 |
|
| You Are Here: Burke Museum : Spider Myths : House : Bathtub |
House Spider Myths
|
| Click image to enlarge |
Myth: Spiders found in bathtubs or sinks have come up through the drains from the sewers.
Fact: This myth goes together with the "coming
in from the cold" one, and shows how very reluctant people are to confront
the idea that the spiders in their house live there all the time. I don't know
of even one case where a spider was actually shown to migrate into a house through
plumbing; modern drains contain a liquid-filled sediment trap through which
spiders cannot penetrate.
House spiders are thirsty creatures living in a very water-poor environment,
and any that venture near a sink or tub with drops of water in it will try to
reach the water, often by climbing down a wall. Once in the slick-sided porcelain
basin, they are unable to climb back out unless a helpful human "lends them
a hand."
| Previous Myth | Myths Home | Web Resources | Next Myth |
 |
Text ©
2003, Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture, University of Washington, Box 353010, Seattle, WA 98195, USA Phone: 206-543-5590 Photos © as credited |
Queries
to Spider Myths author, Rod Crawford This page last updated 1 September, 2010 This site best viewed at 800 x 600 using IE 5.0 or above. |