The term “house spiders” is used to describe a small number of species that are specially adapted for indoor conditions. They prefer a constant climate, and strangely enough, thrive where food and water are of relatively poor quality.

As their name implies, house spider species prefer to stay inside. Most are seldom found outside. They can live in houses around the world, and are very common in our area.

With a few exceptions which we’ll discuss shortly, house spiders are nuisance pests. Their bites may cause discomfort but aren’t life-threatening. Yellow Sac Spiders, Brown House Spiders,  American House Spiders, Daddy Longlegs, Hobo Spiders, and Southern House Spiders are a few of the many species that fall into this category. However…

Two types of “house spiders” can cause real problems for humans. You may know them already: Black Widow and Brown Recluse Spiders. For your safety, and the safety of others, you really need to know how to identify these species and understand their behavior.

Here are a few things to look for…

Black Widow Spiders are pretty easy to identify. They have a shiny black coloring with a red hourglass marking on their underbellies. Black Widows are attracted to cluttered, dimly-lit areas like garages, crawl spaces, and stacked wood. Wear gloves and be careful when working in places like this.

Brown Recluse Spiders can be a little harder to recognize. They are light to yellow-brown, and are often mistaken for a Wolf or a Funnel-web Spider. Like Black Widows, they seek solitude in out-of-the-way spaces. Unlike other house spiders, they generally lack markings and patterns. However, they do have a violin-shaped design behind their heads. If you see a plain brown spider with a violin-shape on top…watch out!

House spiders are usually quite prolific! A female lays about 250 eggs at a time…more than 3,500 in her lifetime. Eggs incubate in a round silken sac that’s brownish in color. More than one sac can be present in a web. Eggs hatch in about 7-10 days. Adults may live for a year or more.

Even though most house spiders don’t pose a threat, you may not want to share space with them. Your best defense against entry is to seal cracks around the outside of your house with a silicone-based caulk. Remember to seal around screen windows and doors, too.

If you find a house spider, use a vacuum to remove adults, egg sacs and webs. Why a vacuum? Adults can usually escape through the stalks of a broom. Empty your vacuum cleaner into an exterior trash receptacle, as eggs may hatch and crawl out of your vacuum or interior trash container.

If you have an invasion problem, you can find help from a local extermination service like KC Pest Control. Contact us by phone, text, or through our web site. We’ll be glad to help!