How to Identify Venomous House Spiders
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What and What Not to be Afraid Of
"Oh my God, kill it! KILL IT!" Outbursts like these are common throughout much of the United States, and indeed, the world, when a spider's cover is blown and they are forced to skitter this way and that along the wall or across the living room carpet to avoid being, as suggested above, speedily smashed.
It is unfortunate that so many of these harmless eight-legged critters have to pay such a price for our unfounded fears and instinctive squishing behaviors, especially since they work so hard to rid our homes of ever creepier (in the author's personal opinion) pests such as silverfish, fleas, bed bugs, gnats, and flies.
I find that the basis for most fears of spiders is the fact that most people don't know the different between those that are harmful to humans and those that are perfectly capable of coexisting with us peacefully. And so in the spirit of enlightenment, I have devised a way to help any and all who are curious enough to find a little bit more about those which do and do not pose a danger.
Biggest Threats:
The leading ladies and gentlemen on this list are of course the ever-beautiful female Latrodectus hesperus (black widow spider) and her renowned accomplice the Loxosceles reclusa (brown recluse spider). The runner-up and lesser known than these two is Tegenaria agrestis, or the hobo spider.
Black widow spider - Female black widows are perhaps the most easily identifiable spider in human history. The striking red markings on their undersides are a dead giveaway to their species, and whether it be in the shape of an hourglass or a simply a dot, it is safe to assume that any shiny black spider with a bulbous abdomen falls under this category and can be promptly avoided. The males of this species are smaller, shyer, and less venomous than their female counterparts, in fact there has been much speculation as to whether or not they are more venomous than the common garden spider at all! Also they look nothing like their women; they're thin and usually mottled brown or gray.
Black widows, like cockroaches, can be found anywhere in the United States providing there is a stable source of heat (such as a human dwelling), ample supply of food (flies, woodlice, other spiders), and dark places (under your bed, in your shoe closet...). They are more prominent in warmer states because they are able to breed and catch food in the wild, outside.
Natural enemies of this spider do exist, and consist mainly of wasps such as the blue mud dauber and the spider wasp.
Brown recluse spider - While the black widow is easily identified by her shiny black exterior, large abdomen, and red shape on the underside, the brown recluse is less easily recognized because of his dull colors. The famed 'violin shape' (it starts from the head and points down toward the abdomen) which is supposed to be the telltale sign for this species is sadly not confined to brown recluses, nor do all brown recluses possess it. Certainly perhaps the only foolproof way of identifying these tricky arachnids is to count their eyes. It's true! While most spiders have 8 eyes, the brown recluse is unique in that it has only 6. In addition, the abdomen of the recluse spider is devoid of markings, and their legs are smooth with no thick hairs.
Brown recluses have a smaller range than most people think, not straying further west than the Rocky Mountains and rarely venturing north of Nebraska. They prefer quieter, darker, and warmer places to raise their families, and so don't travel as often with humans like the back widow tends to do.
Because the brown recluse is so excellent at hiding, there has not been done such an extensive study about them save for the effects of their bites, so there is said to be no natural enemy of this spider. However, people who have watched and collected data from the brown recluses in their own homes have noted seeing other spiders (particularly the jumping spider) attack and kill them with relative ease.
Hobo spider - The hobo spider is definitely a spider that people need to be more aware of. They are the true cause for countless numbers of reports of spider bites in which the brown recluse was wrongfully blamed, because both species look fairly similar at a glance and their bite patterns and symptoms are nearly identical. But just a second look at these critters can identify them in minute's time. Hobo spiders, unlike the brown recluse, are more mottled in coloration and have distinctive 'herringbone' patterns on their abdomen. Their legs are also hairier than those of the brown recluse.
The easiest way to differentiate brown recluses from hobo spiders is to gauge the geographic location they are found in. The hobo spider was introduced from Europe to the Port of Seattle in the late 1920's and they have since spread throughout the Northwestern United States and Western Canada, making them the leading cause of serious envenomation in the Northwest. Brown recluses do not live in the Northwest or Canada.
Fortunately for us Northwesterners, the hobo spider has a nice list of natural predators, particularly the crab spider, Pardosa wolf spider, and again our friend the jumping spider.
Harmless Helpers:
Now that the scary stuff is out of the way, here are a few 'creepy crawlies' that will not only creep up on all of the aforementioned threats, but will also keep the crawling population of fleas, mites and moths on the down-low. Not to mention they pose no danger to pets, children, or adults in the home. I'm talking about the endearing Salticidae family (jumping spiders), the docile Achaearanea tepidariorum (common house spider), and the gentle but giant Tegenaria duellica (giant house spider).
Jumping spider - If you ever see one of these little guys hopping around on your furniture, don't be alarmed, these curious spiders are one of your greatest friends in the pest-ridding business. They are easy to identify because of their unique eye pattern, and inquisitive behavior. If approached, instead of scurrying away like other spiders would, the jumping spider will jump and turn to face the advancer, sometimes even looking up and studying them. Jumping spiders are regarded by many as being 'cute' because of their antics and large eyes.
Jumping spiders have excellent vision as their giant eyes would suggest, and can in fact see better than any other spider and debatably any other insect in the world. Using their vision they are able to perform fast, complex maneuvers around objects to get to their prey, which they will jump on and deliver venomous bites to with their tiny fangs. Because of their speed and eyesight, jumping spiders are capable of besting prey larger and more venomous than themselves, and I have personally witnessed them snatch flies right out of the air.
There are over 5,000 species of jumping spider in the world, but the most helpful seem to be those of the family Salticus and Phiddipus, such as the zebra spider or bold jumping spider.
Common house spider- Unlike the jumping spider which walks around with chagrin, the common house spider prefers to keep a quiet profile in a corner in your garage or basement. Sometimes referred to as "cobweb spiders", they are gray to brown in color, with speckling on their abdomen that could be likened to the mottling found on wild bird eggs. Because of their similar size and shape, common house spiders are sometimes mistaken for black widows, but it is important to note the color of the spider before jumping to conclusions. Common house spiders are not black and have no red markings.
They are passive hunters, meaning that they make a web and wait for prey to come to them. They are excellent in keeping the numbers of destructive moths, flies, and mosquitoes down, and will even tackle wasps and yellow jackets (important especially if you have firewood brought into your home, which wasps will sometimes hibernate in). They will be content to live quietly by a window in your attic and pose no threat to humans.
Giant house spider - The giant house spider gets a horrible reputation and causes a lot of panic in Northwestern homes because it is easily mistaken for the hobo spider. And while there is no definite way to distinguish the two at a quick glance, giant house spiders tend to be more yellowish in color, with distinctive black stripes on the abdomen. In addition, they can reach a leg span of 4 inches in length, while the hobo spider will typically remain a modest 1 inch.
Because of their size, the giant house spider is able to take care of a larger number of prey, as well as take on much bigger insects than the jumping spider or common house spider could. Despite the similarities in appearance to the hobo spider, the giant house spider's venom is harmless in comparison (nothing worse than a bumblebee's sting) and they actually kill and eat hobo spiders themselves, making them an excellent addition to any crawlspace, basement, or garage. They are actually considered the best deterrent against a hobo spider invasion.
In Closing:
Hopefully now with the knowledge of both the dangers and helpers that you may find in your home, your mind will be put at relative ease. It is true that there is yet no manmade pesticide or trap more effective against a population of harmful insects than a good old-fashioned family of spiders. They definitely deserve better recognition for the work they do. Welcome to the wonderful world of knowledge, I pray you use it wisely!
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This image is very small, but it looks to me like a jumping spider, of the Salticidae family. If so, these are harmless and very beneficial around the home. With a closer image I could confirm this ID :)
What do you think about this spyder? Is it poison? It has five yellow dots on its back
how to catch a spider (even if its a recluse or a widow not on their nests - this for widows)
first leave it in peace in a place easy to spot (the floor or the wall)
1. take a deep breath...
2. Spot the spider clearly ...
3. Take a plastic cup and a piece of paper.
4. put the cup entraping it (the spider can't see anything)
5. Slide the paper inside.
6. Turn the cup upside down with the paper on it gravity would do the rest.
7. Spider can't walk easily on top to the paper sealed on the cup with your hands.
8. sealed it just in case...
8. Go outside in the garden ( or ...take your car and drive up the hillside!!!!)
9. Open the cup make a hole and let it free...
10. If you have phobias take a family member with you for support...
11. If you did all the above you are no longer phobic to spiders.
otherwise....
1. take a deep breath...
2. Spot the spider clearly ...
3. take a shoe
4. Do the rest...
5. If you missed you are one hell of a phobic shooter
Dee there are no recluse spiders in california.here is one page of info you can start with and read carefully before assuming a person who lives in cali was bit by one.http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_brown_recluse.ht
Bluecube you most certainly have a brown recluse.be thankful its dead.there are more usually around as they dont live alone.find out where the others are soon for you and your families safety.they can have a slightly different brown color but all have the violin marking on the top close to the top of eye area.The black widow and the recluse spiders are the most harmful to humans and can kill an eldery person or a child from their poison.spiders will be horribly bad this year as well as other bugs etc...educate yourself before assuming you have a recluse.some spiders are needed in the echo system.Take for example the woodlouse spider...they feed on lice and are not harmful to humans.there are many other much needed spiders.research your area in which you live to educate yourself in identification of spiders.I have several web sites in case i need to send to someone who is unsure of anything.
can you please help me identify this spider http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj619/mayragon
Brown recluse spiders are now being seen in southern california, i know someone who got bit by one just a few days ago.. she got bit on the forehead wich is not a very fleshy part of the body so she is okay.. but those spiders are dangerous!
I have a big black spider with little teeth lookin like vangs on the front and jus scary what kind is it can it hurt me....?
Thanks Shaddie! It had me terrified at first, but now I'll just direct it to my garden ;)
Leaisme, this is easily identified as a wolf spider due to the carapace markings and the thick legs. These spiders pose no medical threat to humans, but very large ones may produce a painful bite. They are very beneficial in the garden, and are one of the few spiders that care for their young :)
Can you tell me what this is?
this is like a night mare or a scary movie.
blucube, this looks very much like a brown recluse, you can tell because of the telltale 'violin' shape on the carapace. Quite frightening to find one of those in your clothes, that's for certain!
What do you suppose this guy is? I live in Columbia Missouri and I found him hiding in my pants/boxers that were left on my bathroom floor @ 2am. His colors a little off in the picture because I adjusted the contrast/sharpness to make up for a bad pic. He was fairly brown over all.
I found a spider in my sink it looked like one that I found outside but a bit smaller. I don't know how to explain the spider but scary. I did take a picture of it so if someone is good at identifying spiders please e-mail me angelavarga_19@hotmail.com. I would just like to know if this spider is dangerous to my home or not because I have a 6 year old daughter and I would like to explain to her to be careful or not if she sees this spider again! Thank you
Attention Phipps (and everyone else):
I cannot accurately identify spiders for you unless I have an image of the spider, or a spider that looks similar to it with additional descriptive information from you. Please do a Google image search for spiders living in your area and you may just come across the identification with a little effort of your own.
I found a small gray and white short spider outside of my house on my trash dumpster please help what is it I have a 6 year old that runs around outside I need to know if this is poisonous or not
Pretty woman, without an image I cannot help you identify your spider correctly, but if you see any spider, it is more likely to be harmless than harmful.
IMPORTANT i NEED 2 know!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just saying
I saw this brown spider it was maybe a centimeter and a half. It was creepy and was walking around my room near my foot liked it owned my house. I live in south carolina and i have been searching forever but i just don't know. It also looked shiny-ish and it scared the poop out of me and I'm deathly AFRAID OF SPIDERS!!!! help i don't know what to do!!!!
Spiders don't have pincers, could you be mistaking it for a whip scorpion?
What is this kinda spider its black with pincers at the front of it...What could it be?
I searched the internet to find out what kind of creepy spider I saw in my house. I thought I killed it with a big wad of paper but saw it the next day on my counter. After reading this article I realized it was a jumping spider and I'll leave him alone and let him do his work! Thanks for posting this, I don't mind letting insects reside in my house if they are somehow beneficial and it sounds like this little guy is a good addition.
I have a very big problem with spiders I hate them, so I was not best pleased when I fund one in my towel after getting out of the shower. Can anyone help my on what the hell is was lol it kind of looks like a wolf spider slightly bigger but doesn't have the same fangs completely hairless and jet black. Cheers alot .
CREEPY BUT COOL. FOUND GIANT SPIDER IN BASEMENT. FREAKED OUT, BUT CAUGHT IT. WAS NOT VENOMUS. IT WAS COOL.
If it has thick legs, it could be a wolf spider, but those typically do not haunt houses unless they are lost.
I found this spider many times in and around my house. The largest was about 5 1/2 inches spread out. They are swift and move as though they have brains. My mother says ohh its just a house spider. I am still not to sure about that. They are really creepy. The house spiders that I'm familiar with are not as thick and legs are fragile like thin threads. Can someone please tell me what kind of spider I have.
And in response to BBIFR#))300, you have just described 90% of all spiders wordwide. Without a picture I'm afraid it will be impossible to correctly ID your little friend.
Isabella, even if you ate a notably venomously spider, this does not mean you will experience any effects from the venom. Venom works by being injected into your system through means of a bite or a sting, which is very different from poison, which is ingested and can effect you once in your GI tract. That being said, house spiders are not a significant threat to dogs - but I would need a proper ID in order to know if it was actually a "house spider" or something else entirely.
to:tina,
same with izabella. wher doo u liv?
to:isabella gonzales,
wher do u liv? it helps evrywon find out.
did anyone figur owt yet :( ?
yo i was wondrin' if any peoples out there knw whatkinda spidre i saw it was just plain lite brown and was the siza my thumm nale. yiks! see ya!:D
house spiders can they kill animals at all cause my dog ate one and she acting really funny what should i do???!!!
Jumping spiders and daddy long legs are the only 2 that don't freak me out.. If it's any other spider in my personal space, I either squish them, or the cat plays with and eats them
black spider in my room NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!looked black, one inch about, couldn
't get close enough to take a better .
glimpz
I just found a spider that was clear but with black on its back and its tiny but it was in my hair.
This was first posted over 3 years ago. Forgive me for somehow having angered you personally over content that is older than the report you seemed to have linked me. And if you had read my entire article you would have known that I did actually mention natural Tegenaria predation on the Hobo ;)
with the Hobo spider stuff. The natural preds of the Hobo are other Tegenaria sp. & Theridiids (P. tepidariorum, S. grossa, E. ovata etc.)
AGAIN, please do some RESEARCH on hobo venom. You can start here. http://uppsala.academia.edu/AmolHivrale/Papers/110 & http://ednieuw.home.xs4all.nl/Spiders/Nasty-Spider
IT IS NOT ANY LONGER CONSIDERED A DANGEROUS SPIDER. Thank you.
Terribly sorry, but what do you mean by 'these' ?
are these posinous
For looking out for spiders. Couple corrections though, as I feel the spreading of myth and miss-information is the biggest foe here.
1) Latrodectus hesperus not hesoerus.
2) The western widow (L. hesperus) has the least virulent venom of any of the widows. The two in the US that cause the most damage/bites are L. mactans (the southern widow) and L. bishopi (the red widow in Florida). Notable mention to the brown widow L. geometricus, as it has a pretty nasty bite too.
3) and this is a BIG one, the Hobo spider Tegenaria agrestis is NOT DANGEROUS to humans. It does NOT cause derme-necrosis of the flesh like spiders in the genus Loxosceles. Please do some research on this, the published papers and toxicology reports are available to the public and clearly show this spider is of no concern. Also there are ZERO confirmed bites from this spider. I personally handle them constantly and just like all spiders in the Tegenaria genus, they are very docile around humans. The only reason T. agrestis was raised to an alert of medical significants is due Vests research in 84. He allegedly forced bites onto shaved rabbit flesh, which lead to observable derme-necrosis. This method of testing on mammals has been replicated and no necrotizing wounds were found, drawing the conclusion that Vests initial research was contaminated. The spider has been removed from medical concern for over 3 years now.
So I found 2 spiders in my house, and I thought they may have been the same species. They were about 1-2 inches spread out. Is this a hobo or giant house spider? I live in Central California btw
also would like to note i live in Florida, that should help narrow which ones it could be, i did a bit more research and found the black house spider might be one of them and it is poisonous but if you could help be sure on it, the size on them to be more exact is about the size of your thumbnail, the other even smaller than that altho its legs arent extended, just sits in the small web next to the tub all day lol, the bigger one is under my counter where the sink is, as its shady there and covered a bit
hi i have 2 spiders in my bathroom, both are very small and hard to tell markings, the first is white to light colored body with black legs adn the other which is even smaller looks to be all black, the black is dull and not shiny so i dont think its a widow, with how small they both are, im guessing they are common non dangerous spiders, but can you verify this?
.i like to cach .to cach spiders.i think. spiders are cool.
Pat S--It sounds like an arigope (spelling) or garden spider. They're fairly large, and you can usually see a distinct zigzag in the middle of their web. I had one living under my deck a few years ago, and its web had to be 2-3 feet wide. They're very beneficial, as they catch large insects and other pests in their webs. I don't believe their venom is toxic to humans, but I've found the website spiderzrule.com very helpful if you'd like to double check.
I found the information here quite helpful. I have nothing agianst spiders,but I have never been fond of them(except the jumping spider which is very cute). I am guilty of killing spiders, and after reading this it makes me feel even worse.
that is scary i would sream bloody merder in til i got away
Stefan 32 hours ago
This one is larger. :)
http://m1164.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/stef