What Happens If You Drink Spider Blood?
WouterIf you’ve ever seen a spider with blood in its web, you’ve probably wondered what happens if you drink it. Despite its appearance, there is no evidence that spiders consume vertebrate blood. They instead feed on other insects, such as mosquitoes. However, it’s possible that scientists have found a way to use the venom of spiders to develop new medical treatments.
The black widow spider has a venom that is fifteen times stronger than the venom of the rattlesnake. Its venom overwhelms the nerve cells and causes the body to sweat and cramp. It’s rare to get severe symptoms from a bite, but the risk is greater in young children and elderly people.
There are several species of spider that are venomous. Some are extremely harmful, including the brown recluse and banana spiders. If you have been bitten by one of these venomous spiders, you should seek emergency treatment.
Usually, bites from spiders are not painful, but you may experience nausea, dizziness, rapid pulse and swelling. You should not cut or tourniquet the area, but you can wash it with soap and water. You should also mark the location of the bite, and take note of the time you were bitten.
Using a Y-shaped olfactometer, researchers were able to assess the response of Evarcha culicivora to different odors. It’s thought that spiders can distinguish their prey by odor alone. They prefer blood-fed female mosquitoes over other prey. The number of spiders choosing a blood-fed mosquito is higher than the number that choose a sugar-fed one.
