Scared of spiders? New research from B.C. university may provide a safe solution
Simon Fraser University researchers say a spider's ability to sniff out a certain species of ants could lead to a safe spider repellent for humans.
“When the number of ants increases in a garden, the number of spiders decline,” SFU scientist Andreas Fischer told CTV News. “And we wanted to know why.”
The researchers chose the common false black widow spider to study because of its proximity to humans. The harmless species can be found in and around buildings and walls.
The spiders were tested with a number of different kinds of ants and the research found that only the European fire ants repelled all the spiders tested. Other types of ants repelled only some of the spiders.
Fischer told CTV News that while spiders are very good for the environment, people with an irrational fear of spiders will do irrational things to repel them like spraying their homes with dangerous chemicals.
“There’s currently nothing safe on the market to repel spiders,” said Fischer. “We want to come up with a solution.”
The SFU testing was conducted before the pandemic and published in the Royal Society Open Science. When the research resumes this summer, the next step will be to try to identify the chemical that prompted the spiders to avoid the ants.
“Once we know the chemical, we will then test it to see if it’s safe for humans, pets and the environment,” says Fischer.
Fischer strongly advises people with a fear of spiders, also called arachnophobes, not to try bringing European fire ants into their gardens to stave off spiders.
“The ants are highly aggressive,” said Fischer, and they have a very painful sting. He added that they replicate very quickly and each nest contains hundreds of thousands of ants.
When asked why anyone would knowingly bring fire ants on to their property, he repeated, “people with irrational fears, do irrational things.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about Plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Construction begins on LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa
Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.
B.C. man awarded $5,000 in damages in first-of-it-kind intimate image case
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.