But don’t go adding the invasive, biting insects to your home as an arachnid repellent
The ants probably left behind chemical traces, the researchers say. That could signal danger to the arachnids because ants sometimes feast on spiders. The reaction hints that the insects might be a source of natural spider-repelling chemicals.
“A lot of people are afraid of spiders, and there’s nothing on the market that is reliable that keeps the spiders away,” says Andreas Fischer, an arachnologist at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada.
Fischer and his colleagues housed false black widow spiders (Steatoda grossa) in a glass container with three connected chambers. The arachnids were less likely to settle down in empty compartments that had once contained European fire ants (Myrmica rubra), an invasive species in North America. Other spider species — black widow (Latrodectus hesperus), cross (Araneus diadematus) and hobo (Eratigena agrestis) — also had an aversion to the former fire ant chambers.
The finding is exciting but not ready for real-world use, Fischer says. “I really hope that people don’t go out there and get European fire ants into their garden to get rid of spiders.” The ants are aggressive, “horrendous pests” with stinging bites and are tough to get rid of.
