Spiders

Cellar spiders (Pholcidae family) are also known as daddy long-legs. They make their way indoors and are good climbers. They are often found indoors on walls and ceilings.

Jumping spiders (Salticidae family) are active and curious hunters. They build their webs near light sources to capture night-flying insects.

Orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae family) are effective predators of garden insects. They sometimes make their way indoors, especially in the fall.

Hobo spiders (Eratigena agrestis)

• Hobo spiders are shy. In spite of their other common name (aggressive house spider), they aren’t aggressive. They try to escape when disturbed.
• Hobo spiders and their close relatives, including the giant house spider, build sheet-like webs. Their webs have a funnel in the center where the spider ambushes its prey.
• Male hobo spiders are found in homes and garages in the late summer and early fall. They are poor climbers, so they are usually found on the floor in the lower stories of a building. These spiders like dark and damp hiding places.
• Not much is known about hobo spider bites. There aren’t many documented bites on people. A variety of symptoms have been attributed to hobo bites, but many have not been confirmed. Localized tissue death is possible. But bacterial infections or other health problems may also be involved.
• For more information, see Hobo Spider  (University of California IPM).

Yellow sac spiders (Cheiracanthium spp.)

• These spiders are primarily garden dwellers. They are active nocturnal hunters that often venture indoors.
• They move quickly and are good climbers. Indoors, they are found along walls and near the wall-ceiling junction. At night, they may become trapped in bedding or in clothing left on the floor.
• Yellow sac spiders could bite you when they are disturbed. Their venom causes localized tissue death near the bite. Yellow sac spiders are aggressive. They bite with little provocation. The bite is painful, much like a bee sting.

Black widow spiders (Latrodectus mactans)

• Black widow spiders are shy, non-aggressive spiders. But they have a reputation that evokes fear in many people. They tend to bite only when threatened. However, black widow spiders will defend themselves when disturbed.
• Black widows prefer dry, undisturbed, dark places. These places include crawl spaces, unused corners of garages, stacks of flower pots, irrigation boxes in the ground, and stacks of firewood.
• The female black widow builds a web with very strong, sticky silk. She remains in her web full-time.
• The female black widow’s venom is a significant health risk for the very young, elderly, or people with high blood pressure.