Spider behavior requires a stimulus, an urge to satisfy a special need. One of the most unusual abilities of spiders is their production of silken thread from a special gland located at the tip of the abdomen next to the spinnerets. This silk is stronger than a steel thread of the same thickness. Spiders are capable of producing tremendous amounts of silk during their lifetimes. Humans have also found spider silk useful, and it has been used in the manufacture of bandages and rifle scope crosshairs.
Spiders are often extremely abundant in terms of their populations.
Most all spiders are considered beneficial to humans because they help people by controlling unwanted pests. Spiders also produce silk for products such as bandages, bullet-proof vests, and telescope crosshairs. A few spiders have aesthetic and entertainment value. Some spiders are harmful to humans because they hurt people or domestic animals. For example, spiders may annoy and injure man and other animals by biting.