Spiders

While all spiders can bite if provoked, they typically avoid human contact and are quite content to discretely share space with us. Outdoor spiders also provide a natural pest control service, eliminating a host of plant-eating bugs and mosquitos. It’s usually best to leave them alone.

Brown Recluse

Description: The Brown Recluse is a small spider, ½” to 1” in length with its legs extended. It has long, thin legs and its entire body is brown. There is a distinctive, dark marking on its head in the shape of a violin.

Attractions: These spiders prefer dark, quiet, undisturbed areas of the home with a strong preference for corners. The Brown Recluse is RARELY seen in Southeast Florida. In fact, they are so rare, if you find and present us with a Brown Recluse Spider, we’ll give you $50.00. As its name suggests, the Recluse prefers to be alone. It hides itself in dark, out of the way places where it will not come into contact with humans or other creatures. As such, this spider is not often seen. You may not even know you’re sharing your home with them unless you get bit. Attics, closet corners, in between folded clothes and in between books are their favorite nesting sites.

Damage: Their bite usually causes pain or burning which can be severe. A generalized red, itchy rash usually appears in the first 24-48 hours. Other symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches and Hemolytic Anemia (a condition where the red blood cells are destroyed).

If you are bit by ANY SPIDER, it is recommended to save it for medical identification later, even if the spider is no longer alive. Most spider bites are not dangerous, but medical advice should be sought in each case of a bite.

Widow Spiders (Florida Species)

All Widow Spiders have markings on their undersides which may be red, orange, yellow or white.  Florida has 4 species of Widow Spiders consisting of Northern and Southern Black, Red, and Brown. The Brown Widow is the most commonly encountered in Florida residences and businesses. The commonalities among the species are that they are all large, poisonous spiders, roughly 1 ½” in length when their legs are extended. Additionally, they all have colored markings on their undersides. The difference between the species is the location, shape and color of those markings

Brown Widow

Description: This widow varies in color from gray to light brown to black and presents as either one solid color or multi-toned. The abdomen has variable markings of black, red, white and yellow. It has an orange or yellowish-red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen.

Attractions: Widow Spiders love the outdoors and dark, protected places. Their favorite hiding places include the crawl space beneath homes, hollow tile blocks, under rocks and in storage sheds. Indoors, they may be seen in the angles of doors and windows, in shoes, in the folds of clothing and under objects which are in dark, undisturbed areas.

Damage: A widow bite is extremely painful and toxic. After-bite symptoms include severe pain in the bite site, fever, chills, muscle spasms, nausea, difficulty breathing and acute abdominal pain.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately if you are the victim of a Widow bite. Bring the spider with you if possible.

Northern Black Widow

Description: The Northern Black Widow is jet black and shiny in appearance. They have a distinctive row of red spots in the middle of their backs and two reddish triangles resembling an hourglass on the underside.

Attractions: Widow Spiders love the outdoors and dark, protected places. Their favorite hiding places include the crawl space beneath homes, hollow tile blocks, under rocks and in storage sheds. Indoors, they may be seen in the angles of doors and windows, in shoes, in the folds of clothing and under objects which are in dark, undisturbed areas.

Damage: A widow bite is extremely painful and toxic. After-bite symptoms include severe pain in the bite site, fever, chills, muscle spasms, nausea, difficulty breathing and acute abdominal pain.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately if you are the victim of a Widow bite. Bring the spider with you if possible.

Southern Black Widow

Description: The Southern Black Widow is jet black and shiny in appearance. It has distinctive red spots at the tipped end of the abdomen and a red hour-glass mark on the underside of the abdomen.

Attractions: Widow Spiders love the outdoors and dark, protected places. Their favorite hiding places include the crawl space beneath homes, hollow tile blocks, under rocks and in storage sheds. Indoors, they may be seen in the angles of doors and windows, in shoes, in the folds of clothing and under objects which are in dark, undisturbed areas.

Damage: A widow bite is extremely painful and toxic. After-bite symptoms include severe pain in the bite site, fever, chills, muscle spasms, nausea, difficulty breathing and acute abdominal pain.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately if you are the victim of a Widow bite. Bring the spider with you if possible.

Red Widow

Description: Red Widows have a reddish-orange head, thorax and legs with a black abdomen. The abdomen may have a row of red spots with a yellow border. Instead of a complete hourglass shape on the underside, the Red Widow may have one or two red spots.

Attractions: Widow Spiders love the outdoors and dark, protected places. Their favorite hiding places include the crawl space beneath homes, hollow tile blocks, under rocks and in storage sheds. Indoors, they may be seen in the angles of doors and windows, in shoes, in the folds of clothing and under objects which are in dark, undisturbed areas.

Damage: A widow bite is extremely painful and toxic. After-bite symptoms include severe pain in the bite site, fever, chills, muscle spasms, nausea, difficulty breathing and acute abdominal pain.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately if you are the victim of a Widow bite. Bring the spider with you if possible.

Banana Spider

Description: The Banana Spider is among the largest web-weaving spiders in the country. The female is distinctively colored, ¼-1/2″ in length and has conspicuous hair tufts on her long legs. Males are slightly larger, are dark-brown, and are often found in the webs of females.

Attractions: Being insect eaters, they are attracted to areas with a slight breeze, which provides a consistent in-flow of food. Their webs are extremely large and strong, enabling them to withstand heavy wind currents. They are most commonly found in forests, along trails and in the corners where shrubbery adjoins. These spiders are not indoor dwellers and will not do well if transported inside.

Damage: None.

Spiny Orb Weaver

Description: The Spiny Orb Weaver is one of the most easily recognized spiders in Florida. They are very small, usually 1/8-1/4″, are wider than they are tall, and have distinctive red and black marks on a hard, white shell. They are often referred to as crab spiders because of their shapely resemblance to a crab.

Attractions: Citrus workers frequently encounter this species, and they may be found on trees and shrubs around houses and nurseries. For their size, Spiny Orb Weavers spin very large webs. Also unique to this spider, their webs are spun with tufts of silk. It is unknown why they do this but one theory is that it makes the web more visible to birds thus ensuring that the birds don’t fly into the web and destroy it.

Damage: None.

Wolf Spider

Description: The Wolf Spider is one of the most common Florida spiders. They are very small, usually less than 1/8″ in length, and are brown with camouflage markings.

Attractions: The Wolf Spider prefers to be on the ground for hunting and nesting and they blend right into the landscape with their camouflaged coloring. These spiders do not spin webs to trap prey, they dig burrows or hide under debris. Like other hunting spiders, they have excellent eyesight and are sensitive to vibrations.

Damage: None.