Spiders generally hide in the dark, secluded areas of homes. They can commonly be found in closets, basements, attics, corners of doorways, and underneath furniture.

These arachnids often enter homes through small cracks and crevices in the foundation or through gaps around windows and doors as they search for food and water. They may also enter homes to find warm, secluded shelter for the winter.

SPIDER FACTS

Spiders generally hide in the dark, secluded areas of homes. They can commonly be found in closets, basements, attics, corners of doorways and underneath furniture.

SIGNS OF SPIDERS

Spiders often enter homes through small cracks and crevices in the foundation or through gaps around windows and doors as they search for food and water. They may also enter homes to find warm, secluded shelter for the winter.

There are many different species of spiders that invade homes; two such species are listed below:

Common House Spider

Behavior

As their name suggests, house spiders are the most common species of spider to enter and live inside homes. House spiders will build their webs in random areas. If they don’t catch any prey, they will quickly abandon that web and build a new one in a new location.

Appearance

House Spiders can grow to be between 1/8 to 5/16th of an inch in length, females are larger than males. They have a brownish-yellow body and dark chevron stripes on their body and legs.

Wolf Spider

Behavior

Outdoors spiders can be found around light sources because light attracts their prey. Wolf spiders do not build webs, instead, they will “hunt” and chase after their prey.

Appearance

Wolf spiders have a short, stout body and long, spiny legs. The females can grow to be 3/8th to 1 3/8th of an inch in length; males grow to 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch. Wolf spiders have a bottom row of four small eyes, a middle row of two large eyes, and two medium-size eyes on the top row. They are dark brown in color and have yellowish-brown stripes on their bodies.

PEST TIPS

One of the best ways to control spiders is to make sure you have a pest control plan in place to limit other insects living in and around your home. If you take away their food source, they will find somewhere else to call home. Other prevention tips include sealing cracks in foundations, caulking gaps around windows and doors, installing door sweeps, and trimming trees and bushes away from the exterior of your home. Keeping out pests is a year-round effort, and you can take preventative steps in the spring and fall to keep your home spider free.

SPIDER CONTROL

To get rid of spiders in and around the home, Kness Pest Defense offers our Stick-All® Glue Traps.

Globally, there are more than 40,000 different species of spiders. In North America, the most common species are the American house spider, cellar spider, brown recluse, black widow, jumping spider, wolf spider, and hobo spider. Many different species of spiders invade homes. Spiders often enter homes through small cracks and crevices in the foundation or through gaps around windows and doors as they search for food and water.

The American house spider, also known as the common house spider, is a cobweb spider and spins several webs to catch its prey. They are known for building their webs in human settlements and structures. The house spider is a native species of North America.

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What You Need To Know About The American House Spider

  • What does the American house spider look like?

    • Color: brown, tan, or greyish coloring with darker chevron markings alongside their bodies

    • Size: female American house spiders measure 5 to 8 mm in length, while males measure only 4 mm

    • A house spider’s body is divided into the cephalothorax and the abdomen

    • Eight legs

  • What do American house spider eat?

    • Although common house spiders feed primarily on insects, they may also consume larger spiders

  • Where does the American house spider live?

    • American house spiders are abundant in dark or musty areas, such as basements, crawlspaces, attics, and closets

What You Need To Know About American House Spider Infestations

  • What are the signs of an American house spider infestation?

    • Sightings of the spider Sightings of their webs

    • Their webs are irregularly shaped and can be located in various places within a home, including windows, ceiling corners, and above or beneath fixtures

  • Why do American house spiders invade my home or business?

    • American house spiders invade homes while searching for warmth, and they feed on small insects and love hiding inside cluttered rooms or other rarely used spaces

    • Window cracks and open doors provide easy entry points, but spiders often sneak in through small holes in walls or floors

  • How do I get rid of American house spiders?

    • Locate and seal possible entry points like cracks in windows, walls, and doors

    • Removing eggs and current spiders will prevent further spiders in the home or business

Tips To Prevent American House Spider Infestations

Although cellar spiders, also known as daddy long-legs, are very thin and delicate, they can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. There is a misconception that cellar spiders have a venom more powerful than any other spider. The real truth is that these spiders don’t even have large enough fangs to puncture human skin, and their venom is not toxic to humans.

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Cellar Spider/Daddy Long-Legs What You Need To Know About The Cellar Spider

  • What do cellar spiders look like?

    • Color: light brownish-tan, beige, or grey

    • Size: body length is about 1.6 mm, with front legs about 9.5 mm long

    • Eight legs

  • What do cellar spiders eat?

    • Prefer to eat small moths, flies, mosquitoes, and other insects or spiders that are found near their webs

    • Cellar spiders are highly adaptive and successful predators

    • When food supplies in their environment are insufficient, these spiders travel to other webs, pretend to be trapped insects, and attack unsuspecting arachnids.

  • Where do cellar spiders live?

    • Once inside, these pests prefer dark basements, attics, and other protected spaces.

    • It can be hard to keep up with removing their webs because, unlike other spiders, this species doesn’t consume its old webs before building new ones.

    • Cellar spiders also like to live close to each other so that populations can multiply quickly

What You Need To Know About Cellar Spider Infestations

  • What are the signs of a cellar spider infestation?

    • Sightings of the spider

    • Sightings of their webs

    • Sightings of webs or spiders in corners of basements, closets, attics, outbuildings, and rock piles

  • Why do cellar spiders invade my home or business?

    • White outdoor lighting that attracts these spiders

    • Easily accessed entry points, like foundation cracks and gaps around doors

  • How do I get rid of cellar spiders?

    • Reduce the spider’s food sources by using insect prevention and control measures

    • Proper ventilation and dehumidifiers to reduce the humidity in your home or business

    • Prevent pests from entering your home or business by sealing cracks and crevices around doors, windows, and other entry points

Tips To Prevent Cellar Spider Infestations

Typically refraining from attacking humans, brown recluse spiders will bite if provoked. Bites often occur when people step on the pests or roll on them while sleeping. Bites can result in lesions, nausea, and fever. Bites usually go unnoticed until effects manifest a few hours later. Most bites become red and fade away, but necrosis(tissue damage) can occur in uncommon cases.

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What You Need To Know About Brown Recluse Spiders

  • What You Need To Know About Brown Recluse Spiders What do brown recluse spiders look like?

    • Color: dull yellow to tan, dark brown with violin-shaped marking on the body

    • Size: body length is about 1.6 mm, with front legs about 9.5 mm long

    • The young brown recluse spiders are lighter than the adults Size: 6 to 11 mm in the length of the body

    • These spiders do not strategically place their webs; they keep them close to the ground so they can leave it frequently; unlike most spiders, they are nocturnal hunters

    • Eight legs

  • What do brown recluse spiders eat?

    • This spider is a hunter, meaning it doesn’t catch insects with a web Feed on soft-bodied insects such as crickets, cockroaches, moths, and flies.

    • Cannibalistic, this species is known to eat one other

  • Where do brown recluse spiders live?

    • Stay secluded in dark corners of places that are rarely disturbed or cleaned

    • Voids between and under kitchen cabinets, storage areas, and basements inside houses Outside, these spiders may inhabit sheds, barns, and garages

What You Need To Know About Brown Recluse Spider Infestations

  • What are the signs of a brown recluse spider infestation?

    • Sightings of the spider

    • Sightings of their webs

  • Why do brown recluse spiders invade my home or business?

    • May unknowingly be brought inside a home when moving items inside a home

    • The abundance of prey insects can lure a brown recluse spider inside, as well as provide a sustainable source of food should they get inside a building

  • How do I get rid of brown recluse spiders?

    • Keep clothes off of the floor

    • Check items before bringing them into the house or business Reduce the amount of trash, brush piles, woodpiles, boxes, plywood, tires, and trash cans, especially if they are next to your home or business

    • Seal cracks around doors and holes around utility entry points

Tips To Prevent Brown Recluse Spider Infestations

Jumping spiders are not considered harmful to humans, especially since they tend to flee rather than attack. If threatened or crushed, jumping spiders will bite to defend themselves. Their venom is not a risk to humans, but bites can cause mild or slight localized pain, itching, and mild swelling.

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What You Need To Know About Jumping Spiders

  • What do jumping spiders look like?

    • Color: dull coloration (brown, black, tan, grey, beige), although some males’ bodies may glisten

    • Known for their swift reflexes and leaping abilities, these spiders are capable of jumping as high as 25 times their own size

    • Size: 4-18 mm

    • Unique features: They are equipped with eight eyes, four of which are apportioned to the face, and four are located at the highest point of the carapace

    • Eight legs

  • What do jumping spiders eat?

    • Bollworms, cotton leaf worms, cotton flea hoppers, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, stinkbugs, webworms

  • Where do jumping spiders live?

    • Most jumping spiders prefer the outdoors and are avid hunters

What You Need To Know About Jumping Spider Infestations

  • What are the signs of a cellar spider infestation?

    • Sightings of the spider

    • Sightings of their webs

  • Why do jumping spiders invade my home or business?

    • Window cracks and open doors provide easy entry points, but spiders often sneak in through small holes in walls or floors

    • An abundance of prey insects can lure jumping spiders inside, as well as provide a sustainable source of food should they get inside a home or business

  • How do I get rid of jumping spiders?

    • Prevent pests from entering your home or business by sealing cracks and crevices around doors, windows, and other entry points

    • Reduce the spider’s food sources by using insect prevention and control measures

Tips To Prevent Cellar Spider Infestations

The wolf spider is a very adept hunter, specializing in ambushing and chasing its prey rather than spinning webs. Even though these spiders hunt in solitude, they can be found throughout the North American continent. These spiders can bite if continually provoked, but their bite is not harmful to humans. Symptoms of a wolf spider bite can include swelling, mild pain, and itching.

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What You Need To Know About Wolf Spiders

  • What do wolf spiders look like?

    • Color: brown, gray, black, or tan with dark marks on its body

    • Size: 6.4 mm to 3 cm

    • Have two large eyes in the middle of their faces along with six smaller eyes

    • Unique features: They are equipped with eight eyes, four of which are apportioned to the face, and four are located at the highest point of the carapace

    • Eight legs

  • What do wolf spiders eat?

    • Ground dwelling insects and other spiders

  • Where do wolf spiders live?

    • Can be found throughout North America

    • They prefer living alone and hunt alone

What You Need To Know About Wolf Spider Infestations

  • What are the signs of a wolf spider infestation?

    • Sightings of the spider

    • Sightings of their webs

  • Why do wolf spiders invade my home or business?

    • May unknowingly be brought inside a home when moving stored items inside a home

    • An abundance of prey insects can lure wolf spiders inside, as well as provide a sustainable source of food should they get inside a home or business

  • How do I get rid of wolf spiders?

    • Prevent pests from entering your home or business by sealing cracks and crevices around doors, windows, and other entry points

    • Reduce the spider’s food sources by using insect prevention and control measures

Tips To Prevent Wolf Spider Infestations

The hobo spider received its name due to it being commonly found near railroad tracks in the pacific northwest as if it were looking to hitch a ride on passing trains. In reality, this spider builds funnel webs in places with holes, cracks, and crevices and the rock surfaces around train tracks provide the perfect place for these critters to set up camp. They can also be found in places like rock retaining walls, in construction supplies, beneath debris, and around building foundations. Hobo spiders can bite if provoked, but the bite will only cause skin irritation and redness.

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What You Need To Know About Hobo Spiders

  • What do hobo spiders look like?

    • Color: brownish coloring

    • Size: 7-14 mm

    • The abdomen has a V-shaped chevron pattern that points towards the head

    • Light-brown strip running down the middle of their body

    • Eight legs

  • What do hobo spiders eat?

    • They eat other insects

  • Where do hobo spiders live?

    • Can be found throughout North America

    • They are commonly found in the pacific northwest in states such as Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada

What You Need To Know About Hobo Spider Infestations

  • What are the signs of a hobo spider infestation?

    • Sightings of the spider

    • Sightings of their webs

  • Why do hobo spiders invade my home or business?

    • May unknowingly be brought inside a home when moving stored items inside a home

    • An abundance of prey insects can lure hobo spiders inside, as well as provide a sustainable source of food should they get inside a home or business

  • How do I get rid of hobo spiders?

    • Prevent pests from entering your home or business by sealing cracks and crevices around doors, windows, and other entry points

    • Reduce the spider’s food sources by using insect prevention and control measures

Tips To Prevent Hobo Spider Infestations

The black widow spider is a very well known arachnid due to its distinct red markings on the abdomen. Female black widows are a more common sight than males; this is due to the females killing and eating the males after mating. These spiders do have a venomous bite that can cause muscle pain, nausea, and mild paralysis of the diaphragm (causing breathing difficulties) in humans.

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What You Need To Know About The Black Widow Spiders

  • What does the black widow spider look like?

    • Color: Dark black body

    • Size: 1.5 inches long (comparable to the size of a paperclip)

    • Hourglass-shaped mark on their abdomen

    • Eight legs

  • What does the black widow spider eat?

    • They eat other insects

  • Where do the black widow spiders live?

    • Can be found throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa

What You Need To Know About Black Widow Spider Infestations

  • What are the signs of a black widow infestation?

    • Sightings of the spider

    • Sightings of their webs

  • Why do black widow spiders invade my home or business?

    • May unknowingly be brought inside a home when moving stored items inside a home

    • An abundance of prey insects can lure black widow spiders inside, as well as provide a sustainable source of food should they get inside a home

  • How do I get rid of the black widow spiders?

    • Keep clothes off of the floor

    • Check stored items before bringing them into the house or business

    • Reduce the amount of trash, brush piles, woodpiles, boxes, plywood, tires, and trash cans, especially if they are next to your home or business

    • Seal cracks around doors and holes around electrical wires and plumbing

    • Using pesticides to control spiders is often ineffective because they can use their long legs to walk over the chemicals

Tips To Prevent Black Widow Spider Infestations

Find the Infestation

One of the best ways to control spiders is to make sure you have a pest control plan in place to limit other insects living in and around your home. If you take away their food source, they will find somewhere else to call home. Other prevention tips include sealing cracks in foundations, caulking gaps around windows and doors, installing door sweeps, and trimming trees and bushes away from the exterior of your home. Keeping out pests is a year-round effort, and you can take preventative steps in the spring and fall to keep your home spider-free. To get rid of spiders in and around the home, Kness Pest Defense offers our Kness Stick-All Glue Trap.

Available from Kness

Stick-All® Mouse & Insect Trap Products Stick-All® Mouse & Insect Trap

The ultimate glue trap for pest control. Attracts, monitors and catches multiple mice and insects.

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