Should You Panic If You Find These 5 Common Spiders in Your Home?

By  //  August 24, 2020

(Photo by Pixabay from Pexels)

A fear of spiders cripples nearly 100 million Americans. With such an indiscriminate phobia and a spider’s tendency to wander into our home, it can be hard to know what to do when confronted with one.

This post aims to teach you about 5 of the most common spiders in the home and how to handle them if you spot them. You might be surprised to learn that some aren’t as scary as you think.

American House Spider

The American House spider is the most likely spider that you’ll come across in your home. They’re typically tiny in size and like to make messy webs in dark and concealed areas such as basements and crawl spaces. They are identifiable by their rounded abdomen and brown or greyish patterned coloring.

These spiders are more of a pest rather than a threat. This is because they’re too small to attack humans and cause any significant damage. However, you may still want to remove them as their webs can look unsightly in the home.

Jumping Spider

Unlike other spiders, jumping spiders don’t catch their prey with a web. Instead, they leap up and catch their prey using their powerful front legs. They’re able to react to movement up to 45cm away from them. They also move in a series of quick jumps rather than crawl.

You can find jumping spiders on window ledges and other sunny surfaces. They range from about 4-18mm in size and come in a variety of colors. Therefore, the easiest way to identify them is by looking for their characteristic jumping movements.

(Photo by Pixabay from Pexels)

Although their rambunctious nature can be unsettling, jumping spiders are fairly harmless. They are more likely to run away from a human if they are disturbed by one. However, they will bite if cornered and threatened. A jumping spider bite is comparable to being stung by a bee and usually easy to treat at home without medical intervention.

Hobo Spider

The Hobo spider tends to live outside the home. However, they like to make their large funnel-shaped webs in woodpiles and near other dark crevices that they can retreat to. Additionally, they can occasionally venture into the home and hide in piles of fabric, such as clothing and towels.

Hobo spiders grow to between 7mm-12mm. They are identified by their brownish color and the V-shaped markings on their abdomen. If you come across a hobo spider, you should leave it alone and consult a professional pest control service to remove it.

Hobo spiders will attack in defense if disturbed. However, hobo spiders are currently only found in the North Pacific region, so you should only be cautious about them if you live in this particular area of North America.

There has been some debate about how deadly a hobo spider bite is. This is due to a study conducted in 1996, which claimed that the bite could cause necrosis. However, the CDC has since listed them as non-venomous.

Wolf Spider

Wolf Spiders are another type of spider that looks a lot scarier and threatening than they usually are. This is because they’re quite big and hairy looking compared to most spiders. They’re also incredibly fast runners who hunt by chasing their prey.

Wolf spiders usually enter the home by accident through cracks in the foundation or windows. Much like jumping spiders, they don’t live on webs. They prefer to live in burrows or crevices where they can wait for their prey to stumble upon them.

(Photo by Dustin Humes on Unsplash)

Wolf spiders are considered so harmless that some people keep them as pets. They hunt a variety of insects so they could even be beneficial to your home. However, they will bite if handled.

Brown Recluse

The brown recluse is native to the midwest and southeast regions of the U.S and can be identified by their distinct ‘fiddle-shaped’ marking on their abdomen.

The brown recluse has the most potentially dangerous bite out of all the spiders on this list, as it can cause severe allergic reactions in children and the elderly. It’s bite can also cause ulceration, which could lead to sepsis if left unmanaged. So if you’re bitten by one, then you must seek immediate medical attention.

Luckily, a brown recluse will only bite defensively, so ensure that you exercise caution in places where they might hide, such as shoes, woodpiles, and storage boxes.

Final Word

Despite their appearance, most spiders are more afraid of us than we are of them. If you come across one in the home, it’s always better to leave it be and call professionals to remove it if you want it out of your home.