While you’re decorating your Reston home with fake webs and giant plastic spiders this time of year, consider sharing the following facts about spiders with the kiddos – just to up the creepiness factor.

1. Spiders can only digest liquids. That means when they catch a whole bug for lunch, they have to first bite it and fill it with their own stomach juices, turning it into a soupy meal. Yum!

2. Spiders don’t drown well. Their bodies are covered in water-repellant hairs, which means they can float and sometimes survive under water for hours. So that spider you washed down the shower drain this morning? He’s on his way back up now.

3. Baby spiders can fly! Well, not really, but they can use a technique called “ballooning” to get carried on the wind from one point to another.

4. Spiders have better vision than you. Some varieties of jumping spiders can even see both UVA and UVB light. So just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean…

5. You’re always surrounded by them. There are few areas of the Earth where spiders aren’t – like the North and South Poles and under the sea. If you live anywhere else, though, you can bet you’re surrounded by a wide variety of spiders at any given time. Rural and forested areas can have as many 2.5 million spiders per acre. Anyone for a hike?

6. Spiders are great at reproducing. In fact, large house spiders can lay between 40 and 50 eggs a year – sometimes more if they’re getting plenty to eat.

7. They live long lives. In cooler climates, the average house spider can live for up to 3 years.

If your home is being haunted by real-life spiders, Green Pest Services can help. Call us for an estimate today, and happy Halloween!