Why Spiders In Grocery Store Produce Might Actually Be A Good Thing

Buying produce at the grocery store has plenty of downfalls. Those shiny apples sitting out have been picked up and looked over by who knows how many other shoppers. Frankly, the produce sitting out might not even be fresh — we've all gotten home with some fruit or veggies, only to discover that they're already spoiled.

Grocery store produce is also commonly pre-cut and packaged. This might seem more convenient, but you're going to pay more. Maybe it still seems worth it to pay more for pre-sliced grapefruit, but keep in mind that citrus fruits in particular lose vitamins fast once they've been cut up (via All Recipes).

However, these problems are manageable. You can wash your produce when you get home. You can avoid buying produce that has already been sliced up. Even that icky issue of sometimes finding spiders in your bunch of grapes isn't as bad as it might seem. 

Although many of us would be happy to never see a spider again, these eight-legged beasts serve an important role. Because spiders are so good at catching insects that could harm produce, they're actually a really great alternative to using pesticides. Pesticides are undeniably dangerous, with links to cancer, asthma, and Parkinson's (via The Guardian).

The only downside to using spiders for pest control is that the spiders aren't contained to wherever the produce is grown. Popular Science notes that bunches of grapes in particular provide innumerable places for spiders to hide, so sometimes a more dangerous spider might make its way to the grocery store and then to your home. Bananas are another common spider-favorite.

Washing your produce immediately can rinse away smaller spiders. If you happen to be bitten by a larger spider, Scientific American strongly recommends that you capture the spider and take it with you when you seek medical attention. These produce incidents are few and far between, but it's always good to be prepared.