# They say that a person will eat aleast 4 spiders in their liftime.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153 "2002-04-28T19:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hunnybunnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bc79bd/32.png) [@hunnybunnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hunnybunnie)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/1 "2002-04-28T19:14:00Z")
When or if a person swallows a spider will the stomach acids kill it instantly…or even at all? I am extremely scared of spiders…and if it is enevitable that i will swallow one at one time or another in my lifetime I would like to know if it will die when it reaches my stomach…Please Help!😕 ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/2 "2002-04-28T19:25:19Z")
I don’t know how well such a critter would fare in a stomach, but the statement that people will eat X number of spiders is a hoax. It was part of a list of made-up statements that were intended to be so absurd that everyone would know they weren’t true. The author underestimated human gullibility. I’m pretty sure that Snopes has a report on it. ([www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com)) ---
**Author:** ![hunnybunnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bc79bd/32.png) [@hunnybunnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hunnybunnie)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/3 "2002-04-28T20:11:51Z")
I know that the posted list of things meant to be so absurd that it can’t be believable is what you said it is…but if you think about it, it is very plausible…spiders are everywhere big and small and normally people sleep with thier mouths open. what would stop a spider from just crawling in your mouth? If one happened to can anyone anwer my question on if it will die when it hits your stomach? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/4 "2002-04-28T20:25:53Z")
A hoax you say? Damn. I heard that it was seven spiders per year! I didn’t fancy the idea of that, so I ate about two thousand\* of them all at once; best to get these things dealt with once and for all. \*[sup](I figure that the law of averages owes me about a 300 year lifespan now)[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/5 "2002-04-28T20:33:27Z")
btw, it’s plausible that people who sleep with their mouth open _might_ ingest invertebrates in the night, what is implausible is that anyone has any kind of meaningful and accurate statistics on the matter. I mean, how would you measure average spider consumption? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/6 "2002-04-28T20:46:13Z")
any ingested insect or arachnid is generally dead long before it hits the stomach. But if it made it to the stomach alive, no, it would not die ‘instantly’. It might take a minute or 3. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/7 "2002-04-28T20:52:39Z")
Crawl into your mouth? Heck, why would a spider need to go to that much trouble? There are probably already spiders in the foods you’re eating anyway. At least spider parts. Big deal. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/8 "2002-04-28T21:11:54Z")
There’s a Straight Dope Staff Report regarding [Does the average person consume four spiders per year in his sleep?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mspidereat.html): > [@](#): > > Realistically, the average number of spiders swallowed at night per person per lifetime is probably less than one In short, spiders flee breath, so I’ll agree with the consensus and say it’s just not true that you consume them in your sleep. In your food is another question though… ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/9 "2002-04-28T21:42:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\* It might take a minute or 3. \*\* **Hunniebunnie** : Don’t let **Qadgop** frighten you. He’s a doctor in a prison and has had to **acquire** a threatening demeanor. Used to be a real sweet guy too! 😉 But he’s right, the stomach doesn’t differentiate between a burger and a spider. It’s **all** food to the stomach. And I agree with the others: It’s highly unlikely that you’ll ingest a spider. 🙂 (Whew! I’m glad I previewed **that** one. On the first try I had left the **a** out from between **in** and **prison** up there!) That mighta cost me a few bucks, huh? 😃 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/10 "2002-04-28T21:49:09Z")
Often the truth is mistaken for a threatening demeanor. And thanks for previewing, **quasi**. Spiders, lobsters, shrimp, it’s all the same to the digestive tract. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/11 "2002-04-28T22:00:20Z")
Shakespeare, as ever, says it all: There may be in the cup A spider steep’d, and one may drink, depart, And yet partake no venom, for his knowledge Is not infected: but if one present The abhorr’d ingredient to his eye, make known How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides, With violent hefts. I have drunk, and seen the spider. The Winters Tale, Act II, Scene 1 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/12 "2002-04-29T00:36:27Z")
I guess I have to return to Brazil, as I have only eaten two spiders so far in my life. The tarantulas cook up a lot like soft-shelled crab only sweeter. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/13 "2002-04-29T02:15:25Z")
You’ve eaten tarantula? Cool! What part do you eat, the legs? What color is the meat when cooked? (Raw insect innards look pretty gross, but I don’t remember what spiders look like on the inside) I’ve found some [photos of people eating tarantulas](http://www.birdspiders.com/archive/listings2.html) (do a text search for “cooked”) but no closeups. ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/14 "2002-04-29T02:27:58Z")
The way I heard it was, a lot of household dust consists of tiny bits of dead animals – spider legs, fly feces, flakes of human skin. Add up all the spider bits and over the course of a lifetime you swallow \*the equvalent of \*X number of spiders. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/15 "2002-04-29T02:39:28Z")
Of course, in Australia we have Stomach Spiders, that actually creep on to your face in the night and lay their eggs in your mouth. The eggs and young spiders have evolved such that they are acid proof, so they survive your digestive tract. Later, you get itchy you-know-where and then, well, you have a bathroom full of the little bastards, and they crawl from there to your bedroom, and on the cycle goes. But frankly, I don’t mind them because they hunt and feed on intestinal worms. It all balances out in the end. Can I tempt you to a trip to Oz, Hunnybunnie? ---
**Author:** ![Angband](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Angband](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angband)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/16 "2002-04-29T02:42:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Princhester \* > \*\*Of course, in Australia we have Stomach Spiders, that actually creep on to your face in the night and lay their eggs in your mouth. The eggs and young spiders have evolved such that they are acid proof, so they survive your digestive tract. Later, you get itchy you-know-where and then, well, you have a bathroom full of the little bastards, and they crawl from there to your bedroom, and on the cycle goes. > > But frankly, I don’t mind them because they hunt and feed on intestinal worms. It all balances out in the end. > > Can I tempt you to a trip to Oz, Hunnybunnie? \*\* Dude…I’ll have to call you on that. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/17 "2002-04-29T02:49:39Z")
WHOOOOOOSH! ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/18 "2002-04-29T05:25:03Z")
YYEEEEESSSSSS! ---
**Author:** ![JubilationTCornpone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee59a6/32.png) [@JubilationTCornpone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JubilationTCornpone)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/19 "2002-04-29T05:40:51Z")
_Haplopelma minax_ is an edible species of tarantula. Most pet stores wouldn’t carry it, since it’s an aggressive species that’s best left to experienced tarantula owners. It is available from some tarantula suppliers, but it’s rather pricey – probably upwards of $50, depending on the size. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153/20 "2002-04-29T05:45:28Z")
Is anyone else not bothered by the thought of insect and spider bits being in our food? I wouldn’t deliberately set out to eat them, but if they’re all ground up and I don’t have to know about it… \ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-that-a-person-will-eat-aleast-4-spiders-in-their-liftime/106153.md?page=2)