Identifying House Spiders

September 26th, 2008 Posted in Spiders & Other Arachnids

No one really likes spiders in their house. If you pull a Little Miss Muffett and run the heck away every time you see one crawling up your wall, read on to learn about:

  • Identifying spiders

  • What spiders eat

  • Types of spiders

  • Getting rid of spiders

Your days of reenacting Little Miss Muffett will be over.




How do you know you have a spider on your hands?

Just remember two simple numbers: 8 and 2.

  • 8 (x 2)—Most spiders have eight legs and eight eyes. While I don’t recommend getting close enough to count every one, a good look can usually set things straight.

  • 2—All spiders have two segments to their body. The first section, called the cephalothorax, contains the spider’s head and legs. The second section that is attached to the cephalothorax is called the abdomen and it contains the spinnerets. Spinnerets create the silk that allow spiders to make their webs.

Did you know that the familiar “Daddy Long Legs” isn’t really a spider?

It’s actually a different sort of bug called the Harvestman. It is an arachnid, but it doesn’t have the two characteristic body segments, and it also has no spinnerets or venom.


What do spiders eat?

Spiders are carnivores. The ones that live in your house are typically chowing down on bugs they capture in their webs.

Spiders typically bite their prey, injecting venom or neurotoxins. Spiders cannot physically “eat.” Depending on what kind of spider you’re dealing with, they instead either regurgitate digestive juices to break down their prey from the outside, or internally inject them to break down the internal organs of the bug, which they then suck out. Charming, no?


What sorts of spiders are living in my house?

Rest assured, most spiders in your house are relatively harmless. They generally like to build webs where they will be undisturbed. Look in ceiling corners, basements, and attics as typical spider hangouts.

While there are a multitude of spiders you could encounter, and I can’t possibly list them all, here are a few you might be likely to find:

Common House Spider

  • Brown coloring

  • Average size of a quarter-inch long

  • Build “tangled” looking webs

  • Non-aggressive

Giant House Spider

  • Hairy legs and abdomen

  • Can be up to three inches long

  • Brown to reddish brown coloring

  • Builds tangled web with a funnel at the end, where it waits to attack prey


Don’t Mess With These Guys!

These spiders listed below should be treated with caution, as their bites pack some punch. It’s a good general idea not to touch any spider you find, because many of them will bite if threatened.

Brown Recluse

  • Usually less than an inch long

  • Found in south Midwestern US

  • Brown to dark yellow coloring

  • Characteristic black violin shape on the cephalothorax, with the violin neck pointing towards the abdomen

Brown recluses are non-aggressive, and it is rare for these spiders to bite. However, their venom can be necrotic (kills your cells and tissues), and these spiders should be handled with care.

Infestations of the brown recluse should be handled by a professional.

Black Widow

  • Found throughout US, Mexico, and Canada

  • Females are generally less than an inch long with a characteristic red hourglass on the bottom of the abdomen

  • Males are even smaller than females with yellow and red bands

Black widows have extremely potent venom. However, due to their small size, their bite is rarely fatal. Medical attention should be sought if bitten by one of these spiders.


How do I get rid of these things?!

There are a few really easy ways to get rid of spiders in your home:

Basements and Attics

Prime spider territory is secluded and dark where they can feast upon other bugs.

  • Take a broom to their favorite spots to get rid of webs.

  • Check in corners and in between things they could easily build webs in, like pipes and behind appliances.

Wood and Cardboard Piles

  • Any piles of things you might have attract spiders as hiding places.

  • An easy cleanup of these is all you need.

  • Take caution to any spiders that may be living inside.

Outside Lights

Lights that attract other bugs usually attract some hungry spiders as well.

  • Keep outside lights turned on for a minimum amount of time (and conserve energy as well!) to reduce the likelihood of spiders and other bug infestations.

Other Bug Hang Outs

As you know, spiders eat bugs. Other bugs hanging around your house will in turn attract spiders.


What’s EcoSMART?

EcoSMART is an organic bug spray, which contains natural ingredients like peppermint, cinnamon, and wintergreen oil; as opposed to potentially harmful synthetic chemicals that typically make up other insecticides, EcoSMART has absolutely no warning labels because its ingredients are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA.

EcoSMART’s insecticides for your organic pest control needs will keep your family and pets safe, and there’s no need to run for cover once you spray it. The ingredients are eco-friendly and biodegradable, so they won’t hurt the environment or any wild animals.

By getting rid of bugs, you can get rid of spiders. Try the Ant and Roach killer for use indoors or out. This can also be used on those pesky little bugs that spiders are into eating.

For spiders you find outside, EcoSMART’s Wasp and Hornet killer can also get the job done with a jet spray that reaches up to 18 feet for those hard to reach webs up on shelves and other hard to reach places.

Try EcoSMART products to kill house spiders.


Caitlin Leopold




organic pest control



  1. 40 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By roger maze on Oct 19, 2008

    hello,i just wanted to let you know that your information was great and well executed.thank you because you answered some of my questions.

    Thanx, rog

  3. By sheila on Dec 17, 2008

    I have alot of different spiders in my basement.I clean with the broom &vacum and they still come back!

  4. By Crystal on Dec 17, 2008

    I never knew that Daddy Long legs weren’t really spiders. We also get Hobo spiders in our house a few times a year. Their venom can be necrotic as well. They look much like the house spider but have large pom poms off the front of their body.

  5. By MARY on Dec 17, 2008

    We live in the county and I have killed black widows in the house. I have grandkids that live with me and I’m scarded of them.

  6. By MARY on Dec 17, 2008

    I would really like to try your product

  7. By Michelle on Dec 17, 2008

    I am terrified of spiders, and I found this info very useful.

  8. By Michelle on Dec 17, 2008

    I am very interested in trying your product. I have children, and 2 cats and don’t like using harsh chemicals around them.

  9. By Racheal on Dec 18, 2008

    Will your product harm my pets but kill spiders

  10. By Pamela Bing on Dec 22, 2008

    I have had a big problem with spiders. I’ve been bitten 2 times and had to go to the Emergency Room and get shots. Please say you can come up with a product that’s earth-friendly and will kill bugs.

  11. By jeannie on Dec 22, 2008

    I know what kind of spiders I have. Brown Recluse. I know vacuuming and moving furniture will help keep them down, but I would like to get rid of them. I also have black widows around the outside. I am not afraid of spiders. They can be quite beneficial.

  12. By Jill on Dec 26, 2008

    I have spiders year round. They are the worst in my bathroom. They look almost like a Daddy Longleg but have a diamond shaped body. Both thier legs and body are almost transparent. They come in all sizes and build webs overnight. I kill 2 or 3 every day. How can I get rid of them for good? Both my daughters and myself are strangly terrified of any spiders. Help!

  13. By Christine on Jan 1, 2009

    I live in Florida where there are a lot of spiders.

  14. By Erin on Jan 4, 2009

    I would love to try your product to get rid of the spiders that are all over my house safely.

  15. By Celeste on Jan 11, 2009

    Can Spiders crawl up the Bathroom Drains i.e. Bathtub, Shower or Sink? Because we get Spiders in our Bathroom, e.g. on the Wall of the Tub or Shower and we have a a clean Bathroom and keep the screened window closed when not taking a shower, but close it upon leaving the Bathroom after showering. We can’t figure out where they’re coming from. Any clues to this mystery?
    Thanks Caitlin!

  16. By Patricia on Jan 17, 2009

    I am trying to understand how this works. Does it actually get rid of the food source for spiders so that spiders don’t have a reason to come back or stay around? Or does the sent repell them? Or does the product actually kill them?
    Moreover, how often does it need to be applied?
    We have spiders inside and outside of our home, this includes black widow spiders so far only on the outside. Besides crushing them, I don’t know what to do in order to get rid of them without chemicals. I’m looking forward to trying out your product.

  17. By EcoSMART Kara on Jan 26, 2009

    Patricia, EcoSMART actually kills spiders on contact. There is more information on how to use the product and how it works throughout our blog.

  18. By EcoSMART Kara on Jan 26, 2009

    Celeste, believe it or not, spiders don’t come from your drains. They may be coming from another drier part of your house looking for moisture. Thanks for asking!

  19. By megan on Feb 1, 2009

    I live in southern Alabama, and I have 2 small dogs, who like to chase the occasional spider though the house. But we keep finding these big ones that look like the recluse that scare me to death. we kill one at least a week. these are a little more than an inch. I have kept one that i suffocated to keep in good condition to be tested, but can’t find anyone who does. Help?! I can send photo’s or even the whole spider untouched of course. I fear for my dogs eating them more than it bitting me.

  20. By EcoSMART Kara on Feb 3, 2009

    Dear Megan,

    Have you tried contacting a local museum, university or pest control service? Entomologists often work at museums and universities, while a pest control expert should also be reliable at identifying the spider.

  21. By Maria Rafael on May 26, 2009

    I have black widows, the females – that have been found outside of my home as well as inside my house. I have 2 kids, 1 toddler and one baby, and i am so scared that they will be bitten. I have looked for natural remedies to get rid of these spiders. I almost called an exterminator. I’m glad i found a product that can do the job. I will definitely look out at the stores for this spray. I now know that i dont have to resort to using a toxic spray, and that makes me feel so good considering I wouldnt want my children exposed to any kind of spray that might harm their little immune systems! :)

  22. By Leigh Mullins on Jun 11, 2009

    Help me plez!! There is spiders in my house and I don’t know what kind they are!! It has a redish brown body!!! Light brown legs with black rings around the back legs!!! It has a black underside! And before I killed this one it was with legs out larger then a half dollar!! Plez help me find out what kind of spider this is!!!

  23. By Laura Ferguson on Jul 9, 2009

    Hey ecoSmart,
    I came across your webite form another blog named that went well.. and heard about your product. So I thought I would come and check it out. I live in the basement of my parents house and I see every spider and bug that comes throug. I have been teeling my mom for about two years now to see about getting the house sprayed, and she is worried about the harmful chemicals that they use so she has been hesistant to do anything. We have two dogs and grand kids that come over all the time. Me being a worried aunt and not knowing what spiders or bug are in the house I worry when I see them. This post helped lessin the worry for me for now I know that most house spiders are harmless. In my area we have the wolf? spider that I am extemely worried about. I also loved the idea you had of how to keep the spiders out. So thank you for the great ideas and for lessing my worry about the other bugs.

    Laura

  24. By Kirsty on Jul 9, 2009

    I would really love to try this product, I’m terrified of spiders and living in a basement suite apartment now there seems to be a few more around.

  25. By marilyn brenton on Jul 9, 2009

    i hate spiders and would love to try anything new to get rid of them. thanks

  26. By Nancy on Jul 9, 2009

    I live in Minneapolis and we have TONS of nasty spiders in the house. I’ve about every product possible, and don’t see much progress. I’d LOVE to try a product that actually works!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  27. By Sherry Jones on Jul 9, 2009

    Wow! EcoSMART sounds great as I have 4 small dogs in my home so I don’t like to spay toxic stuff. At my house here in Ga we have plenty of spiders & I am going to appy your tips for getting rid of them. We sometimes get ants in the house but more often have fireants in our yard, I’m going to search your site for tips to get rid of them. I would love to test your products. Thanks

  28. By Diane W on Jul 10, 2009

    We live in the woods and have all kinds of spiders inside and out.
    The freakiest being the wolf spiders that are as big as my hand. I flipped on the bedroom light and looked on the bed and there was one right on my pillow. We found a place under the sink where we think they were coming in. But now we still have about 6 different types that are smaller that still show up inside.
    Brown recluse, black widow, little ones that look like a cross between spider and tick. And black ones that jump. Plus a lot that look like the picture up top of this article.
    I love spiders in my garden and I have a pet one that lives in the greenhouse that I write about on my blog, but not in the house.

  29. By vc3strada on Jul 12, 2009

    Spiders eww,.. Ive been trimming my fig tree and found a few black widows hiding amongst the branches. Searched online for a diy spray to rid them off. Thanks to your blog, I will start using EcoSmart Hornet spray to rid them away.

  30. By Sonya on Jul 12, 2009

    I just moved into a house where spiders are very frequent. i hate spiders and are very scared of them. your article was interesting. i want to know how to get rid of spiders in the basement, on the door entries, around the windows and occasionally in the bathtub. EWWW, i hate them and need to get rid of all of them so they don’t come back!

  31. By Hilary on Jul 19, 2009

    I have a big black widow problem in my back yard. I have a toddler and a baby and I don’t want to use anything that can’t be touched by children. Is ecosmart safe to use around children? Do you need to wash down the area after you spray (before the children go out to play)? I am so sick of having to inspect every toy my child picks up for a black widow. I am desperate to find something that works. HELP

  32. By Kim on Jul 20, 2009

    I hate spiders, but I have children therefore I do not want to use`any harmful chemicals around the children. I love the idea of a safe product that will get rid of those nasty little (and big)creatures lurking in my home.

  33. By Ann Barnett on Jul 31, 2009

    We have many brown spiders in the house this year. There are many more than every before. I would like a natural product to rid our house of them.

  34. By Ronda on Aug 6, 2009

    Spiders repulse me, yuck I hate them, but so far doesn’t seem like we have as many inside as other years. But it could be because I’ve treated outside around the foundation three times this summer because of rain, for ants. Supposedly the ant repellant is to repel other insects also. A natural insect repellant for inside would be nice.

  35. By Alison on Aug 26, 2009

    Could you please identify the first spider pictured on this page?
    Thank you
    AS

  36. By Jessica on Sep 22, 2009

    I found your information very informative. I am looking for something that will kill spiders because I find them outside (and sometimes inside) my house. I would very much like to try your product because my pest control man said there was nothing on the market to get rid of spiders. Please help!

  37. By gabby on Sep 25, 2009

    I resently moved into a house full of spiders a few mothes a go and its getting so bad i have to check every where befor i can even lay on my bed (im deathly afraid of spiders, that includes daddy long legs to) but theres nothing i can do and i want something thhat will work 9one time i even found five spiders strait in my closet resently

  38. By Amy on Oct 7, 2009

    Hey I found this spider in my home in southern Wis. last weekend and have never seen anything like it – and I’m having trouble even finding a pic of it on the web. Can someone maybe see if they know what it could be? It had a single ‘bulb’ for its body about the size of a dime. Red with some white markings. It’s legs were thicker than your typical house spider and were black with white stripes. Unfortunately I didn’t get a pic because I freaked out and flushed it before I could do anything else.

  39. By Bill B on Oct 18, 2009

    I understand that Chestnuts deter spiders in the home—any truth in this ??

    I suppose you put these in corners etc.

  1. 2 Trackback(s)

  2. Nov 3, 2008: Are Earwigs Dangerous? | Organic Insecticides Blog by EcoSMART
  3. Feb 2, 2009: Different Types of Spiders | Organic Insecticides Blog by EcoSMART

40 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers! (details)