You may not be against having a roommate, but what about one with eight eyes, fangs, and too many legs? Most Denver homeowners don't want freeloading spiders hanging around their homes, but what can you do to prevent them?
Here's what Denver homeowners should know about the most common house spiders, how to identify which ones are in your home, what you need to know about spider bites, and how pest control in Denver can help you keep them out.
There are countless Colorado spiders, but you won't find all of them in your home. Here are the ten most common spiders you're likely to find hanging around your home:
1. House Spiders
As their name suggests, house spiders like to spend a lot of time indoors. They're probably the most common type of spider you'll see inside Denver homes, and they can get mistaken for other types of spiders due to their varying sizes and coloring.
One thing that many house spiders share are striped legs, which you won't find on brown recluses or similar-looking spiders. Fortunately, house spiders are a lot less harmful. Their venom isn't dangerous, and they rarely bite.
2. Giant House Spiders
With leg spans up to four inches, giant house spiders can look like regular house spiders – just bigger. While they may give you a scare, giant house spiders are just as harmless and not known to be aggressive.
They're less common than regular house spiders, and you may even mistake them for wolf spiders, but they can show up inside your Denver home from time to time.
3. Wolf Spiders
Like giant house spiders, wolf spiders are quite large. They get their name from their hairy legs, large bodies, and preference to hunt prey on foot. Including the length of their legs, wolf spiders can grow up to five inches. These critters also have hairy bodies and legs, which is why some people may mistake them for tarantulas at first glance.
Wolf spiders tend to have dark stripes that line their legs and their bodies, although their coloring can vary from tan to brown, black, or gray.
While they may move fast when they pursue prey, wolf spiders aren't typically aggressive towards people. They're capable of biting if they have to, but it's rare for wolf spiders to try and bite humans.
4. Brown Recluse Spider
Brown recluse spiders are around half an inch long and have a violin-shaped mark on their backs. Unlike most spiders which have eight eyes, brown recluses have six eyes in three groups of two.
Although they are known for their reclusive nature and are not aggressive, if you are bitten by a brown recluse, it can be serious. Brown recluse spider bites are painful and can cause tissue death around the bite.
5. Black Widow Spider
Black widow spiders are another dangerous species in Colorado. They can be identified by their glossy black bodies and red hourglass marking on the underside of their abdomens.
A bite from a black widow produces almost immediate pain and can be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, fever, and increased blood pressure. It's important to seek medical attention if you are bitten by a black widow.
6. Garden Spiders
As their name suggests, garden spiders like to spend most of their time in gardens, lawns, and meadows. They may occasionally wander inside homes, but it's usually by accident. Don't be surprised if garden spiders try to hide or create webs inside your potted plants – and be sure to check for signs of garden spiders before you bring yard or garden debris inside.
Garden spiders, also called orb-weaver spiders, create funnel-shaped webs – which are the easiest way to identify them.
7. Hobo Spiders
While they may look similar to giant house spiders, hobo spiders have a long, dark strip that runs down the center of their bodies, and they're known for their funnel-like webs. They prefer building webs and hiding out in cracks, crevices, or other tight spots that are hard to reach.
8. Jumping Spiders
As their name suggests, jumping spiders are known for the large heights they can jump to when trying to catch prey or flee. They aren't aggressive, but their large jumps can definitely be intimidating.
Unlike most spiders, they use their powerful legs to pounce on prey rather than catch them in webs.
9. Yellow Sac Spiders
Yellow sac spiders are one of the smaller species to invade your home, usually only growing up to a quarter-inch long. As their name suggests, their coloring can vary from beige to yellow. This also makes them one of the easier spiders to identify. Their venom isn't medically dangerous, but if you do get bitten, their bites are known to be painful.
10. Cellar Spiders
With a small body and long, thin legs, cellar spiders prefer dark, damp areas where they won't be disturbed. Cellar spiders may look similar to daddy longlegs, but these are two different pests.
Not only do cellar spiders prefer dark spaces to make their webs, but they also aren't known to be aggressive. While they can bite out of self-defense, it's rare to get bitten by one of these spiders.
Spider 101: Identifying What Spider Is In Your House
We've talked about the harmless spiders and dangerous spiders that you may find in your Denver home, but how can you identify which type of spider it is? Here are some quick tips to help you determine what type of pest you're dealing with:
- Look for markings: Many types of spiders, like black widow spiders, will have specific markings to help you identify them. A black spider with an orange or red mark on its abdomen will be a black widow, while a brown spider with stripes on its legs is likely a house spider. You can also look at a spider's coloring. Yellow sac spiders, for instance, will usually be yellow or beige.
- Check the size: Sizes can vary, but you can often identify giant house spiders and wolf spiders by their size.
- Identify webs: Different spiders spin webs of specific shapes and sizes, which can sometimes be used to identify a spider population.
- Call the pros: If you're not sure about identifying a spider or you're worried it may be dangerous, you can always check with the pros. You may not always be able to see markings unless you see a spider up close, which could put you at risk for a bite.
Most of the time, the spiders in your home will be harmless – but there's always the risk of dealing with a dangerous species like the black widow or brown recluse spider.
It's not unusual to see the occasional spider wander into your home, but if they start popping up everywhere, you may have an infestation on your hands.
Do All Spiders Bite Humans?
Do all spiders bite people? All spiders are capable of biting, but most of them do not bite people unless they feel threatened. Most spiders will be more scared of you than you are of them. This is also why so many spiders make their homes in dark, damp areas, like basements, garages, and cellars. They're most likely to be left undisturbed.
However, if you step on the spider or try to pick it up, that's when you're most likely to get bitten. Even the most harmless spiders, like house spiders, will still bite if they feel threatened.
All spiders also have venom and fangs, but only two species have venom that's potent enough to harm humans: the brown recluse and black widow spiders.
You may experience some pain and redness with a harmless spider bite, but it shouldn't last longer than a typical bug bite. Dangerous spider bites, like brown recluse or black widow bites, will only continue to get worse without treatment.
If you suspect a dangerous spider has bitten you, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Black widow bites can eventually be fatal without treatment, and brown widow bites can lead to necrosis.
The Key To Keeping Spiders Out Of Your Home
While there are steps you can take to prevent spiders, it won't be enough if you've got an existing spider problem. In fact, the only effective solution to dealing with a spider infestation is to enlist the professional help of Absolute Pest Control.
We've dealt with spider infestations, both big and small, and we're equipped to handle any type of spider that may be terrorizing your home – especially dangerous species like the black widow or brown recluse spider.
If you're finding one too many spiders around your Denver home or suspect you could be dealing with a dangerous spider, there's only one call to make – contact us at Absolute Pest Control to learn more about how our spider control services work or to schedule an inspection of your home.