Spider-Sense (Scents?) Tingling!

Scientists have discovered something a bit odd about the East African jumping spider: it’s attracted to the smell of sweaty socks. The smell of sweat and other distinctly human scents attracts these spiders, because where there are people, there are mosquitoes — the spider’s favorite prey. And not just any mosquitoes — East African jumping spiders have a particular love of the Anapholes mosquito, the bug that spreads malaria!

In a recent interview, Dr. Fiona Cross chats up the spider’s potential ability to help stop the spread of malaria. When asked by the host, she brings up the way that spiders and bed nets can together be part of the “jigsaw puzzle” that is malaria prevention. Nothing But Nets supports this new human/arachnid partnership. With your help, and even more spiders, we have a chance to cover a continent with nets and webs*.

*We here at Nothing But Nets are aware that jumping spiders do not spin webs. We just like the imagery.