Blog

Male spiders typically wander indoors during mating season to find receptive females, often leaving their webs or sheltered spots and following silk-borne pheromones, visual cues, and increased prey activity. Unlike sedentary females that remain near webs or retreats, males become more mobile once sexually mature and will explore larger areas—entering houses through gaps, under doors,…

Spider sprays can kill spiders on contact and reduce visible populations for weeks, but they rarely provide permanent exclusion because many spiders shelter in inaccessible voids, reproduce in egg sacs that survive surface treatments, or continually move in from surrounding vegetation. The effectiveness of a spray therefore depends on the product’s chemistry and residual action,…

A spider egg sac is a silk-encased capsule—usually spherical or ovoid and ranging from a few millimeters to more than an inch across depending on species—typically white, cream, tan, or brown, and may be attached to a web, hidden in crevices, tucked into vegetation, or carried by the female; whether to remove one depends on…

To keep spiders out of your bedroom in the fall, seal gaps and cracks around doors, windows and utility penetrations, eliminate indoor clutter and insect prey, and reduce excess moisture and nearby vegetation that provide shelter and food. Fall is when many spider species shift from outdoor web-building and hunting to seeking sheltered overwintering sites…

Cross orbweaver spiders (most commonly the species Araneus diadematus in the Pacific Northwest) are orb-weaving spiders recognizable by a pale, cross-shaped series of spots on their rounded abdomens and by the large, wheel-shaped webs adult females construct; these spiders reach peak size and web-building activity in late summer and fall as they prepare to mate…

Most uncomplicated spider bites can be cleaned and treated at home by thoroughly washing the area with soap and water, applying a cold compress to reduce swelling and pain, and using over‑the‑counter pain relievers or antihistamines as needed while monitoring for signs of infection or systemic reaction. Proper initial care limits local irritation and reduces…

Yes — many spiders are commonly found near porch lights in the fall because the lights concentrate the nocturnal insects those spiders feed on. Exterior lighting attracts moths, midges, crane flies and other night-active prey, and web-building species such as orb-weavers, long‑jawed orb weavers and cobweb (tangle-web) spiders capitalize on these predictable food hotspots during…

You’re likely to notice more spiders in your house in the fall because many species enter a late-season phase in which wandering males search for mates and both sexes seek out sheltered, warmer locations to spend the winter. Shortening daylength and cooling nights trigger dispersal behavior in common regional species—such as house spiders (Parasteatoda), orb-weavers…

Hobo spiders (Eratigena agrestis) are not as dangerous to humans as once believed; confirmed cases of necrotic bites attributed to them are extremely rare and the bulk of peer-reviewed research does not support the claim that their bites routinely cause severe tissue damage. Early reports linking hobo spiders to necrotic lesions in the 1990s prompted…

Only one spider species commonly found in the Seattle area — the western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) — is generally regarded as medically significant to humans. Other local spiders, including wolf spiders, cellar spiders, and species often called yellow sac or hobo spiders, can bite and cause localized pain or irritation, but they are not…