Creature Feature

The common house spider, native to South America, now thrives across the contiguous United States and into southern Canada, often hitchhiking in plants. These spiders frequently live near humans, making them a common indoor presence. Belonging to a family of spiders known for abandoning their webs to build new ones nearby, their deserted webs gather dust, forming the cobwebs we often see if not regularly cleaned.

Measuring almost ¼-inch in length, common house spiders come in various shades of brown and have globular abdomens. They typically hang upside down from their tangled webs, which they often construct between two neighboring surfaces, like a ceiling and a wall. Their eight eyes are arranged in two rows of four, with the lateral eyes close together. Although related to the more dangerous widow spiders, their venom and bites are not medically significant.

Spiders are natural predators, so their presence signals a healthy prey population in the area. To manage spider populations and discourage web building, residual spot or perimeter applications can be effective. Applying these treatments in areas prone to webbing, such as under eaves or around light fixtures, can reduce flying insect populations and deliver a lethal dose to spiders before they build webs. For crawling insects, residual interior or exterior perimeter applications can be useful. Direct application to a spider is the most effective way to eliminate them when found. Regular web removal should be part of any spider management program, making new activity easier to spot and ensuring customers see effective control.

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