Identifying Those Itsy Bitsy Spiders

April 14, 2017

Some people are afraid of heights, others snakes, but most everyone feels at least a little uncomfortable when confronted with a spider. This is especially true when that spider is in your home. The unfortunate downside of living in a tropical paradise like Florida is that the bugs love it here too. Even though you may want to jump on a chair or go into
"instant kill mode," not all spiders found in Florida are actually dangerous.

With the exception of a few species, nearly every type of spider living in the United States can make its home in Florida. Dangerous spiders like the Black Widow are easy enough to identify and most everyone knows that immediate medical attention is required if bitten. But other species may be harder to pick out, so knowing what to look for is key.

Take the Brown Recluse for example. This is another well-known dangerous spider whose bites can cause many symptoms including necrotic tissue. Most articles you read will tell you to look for a faint ????violin-shaped" marking on the back or to count the number of eyes, looking for 6 instead of the typical 8. However being barely larger than a penny, most people don't want to get close enough to count microscopic eyeballs. These spiders are most often found in undisturbed places like garages, sheds, and woodpiles. They can also get into the home and be found behind dressers or behind pictures on the wall. Unfortunately, both the Domestic and Southern house spiders can often fit this description. The best bet is to contact a pest control expert if you find a spider you think may be a Brown Recluse.

The most harmless spider found in Florida is the common Jumping Spider. These come in a variety of colors and sizes but are instantly recognized by jumping instead of building webs. Even if you would rather have NO pests in your home, these little guys actually do a good job at eliminating other pests.

The last spider we'll talk about is easy to recognize and has a painful, but non-fatal bite. The Yellow Sac Spider is pale in color, ranging from beige to yellow with the first pair of legs being longer than the others. All the legs have dark tips and they're usually found in ceiling corners where the walls meet. An interesting bit of trivia, roughly 65,000 Mazda 6 vehicles were recalled in 2009 and 2010 after Yellow Sac Spiders were found building nests in the fuel systems.