Bug Identifier: Know Your Spiders
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, chances are you know a spider when you see one. Spiders are arachnids, and that means all of them can be identified by a few shared characteristics.
Arachnids can be easily spotted by their eight legs, two body segments, and skin-piercing pinchers. Many also have eight eyes, though some may have as few as two and as many as 12 —and a few species don’t have any eyes at all!
Beyond those traits, though, there can be a lot of variety in the appearance of each, as well as in the level of danger they present to you and your family. It’s important to brush up on your spider identification skills so you can know exactly what kind of pest you’re dealing with, and what, if any, kind of risks they present.
Spider Identification in North Carolina
If you were to become an expert in spider identification, you would need to memorize the unique traits of each of the world's 45,000 known species of spiders. Luckily, only a fraction of those live in North Carolina, so you really only need to familiarize yourself with the locals in order to be prepared.
So, which spiders are commonly found in NC?
Black Widow Spiders
Black widow spiders are easy to identify by their glossy black bodies and the distinctive red hourglass-shaped marking on the underside of the abdomen. Females are typically larger than males and can grow to about 1.5 inches long.
These venomous spiders are usually found outdoors in woodpiles, sheds, garages, and other protected areas, but they may also move indoors and hide in dark, undisturbed spaces such as basements, attics, crawl spaces, and storage areas.
Although black widow bites are uncommon, their venom can cause muscle pain, nausea, abdominal discomfort, weakness, and other serious symptoms. If black widow spiders are found around your home, professional spider control can help locate nesting areas and reduce the risk of an infestation.
They are mostly found outside, but they can also be found in stacks of wood inside the home, as well as in dark spots like attics and basements.
The black widow bite is toxic to humans, leading to muscle stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, weakness, rash, and difficulty breathing. On the bright side, these spiders only lash out if they feel threatened, so a black widow bite is relatively rare.
Cellar Spiders
Cellar spiders are named for their preference for dark, damp areas such as basements, crawl spaces, garages, and cellars. They are small, usually tan or pale yellow, with very long, thin legs that often cause them to be mistaken for daddy long-legs.
These spiders are harmless to people and do not pose a serious health risk. However, large numbers of cellar spiders and their webs can become a nuisance indoors, especially in quiet, undisturbed areas.
These spiders don’t pose a threat to humans.
Brown Recluse Spiders
Brown recluse spiders are typically light to dark brown and are known for the violin-shaped marking on their backs. They are usually small, measuring around half an inch in body length, and prefer quiet, undisturbed areas.
Inside homes, brown recluse spiders may hide in closets, basements, attics, storage boxes, crawl spaces, and other dark, sheltered locations. Because their bites can cause serious skin reactions in some cases, professional spider control is recommended when brown recluse activity is suspected.
Brown recluse spiders are venomous, which means their bite is toxic to humans. Symptoms of a brown recluse bite include pain at the site of the bite, a wound that grows into an ulcer-like open sore, fever, body aches, and chills.
False Black Widow Spiders
False black widow spiders closely resemble true black widows, but they do not have the distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. They are typically dark brown to black and prefer quiet, sheltered areas such as garages, sheds, basements, and other undisturbed spaces.
While false black widow spiders are generally less dangerous than true black widows, they can still bite if disturbed. Their presence indoors can also indicate areas where spiders are finding suitable food and shelter.
Giant House Spiders
Giant house spiders are among the largest spiders commonly found around homes, with adult males reaching leg spans of up to four inches and females typically measuring up to about two inches. Their coloring can range from dark orange and brown to beige.
These fast-moving spiders often hide in basements, garages, crawl spaces, sheds, and other quiet areas. Although their size can be alarming, giant house spiders are not considered a serious threat to people and generally avoid human contact.
Yellow Sac Spiders
Yellow sac spiders are small spiders with long, thin legs and pale yellow, beige, or sometimes slightly green coloring. They are active hunters and do not rely on traditional webs to catch prey.
Around homes, yellow sac spiders may hide in wall corners, ceilings, closets, basements, garages, and other quiet areas. Although they are generally not aggressive, they may bite if trapped or disturbed, making professional spider control helpful when they are frequently found indoors.
Orb Weaver Spiders
Orb weaver spiders are best known for the large, circular, wheel-shaped webs they build outdoors. These webs are commonly found in gardens, around shrubs, between trees, near porches, and along other areas where flying insects are active.
Orb weavers vary widely in color and size, but most are harmless to people and rarely bite. While they are generally beneficial outdoors, their large webs can become a nuisance around frequently used areas of the home.
Their markings and size can vary greatly, making it hard to identify an orb spider by sight, though many have bright yellow markings and a rounded abdomen that give them away.
Orb weaver spiders do not carry venom strong enough to put people at risk, so you can rest easy knowing you're safe from this species.
Wolf Spiders
Wolf spiders are typically dark brown with darker stripes or markings and have robust, hairy bodies. They are often mistaken for brown recluse spiders, but wolf spiders are generally larger and may reach around two inches or more in size.
Unlike many spiders, wolf spiders actively hunt for prey instead of relying on webs. They may be found in basements, garages, crawl spaces, sheds, and around foundations. Although their appearance can be intimidating, they are not considered a serious threat to people and usually bite only when handled or threatened.
Wolf spiders are not particularly dangerous to humans, though their bites can cause discomfort and swelling.
And their name? That comes from their penchant for hunting down their prey like a wolf, instead of opting to weave the typical webs.
Hobo Spiders
Hobo spiders are brown in color and can sometimes be mistaken for brown recluse or wolf spiders. Unlike brown recluse spiders, they do not have a violin-shaped marking, and they are generally smaller and less hairy than wolf spiders.
These spiders are often found in basements, crawl spaces, garages, window wells, and other quiet areas near the ground. Hobo spiders build funnel-shaped webs and usually remain hidden unless disturbed.
Hobo spiders have a chevron-shaped marking on their backs, and are usually between 1 and 1.5 inches in size.
While hobo spiders do contain venom, it is not potent enough to cause any serious harm if they do bite a person.
Spider Facts
What Is the Most Painful Spider Bite?
There are no pleasant spider bites, but black widow and brown recluse bites are by far the most painful of all the species in North Carolina. The bite site itself may be swollen, itchy, and even ulcer-like in the case of a brown recluse.
Other symptoms of a brown recluse bite include body aches, chills, fever, muscle stiffness. The black widow bite can cause nausea, abdominal pain, muscle stiffness, weakness, and difficulty breathing.
How Many Eggs on Average Does a Spider Lay in Its Lifetime?
Depending on the type of spider and length of its life, a spider can lay thousands of eggs in its lifetime.
Spiders can produce between 10 and 20 sacks in their lifetime, with each sac containing hundreds of eggs. With a lifespan of between two and 20 years depending on the species, that can result in more than 5,000 eggs.
About How Many Venomous Spiders Are There in North Carolina? In the World?
There are just two venomous spidersn North Carolina: the brown recluse and the black widow. In the world, there are around 30 venomous spider species, whose venom can cause serious harm or death to humans.
How many eggs does a spider lay at one time?
Depending on the species, one sack of eggs can contain between 10 and 1500 eggs, with each egg containing one spider.
Do spiders crawl into people’s ears while they sleep?
We hate to break it to you, but the answer to this one is unfortunately: yes. It isn’t incredibly common, but there have been plenty of reports of bugs and spiders making their way into people’s ears while they sleep—in some cases resulting in a trip to the ER.
What to Do if You Have a Spider Infestation
There are some preventative measures you can take to reduce the odds of a spider infestation in your home. Make sure to regularly clean any webs you see, keep up with pest control measures for other insects to reduce their food supply, and keep large hedges and trees trimmed and away from the house when possible. You can also eliminate some potential hiding spots by reducing clutter.
If you have already noticed an infestation in your home, the most efficient solution is enlisting the help of a pest control company. Experts have the knowledge and experience, as well as the latest tools, to address the problem quickly and safely. Homeowners in North Carolina can take advantage of A-1 Pest Control’s residential pest control plan, designed to keep spiders and their food source out of your home.
Helpful Spider Articles
About A-1 Pest Control
Spiders are helpful creatures when they are left to their own devices in the wild, but nuisances when they get into your home or infest your yard. A-1 Pest Control specializes in the prevention and extermination of spiders in North Carolina homes, to keep homeowners and their families safe and eliminate worry.
Contact us today to learn more about our pest control plans to keep spiders out of your home for good.
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