Spiders

Common House Spider

Identification: The common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) is small, typically less than half an inch long, with a round abdomen that's yellowish-brown or tan and covered in darker markings. Females are larger than males and often mistaken for young brown widows or other cobweb spiders.

Where they're found: These spiders are the most frequent indoor web-builders in Jacksonville homes. You'll often see their messy, irregular webs:

• In crawl spaces, garages, attics, or closets
• In window corners, ceiling corners, or behind furniture
• Around porch lights, eaves, and door frames outdoors

Behavior & risks: Common house spiders aren't aggressive and rarely bite. They help control indoor insects like flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. Their webs can accumulate quickly, so regular dusting or vacuuming helps keep them under control.

House spiders often abandon and rebuild their webs in different spots, searching for food.

Cellar Spider

Identification: Cellar spiders, often called 'daddy long-legs spiders', have very small bodies, about 1/4 inch long, with extremely long, thin legs. They are pale gray or light brown and sometimes mistaken for other long-legged spiders.

Where they're found:

• Crawl spaces, attics, garages, and closets
• Ceiling corners and window corners
• Porches, covered outdoor areas, and sheds
• Any quiet, undisturbed area with moderate humidity

Behavior & Risks: Cellar spiders are harmless to humans. They build messy, tangled webs that often collect dust. Interestingly, when disturbed, cellar spiders may shake their webs vigorously, a defensive behavior that looks alarming but is completely harmless.

Black Widow Spiders

Identification: Black widow spiders are glossy black with a distinctive red or orange hourglass marking on the underside of the female's abdomen. Males are smaller and lighter in color, sometimes with faint red or white markings.

Where they're found: Black widows prefer dark, quiet areas. Jacksonville homeowners often spot them:

• In garages, crawl spaces, or under porches
• Around firewood stacks or yard clutter
• Inside outdoor furniture, grills, or play equipment

Behavior & risks: They rarely bite unless disturbed, but their venom is potent - up to 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's. Bites can cause muscle pain, cramps, nausea, and difficulty breathing.

While fatalities are rare, seek immediate medical care if bitten.

Brown Recluse Spiders

Identification: Light to dark brown with a violin-shaped marking on the back. They have six eyes arranged in pairs (unlike most spiders' eight).

Where they're found: Brown recluse spiders prefer secluded, dry environments such as:

• Attics, closets, and basements
• Behind stored boxes or furniture
• Inside shoes, clothing, or linens left undisturbed

Behavior & risks: Brown recluses are shy but will bite when trapped or threatened. Bites may start mild and worsen over several days, sometimes leading to skin ulceration or necrosis. Medical treatment is strongly advised.

While brown recluses are less common in coastal areas like Jacksonville, they occasionally appear inside homes that provide the right conditions, warm, quiet, and cluttered.

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Grass Spiders

Identification: Light brown or gray with two dark stripes near the head and a distinct funnel-shaped web.

Where they're found: These spiders are often seen in lawns, landscaping, and around foundations. You may also find their webs in the following areas:

• Near window wells
• Along steps or porches
• Between bushes or shrubs

Behavior & risks: Grass spiders are fast runners but not aggressive. Their bites are rare and pose little danger. Indoors, their presence may suggest other insects are available as food.

Black And Yellow Garden Spiders

Identification: Large, colorful spiders with bright yellow and black markings on the abdomen and orange-and-black banded legs.

Where they're found: They are common in gardens, flower beds, shrubs, and fences. To catch flying insects, they build large, circular webs, sometimes with a zigzag pattern called a stabilimentum.

Behavior & risks: They're non-aggressive and prefer outdoor life. If disturbed, they might bite, but their venom causes only mild, short-lived irritation.

Wolf Spiders

Identification: Wolf spiders are large, fast, and hairy, often mistaken for tarantulas. They range from gray to dark brown with a striped pattern on the back.

Where they're found: You might see them:

• Running across patios or driveways
• Hiding under rocks, mulch, or debris
• Occasionally wandering indoors in search of prey

Behavior & risks: Wolf spiders don't build webs; instead, they hunt at night. They can bite if provoked, causing redness and mild swelling, but they're not dangerous.

Jumping Spiders

Identification: Small, compact spiders with short legs and large forward-facing eyes that give them excellent vision. They often appear furry and may have iridescent colors.

Where they're found: Common on windowsills, walls, and outdoor furniture, they actively stalk small insects.

Behavior & risks: Harmless to humans and fascinating to watch, they can leap several times their body length to capture prey.