Spiders In Seattle (Bellevue: power lines, schools, live)

[jojo7]

Originally Posted by MichaelinWA

Hopefully I won't see any of those either.

I would agree with the comment in that article about this being a comparative "paradise" from a spider/bug standpoint. I spent much of my life in Arizona, where venomous and/or creepy critters like scorpions, black widows, tarantulas and big centipedes can be pretty common.

I guess I shouldn't complain about spiders and slugs after reading the critters you had to deal with in Arizona.

[Dport7674]

I wasn't scared of spiders until I read this thread..Thanks..thanks a lot, lol.

[Wynternight]

The hobo spider (Tegenaria agrestis) and giant house spider are both transplants from Europe. They made it to the PNW around 1900 via ships traveling between continents. The hobo spider is venomous and has been linked to some incidents of tissue necrosis (though this is in dispute) similar to the Brown Recluse (which does not live in the PNW) and rarely, the wolf spider, thought the current thinking is that these were extreme localised reactions rather then a necrotising venom. The hobo spider is generally not aggressive unless protecting an egg sac.

The giant house spider (Tegenaria duellica) does not have a medically significant bite to humans, causing nothing other then some pain and redness. The venom is potent towards insects but to date there are no medically signifiant bites to humans noted.

Edited to add: the hobo spider population appears to be on the decline in the PNW, likely due to competition with the giant house spider.

[Quantum]

If you don't like spiders, you shouldn't move here. Spiders eat all kinds of nasties, like bedbugs, aphids, ticks, etc.

[kelly1922]

Okay, I just read this thread. I have severe arachnophobia. I was scared to scroll down the pages for fear there would be a picture! In CA, I *rarely* saw more than a small house spider. One incident with a tarantula, one with a black widow, in 32 years. After moving to SC, I've had my share of horrifying encounters with wolf spiders in the last 7 years. I thought I would die from sheer fright! So planning our move to WA and thinking there were nothing more than small house spiders, just to read this thread and discover that's not the case after all, is devastating!!! Is it really that bad there? Surely it can't be as bad as the south?!

[happyhunting]

Originally Posted by happyhunting

They have picked up recently around our house too. My husband sprayed yesterday, there was a huge one on our door, I think it was an Orb Weaver, and a ton of other smaller black and brown ones in basement and near the attic rooms.........but my son was bit by something during football practice the other day. He felt the sting, looked down and there was a little blood trickle. I can see the puncture and it's a typical itchy red lump. I've been putting Caladryl on it, just can't figure out what kind of spider would be sitting in the grass. It's not a wasp sting or anything. Just thought the field was a weird spot. I have indoor cats......luckily they are my little spider hunters

I'm quoting myself here to reference the above bite my son got. It is now almost faded, it's still visible, was really swollen and red for 2 weeks........now my husband is bit. He went running really early the other morning and hit a cobweb on a bush and came home with a bite. I went outside, and started poking around. The spiders are building huge webs between trees or bushes or flowers, that connect to the next tree or railing over. You can't really see them so you accidentally walk through them. Between my neighbors and I, we have spiders in webs all over the bushes in the front. In the middle of each web is the spider, and based on photos I've seen online, I think they are orb weavers, they are striped.

[Samoi137]

Spiders 3D Movie Poster - Internet Movie Poster Awards Gallery

[Quantum]

The Hobo Spider's web is funnel-shaped. So if you see a web with a hole in the center, sort of funnel-shaped, look out.

[Wynternight]

Originally Posted by Quantum

The Hobo Spider's web is funnel-shaped. So if you see a web with a hole in the center, sort of funnel-shaped, look out.

The hobo and giant house spider are both funnel web spiders. Orb weaver spider (Araneidae) venom isn't clinically potent but as they tend to be big spiders they can deliver painful bites.

[sophistre]

I posted this in another thread, but my very favorite resource for identifying creepy-crawlies is whatsthatbug.com. They have a ton of photos and information, so if anybody is ever dubious about a houseguest's proper taxonomy, I highly recommend it!