Common Spiders
What Common Spiders Offer To Your Environment
There are many species of arachnids that are encountered by humans daily, and the majority of these common spiders are of little consequence to us aside from ridding their territory of pesky insects. North America alone boasts an amazing 2,500 species of spider, and of those only 7 produce venom which can potentially cause illness and death to humans. What’s more, 2 of these species, namely the hobo and Brazilian Wandering Spider or banana spider, are not even indigenes to North America. The hobo spider is not one of our most common spiders, as he slowly makes his way east and south from his original port of call as a stowaway from Europe to a Seattle port in the 1930’s.
The most dreaded banana spider is also shipped in from overseas, and enjoys a long nestle within the fragrant confines of banana bunches. These spiders tend to be aggressive, and their venomous bite will require immediate medical attention for administering of antidote and antibiotic treatments. The remaining venomous common spiders are of the widow and recluse families. The widows have four predominant species in North America, those being the red widow, the brown widow, the northern black widow, and the southern black widow. The telltale hourglass marking on the abdomens of these spiders is doubled on that of the northern black widow.
Of the thirteen recluse species indigenes to southern portion of North America, only one is harmful and potentially fatal. Brown recluse spiders are not common spiders at all, but in very sparse numbers. His harmless cousins are often mistaken for the six eyed brown recluse spider, but most sighting investigations turn up negative for the dangerous venom. This is partly due to the fact that the brown recluse can vary in color from a dark tan to a deep brown. Often quipped the fiddle spider, he has a violin pattern on the top of his abdomen.
The wolf spider, despite common misconception, is not prone to dwelling indoors. They often wander in search of easy prey, and become trapped because they don’t know how to get back outdoors. Wolf spiders are shy and are in no way aggressive. Though they may look intimidating with their sizable bodies, fuzzy legs, and large fangs, they are utterly harmless to humans. A few other common spiders are the jumping varieties, crab spiders, and cobweb spiders. All are harmless, though the initial site may take on a slight bump and a pesky itch. Most of these spiders can be discouraged from getting comfortable with the use of a few natural methods. Eucalyptus oil, as well as those of mint and lemon, are quite vulgar to arachnids, and thus repel them well. Seal any cracks and crevasses at the foundation and walls of your home with simple, waterproof caulk as well.