Different Types of Spiders

December 1st, 2008 Posted in Spiders & Other Arachnids



According to Publisher’s Weekly, Charlotte’s Web is the best selling children’s paperback of all time. Charlotte is probably the most glorified spider in literature and certainly the smartest. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a Charlotte’s Web-esque world where spiders are running a spell check service in their webs or offering us sage advice on life. However, it could be hard to identify house spiders you could encounter in your daily travels with some very unique characteristics.

This article will tell you about the different types of spiders and share an easy, safe way to get rid of them.




Web Builders

Web building spiders create webs with silk made from their spinnerets. What are spinnerets, you ask? Spinnerets are the organs that create the silk on the underside of the spider’s abdomen.

Web building spiders create webs of all different types depending on the kind of spider you’re dealing with. The spiders then wait for unsuspecting bugs to fly, crawl, or fall into their web where they entrap and devour their stuck little victims.

Here are a few common web building spider types you might find in the United States:

Cobweb Spiders (Theridiidae)

  • Found indoors and outdoors.

  • Create tangled messy webs.

  • One of the most diverse spider families.

  • This family contains the infamous black widow spider.

Orb Weaving Spiders (Araneidae)

  • Mainly found outside

  • Many types are brightly colored

  • Often build large, spiral shaped webs

Funnel Weaving Spiders (Agelenidae)

  • Make thick tangled webs with funnel-shaped cones where they hide to catch prey.

  • Will often drag prey back into the funnel to protect it and so as not to deter other bugs from catching onto the webby death trap.

Sheet Weaver Spiders (Linyphiidae)

  • Second largest family of spiders

  • Often called ‘money spiders’ in the UK

  • Many of the spiders in this family are very small



Hunting Spiders

Hunting spiders do not use a web as their main means of capturing prey. They hunt in a predatory or ambush fashion.

They’re the sneak attackers of the spider world, in other words. Fear not though, humans aren’t on their hit list of targeted victims and YOU can hunt THEM.

Nursery Web Spider (Pisauridae)

  • Carry their eggs sacs in their mouths.

  • Build a web for their babies when it is close to hatching time, but do not use it to capture prey.

  • This family contains fishing spiders, who can do awesome things like walk across water and catch minnows.

Jumping Spiders (Salticidae)

Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae)

  • Have very good eyesight.

  • Carry egg sacs from their spinnerets and the hatched babies often ride along on their mother.

  • Sometimes can be described as aggressive, but this is widely debated.

Crab Spiders (Thomisidae)

  • Named because their front legs look like those of crabs

  • Utilize their camouflage abilities to ambush and capture prey

  • Certain types can change color to match the flower they are lurking on



But What Can I Do to Get Rid of Spiders?

If you don’t want web builders, hunters, or any other types of spiders around, there is a solution with an easy and safe way to get them out of your life: EcoSMART’s Organic bug killer products.



What’s EcoSMART?

EcoSMART offers a line of organic insecticides and pesticides with natural ingredients. In fact, the FDA has declared EcoSMART as ‘GRAS’, or generally recognized as safe. This is the exact same label they put on approved food and beverages so you know it’s safe! There’s no reason to head for the hills when you spray it, and you won’t have to clear out the kids or Sparky the pooch either. It’s also environmentally friendly, since you’re not releasing any harsh chemicals into the air.


What EcoSMART Product Should I Use to Get Rid of Spiders?

Your best bet for taking down those nasty things is EcoSMART’s Ant and Roach Killer. You can also use this on other nasty buggy pests that are lurking around your house. It contains ingredients like rosemary and peppermint oil and contains nothing harsh or harmful.

For taking down spiders outside, or in non-occupied areas of your house like your cellar or attic, try EcoSMART’s Wasp and Hornet Killer. This spray can reach up to 18 feet, making it easy for you to take down spiders who have built webs far out of your reach.

EcoSMART is the safe and easy way to get rid of spiders, pests, or other bugs in your house. It won’t do any harm to people or our planet, so you can rest easy. Whether you’re dealing with a web builder or hunter, you know they’re the only thing that’s going down.

Try EcoSMART today to get rid of spiders.


Remove Spider Webs As You See Them

Another “safe” way to reduce spider populations around your home is to remove spider webs as you see them….the fewer spider webs there are, the fewer spiders there are too!


Caitlin Leopold

  1. 24 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Melisa on Dec 16, 2008

    I recently found a Black Widow spider in a box in my closet. It scared me senseless! I know that there is little to no chance of dying from a Black Widow bite, but I have a 5 year old child and a baby on the way and I’m afraid of what damage a black widow bite could do to them. I hate using pesticides because of my son, and our 6 cats. I can’t wait to try EcoSmart to get rid of the spiders.

  3. By Heidie on Dec 16, 2008

    We have centipedes and millipedes, They give me the creeps, and ever since my son found one in his room he refuses to sleep there. I don’t like to use all the harsh chemicals that you find at the store, so EcoSMART is perfect for us.

  4. By Sherri on Dec 16, 2008

    My home is on the edge of a neighborhood that borders next to wooded fields. And being on the Gulf, there’s a big roach fight every season. I occasionally get ants, but they’re pretty easy to get rid of compared to other critters.

    But spiders, OMG! SPIDERS! My father had sepsis after a bite, and my brother had to have a graft after his bite!

    And I’m allergic to many kinds of sprays, great. I haven’t been officially tested for what I’m claiming to be allergies though, but if something is sprayed and causes my airway to shut down, I don’t need a fancy test to tell me I’m allergic to it.

    Luckily, I’ve been able to dash outside until the offending chemical dissipates, and haven’t required medical attention yet (ex had a patient whose airway closed shut because of cleaning supplies, he finally believed I wasn’t acting after that).

    I’m not allergic to everything of course — I’m the weirdo in stores smelling products before I buy them, in the hopes of recognizing something I’d be allergic to before buying, and spraying in the house.

    That’s why I signed up for a sample 8^)

  5. By heather on Dec 16, 2008

    OMG I would love to find something that works, and does not stink.
    We have 3 kids and 3 pets. We have tried everything out there. I cant wait to see if i get this offer! It would be great. We live in Georgia. Our home is in the pine woods. We have lots of creepy things. Including snakes. This would be great. One of our pets is allergic to almost everything. She has flea dermatitis , and pulls out her hair, chews her self till she bleeds. This would be great.

  6. By marilyn ritter on Dec 16, 2008

    OMG, I hate spiders! We live in the edge of a patch of woods and there are spiders around here all year long, inc;uding the brown recluse. Most things that I have tried, smells so bad that we try to leave the house for a while, till the oder fades out. I am constantly afraid that someone will get a spider bite. I need something that is eco smart and still kills the spiders. And that’s not to mention the water bugs, snakes, black ants, wasps and other little creatures around here. I need help!!

  7. By mark on Dec 16, 2008

    i also have a problem with spiders. I live in southern California, and we have a persistent problem with poisonous and non poisonous spiders here. I am looking forward to using a product that is easier on the environment yet can control spiders ants and fleas.

  8. By patricia on Dec 16, 2008

    Wow! I need to get rid of my spiders! If this really helps I can’t wait to get some.I have kids and pets and I worry about toxic chemicals in my home. Plus I dislike offensive chemical smells. If anyone tried this let me know how it works.

  9. By jamie on Dec 16, 2008

    I am having a BIG problem with spiders! I live in a wooded area I thought since it has got colder out they would decrease, but ‘ seeing more now then I ever did. I sprayed around the house with something I bought from walmart, but to no avail. I went to check on my 3yr. old daughter last night and I found a spider on her neck! That was one of the very few times that I have ever picked up a spider, especially a big one. I am absolutly terrified of them, but when its your child you can do anything. About a week ago I was wearing a pair of jogging pants and felt something crawling on my leg and took my pants off and there was a very big spider about 2in wide. luckly my hubby was here to kill that one, because he swatted it with a fly swatter, baby spiders ran from it. Not to mention having people I know being spider bitten and having to go to the hospital from those brown recluse, I’m not sure, but I think that was what was on my daughter. I’m absolutly scared to death! I need something that really works and is safe around my daughter and cat. I think this would really work, please help! I’m seriously considerng moveing out.

  10. By Julie on Dec 16, 2008

    I can wait to try this! I have been researching safe ways of ridding my house from spiders for over a year. Nothing I do seems to help since I live in a poorly insulated apartment. The guy who lives beneath me is a cat hoarder too so I have started noticing baby roaches in my kitchen. I am disgusted by these but scared to use normal pesticides around where I cook and eat. Please help!! This is my only hope.

  11. By Michele Godtel on Dec 16, 2008

    We just moved into a new house that has more wolf spiders then I ever seen before! I need help!!

  12. By Mrs. Ruthie Tomes on Dec 16, 2008

    I hate spiders…no, I am terrified of spiders. And we have so many of the brown recluse spiders in our county. I almost lost a finger tip because of a brown recluse bite.

    I am always looking for something that is eco-friendly and people friendly to spray in and out of my home. I am allergic to mosquitoes, bees, yellow jackets, etc., And having Multiple Sclerosis makes it harder to run from these critters. So any type of eco-friendly pesticide would be a great help to me.

  13. By roberta chapman on Dec 16, 2008

    wow I have a few types of spiders some that jump with claw looking things . I live on a lake so we are prone to spiders , I have 4 dogs and a cat and worry about them and the pestasides ,so i dont use much at all not fair now i can try something and not worry cant wait . that season is approching .

  14. By DEBBI LAKE on Dec 17, 2008

    I have tried everything to get rid of spiders and nothing seems to work. At least not anything we arent allergic too. I also want something safe for my kids and pets. I cant wait to try this. I have to be careful. I have 2 foster babies I am trying to adopt and dont wont to do anything that can jeopardize this. Please help. I also have a child allergic to mosquitos and cant find anything to get rid of them. Any ideas on these products?

  15. By Barbara on Dec 17, 2008

    I really really want to try your products for this purpose. I’d have to say that spiders are one of my all-time worst fears! I don’t care if they’re huge (to me…lol) or so tiny you can’t hardly see them, they scare me! Thanks for the hints and tips to get rid of them. Maybe along with the products you mentioned, I can be spider free!

  16. By Tania on Dec 17, 2008

    I would like to try your product for Spiders and other insects.
    I am very fearful of spiders and if I see one I have to make sure it is dead or the thought of it crawling around will bother me for days.

  17. By Lesley on Jul 9, 2009

    I have a BIG problem on my front porch with spiders. I don’t know what kind they are but they are HUGE and scary. I have 2 small children and hate the thought of spraying chemicals everywhere. This could be a great product to use!

  18. By Susan Demaree on Jul 9, 2009

    We have a conservation area not only in the back of our house, but also in the front. In addition, we have an empty lot next to us (in other words, more weeds). Because of our location, we’re bombarded by spiders; we have cobwebs everywhere, and I’m constantly “chasing the webs.” I have allergies, asthma, and other health issues, so I’m reluctant to use any sprays that could contribute to these problems. We would love to find a product that works, but doesn’t injure our health!

  19. By Susan Demaree on Jul 9, 2009

    We have a conservation area not only directly in back of our home, but also another one in front of us. One side of our home is next to an empty lot that contains more weeds. Spiders overtake us, and we’re constantly “doing battle” with the webs and spiders. Because I have allergies, asthma, and other health issues, we are very reluctant to use chemicals that could be injurious to our health. The prospect of finding a product that is effective, yet doesn’t damage health is very appealing.

  20. By WendyLou on Jul 9, 2009

    We have a big spider problem in my office. I HATE spiders and they seem to be everywhere. I find them on the wall. The worst time was when I was on the toilet and one saw a huge web in the stall.

    Thanks.
    intorainbows at hotmail dot com

  21. By Debbie W. on Jul 10, 2009

    I find at the trailer it’s a problem. You go back week after week and find little ones crawling around. I spray, but it doesn’t help. Is there something that has a longer effect for this, instead of killing them off for the short term.

  22. By Shauntae Patrick on Jul 10, 2009

    I live in a basement apartment and I have seen at least 6 spiders in my apartment this WEEK! I also have three cats and I leave a bowl of food out for them; if left on the floor it brings in the ants. I would love to try the EcoSMART products! I would feel safer using them around my pets than a traditional pest product with chemicals.

  23. By Betty Agustyniak on Jul 12, 2009

    At the entrance to my house I have a little porch and it is always full of spiders and webs. Every week I have to clean up the webs, I’m not kidding there must be like 20 spiders living there. I’ve tried different products to get rid of the spiders but they keep coming back. I would love to try your EcoSmart product for spiders.

  24. By Nancy Jameson on Jul 24, 2009

    7/24/2009 Spiders & spider webs covered the house we just moved into in the East Bay area of California. We power washed the exterior and were amazed that the house didn’t need painting it just needed to be rid of spiders.

    After reading about EcoSMART we would really like to try it to deter spiders from taking over our house again. Thank you in advance.

  25. By Dorrance Bickford on Aug 21, 2009

    I like the thought of using a product that is not harmful to humans or my pets and also doesn’t harm the planet. We have a good number of webs, but not any spiders that I can detect, yet. I think this could be a great product!

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