Spiders
What are spiders?
Spiders are members of the arachnid family meaning that they have eight legs, unlike adult insects which have six. Spiders are closely related to scorpions, ticks, and mites, but with the unique ability to create webs. The webs they create function not only as their homes, but also as their hunting grounds.
While spiders are important in the ecosystem as a natural form of pest control, their presence around human dwellings can lead to lots of problems and could be indicative of other pest problems occurring in and around the home.
The most common spiders found around Ogden, UT include:
Black Widow Spiders
Black widows are the most notorious spider species in the country, and for good reason—their venom can have very serious ill effects. However, they are generally shy and try to avoid contact with people.
Black widow spiders are recognizable by their black coloration with a distinctive red “eyeglass” pattern on its backside. In homes, their webs are most commonly found around the foundations of the home, in-between any flat rocks on the property, in woodpiles, and inside secondary structures like barns.
Brown Recluse Spiders
Brown recluse spiders are the other common venomous spider threatening people and pets in our region. Brown recluse spiders are larger spiders, with brown hair covering most of their bodies except for their oblong abdomens that are covered in gray hairs.
Unlike black widows, brown recluse spiders build webs as resting places and hiding places, but not to directly catch their prey. Instead, they’ll hide within a suitable hiding spot like in woodpiles, leaf piles, cracks, and shady areas around the home. Then when a prey insect stumbles by, they’ll quickly pounce.
Hobo Spiders
The hobo spider is one of a member of spiders known as funnel-web spiders. Like brown recluse spiders, they hunt their prey through ambush tactics but using the funnel-shaped webs they’ve constructed as their hiding spot.
Hobo spiders are majority brown in coloration across their bodies, though their abdomens are a much darker brown. They are typically about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch in length.
Wolf Spiders
Wolf spiders are dark brown to black in coloration, with stout bodies that are covered in hair. They are named for their hunting behavior, ferociously pouncing on prey like a wolf. Luckily for humans, they are nonvenomous in spite of their fearsome appearance.
Around the home’s exterior, wolf spiders are most commonly found around wood and leaf piles, around landscaping tiles, and under rocks. In the interior, they are found in places where they can find shady nooks and crannies to hunt from including the garage, the attic, in exterior buildings, and inside any room with excess clutter.
Jumping Spiders
Jumping spiders are a common garden spider that is frequently found in black, tan, brown, or grayish colorations, typically with pale or white markings on their bodies and legs.
As their name suggests, they are known for their powerful jumping ability. Using their excellent eyesight, jumping spiders are able to identify other insects during daylight hours. During a hunt, these predators will spring up on their prey and devour it.
Related Pests
