Spiders live all over the world, including in Nova Scotia, so it stands to reason that you encounter them once in a while. Several spider species have adapted to live inside human habitations, and if these become a problem, you require spider removal. One spider is particularly well adapted to live in human dwellings, so much so that it prefers living inside buildings rather than out in the wild. This propensity is reflected in its name; it is known as the house spider or domestic spider.

What Do House Spiders Look Like?

Female domestic spiders have bodies between five and eight millimetres long. Males are smaller, ranging between 3.8 and 4.7 millimetres. The female’s abdomen is almost spherical, while the males are elongated. Females have yellow legs while males’ are more orange. In both cases, there is a band of darker colour at each segment of the legs. The bodies of males and females range from dirty white to yellowish-brown.

House spiders are sometimes mistaken for the dangerous brown recluse because of the markings on their backs. Brown recluses are sometimes known as fiddle-back spiders because of a dark spot on the backside of their abdomens resembling a violin shape. Domestic spiders also have dark spots on their abdomens, but these are more mottled. They are called army sergeant stripes or chevrons because they are angled and meet in the middle.

Why Do Domestic Spiders Like Houses?

Domestic spiders like human buildings because they offer lots of corners in which to build webs. The house spider travels around and spins webs at random, checking each one periodically to see how productive it has been. If one of the webs is successful at catching a lot of prey, the domestic spider stays with it, abandoning the other webs.

The domestic spider doesn’t look very much like the black widow, and no one looking at both would mistake the former for the latter. However, the webs of house spiders can cause concern because, like black widow webs, they tend to be disorganized and messy. However, because house spiders build multiple webs, the abandoned ones fall into disrepair and collect dust. This is a sign that you are dealing with domestic spiders rather than black widows. When in doubt, however, it is a good idea to call for professional pest control in Bridgewater. They will identify exactly what you are dealing with rather than make assumptions either way.

Incidentally, while domestic spiders have a well-earned reputation for spinning webs inside houses, they do not do as well in modern homes. These are often designed and built specifically to control humidity and keep insects out. If your house is newer, you may be less like to find domestic spiders there, but you may encounter them more often in sheds or outbuildings designed to less exacting standards.

Are House Spiders Dangerous?

The multiple webs domestic spiders build around the house and then abandon can make them very annoying. However, they pose no significant threat to humans. They use venom to immobilize their prey, but it is unlikely to cause a reaction in humans except those who are unusually sensitive to the bites and stings of insects and spiders. The spider’s fangs are relatively small and contain a minimal amount of venom.

Furthermore, it is rare for house spiders to bite at all. They may bite in self-defence if provoked, but you would have to grab and hold onto the spider to sufficiently provoke it to attack.

Contact Truly Nolen for Spider Removal

While house spiders are harmless, they can be a big nuisance. Furthermore, other spider species may pose a genuine threat. Contact Truly Nolen to find out how we can help you protect your home against spiders.