Amy Lines

Do you find cobwebs spooky on Halloween?

Cobwebs come from spiders. Spiders are small arthropods that have eight legs, and their teeth are generally able to inject venom from biting.

As recorded by taxonomists, presently there are over 45,000 species of spiders distributed in 129 families in the world. These arthropods are known to be found almost on every continent except Antarctica and are able to establish their habitat everywhere with the exception of wind and sea colonization.

They are carnivores who eat flying prey like mosquitoes. Generally, spiders build a small net using their spider silk to trap their prey, however, not all spiders are capable of building webs.

The spider looks for support to weave its net. After the construction, it just waits for the prey to be trapped.

There are different categories of spider webs, which include spiral orb webs that are built by the family of Araneidae. Secondly, there are cobwebs or tangle webs that are associated with the family of Theridiidae.

Thirdly, funeral webs are built by some modern and primitive spiders. Lastly, there are tubular webs and sheet spider webs.

Most people are scared of spiders, because of their creepy looks and poisonous bite, but there are only a few species of spiders in the world that are dangerous to us. These spiders have bites that can be fatal, but most spiders only attack as a defense mechanism.

Cobwebs are generally made of the abandoned webs of the Theridiidae species of spiders. Initially, the spider combs the web using silk it produces from its spinneret glands, which is sticky and can easily trap small flying insects like mosquitoes or houseflies as prey.

Spiderwebs are transparent when they are built.

Later, when dust and dirt become attached to the web, only then is it considered as a cobweb. Several strands of this invisible silk may also be spun to catch the wind if a spider feels the urge to go swinging through the air, from one spot to another, just like we saw in the movie 'Spiderman'!

Spiders are mostly found in dark corners as they don't like being exposed to bright light. Spiders have the natural behavior of wandering throughout their environment and they sometimes unintentionally roam in building gaps or dark corners on the ceiling in a home. They can build their webs behind furniture, in a storeroom, or in a basement.

If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about where do spider mites come from? or where do ticks come from? here on Kidadl?

What's that running through the walls with lots of tiny legs?

They're centipedes! Centipedes are grayish-brown colored creatures belonging to the class of anthropods.

The name 'centipede' has a Latin origin in which 'centi' means 'hundred' and 'pedes' means 'foot.' The species of house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is known to be originated from the Mediterranean region and now they are spread all throughout the world, living amongst human beings, in their houses.

These creatures have up to 15 pairs of legs and can crawl swiftly from one hiding place to another.

Their heads also have a pair of long antennas helping them to track other pests in their surroundings.

Centipedes can live as long as six years if they are not preyed on by other creatures and lay 35 eggs or more inside the soil during the summer. Centipedes prefer environments that are cool and damp where significant moisture is present as they cannot survive dry conditions.

Their body mechanism does not store water, thus, moist surroundings are necessary to protect them from dehydration and extremely cold weather. When outside the house, they basically live outdoor under large rocks, heaps of leaves, piles of wood, and debris from unfinished construction and trash bins.

The centipedes prey using the sense of touch and smell because they have weak eyesight and their food consists of other soft-bodied pests like silverfish bugs, flies, spiders, and other house pests.

They are natural pest hunters to control other pest populations.

Centipedes can rarely be spotted, unless it catches your sight, because of their nocturnal activity. Also, with the fast speed that they move with their small legs, it is difficult to spot a centipede!

Centipedes mostly come from the yard and take entry inside the house to avoid the cold weather outdoors. They are also attracted to places where they can find lots of prey.

Adult centipedes hide in moist and dark areas. Unlike other pests, they do not have any sign of presence, unless you actually see them in the house. Some common locations that can be their hiding spots inside the house are bathtubs, sinks, sewage pipes, and basements.

Centipedes may crawl into the cracks in the foundation of the house. Centipedes do not actually carry any disease that is fatal to us.

If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about how often do bed bugs feedandwhere do carpet beetles come from here on Kidadl!