House Spider

Actual Size: 1″ long, 2″ legs

Characteristics: Sporting a gray-brown to dark brown coloration, these spiders are easily recognized by the twin dark stripes marking their head and body.

Legs: 8

Habitat: They prefer the tranquility of undisturbed spots within gardens, homes, sheds, and other structures, constructing distinctive webs from interwoven sticky silk strands.

Habits:

Is the most frequently encountered spider across North America.
Boasts a lifespan that can extend to seven years.
Should their webs fail to capture prey, they promptly relocate to a new location to construct another web.

House Spider in Wisconsin

Renowned as North America’s common spider, the house spider often becomes a familiar sight within our indoor environments, mainly due to the cobwebs they weave rather than the spiders themselves. These cobwebs, intricate networks of sticky silk, usually adorn the less frequented corners and ceilings of a room. House spiders excel in ensnaring insects that blunder into their traps, ensuring a steady diet. Lack of prey results in the abandonment of the current web in favor of a new hunting ground.

House Spider Habitat

Favoring serene and stable environments, common house spiders seek out locales where food and humidity are in ample supply. They are typically found in both outdoor and indoor settings, such as gardens, sheds, basements, attics, and other man-made structures. With minimal disturbance, these spiders can inhabit the same web for up to seven years, thriving in spaces like garages and attics. Outdoor conditions are harsher, with females perishing in the cold and males seldom surviving beyond a year.

House Spider Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

House spiders are nimble, non-confrontational creatures that prefer to withdraw from human presence. In rare instances where escape is not possible, they may bite, though such occurrences and subsequent reactions—mild pain, swelling, or itching—are uncommon. Importantly, house spiders are not known to inflict property damage. Instead, they contribute positively by preying on other insects, including termites and carpenter ants, which are known to cause significant harm. If you are dealing with House Spider problems in your home, contact your local spider exterminators.