see that little spider, think twice before killing it. It may have saved your life…
-Wildlife x Team International
P.S. Got a pest or wild animal problem? Call us at 855-WILDLIFE or visit www.wildlifexteam.com and we’ll be sure to help you out!