Spiders Control

The spider that deserves respect in the Inland Northwest is the western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus: glossy black females with the red hourglass, building tangled webs in dry, undisturbed spots like woodpiles, crawl spaces, and sheds. WSU entomologists call the female black widow the only medically dangerous native spider in Washington, while noting she is timid and bites only when pressed against skin. The hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis), the funnel-web spider common in Northwest homes and gardens, does not deserve its old fearsome reputation: WSU scientists could never replicate the early claims of dangerous venom, and state health officials now list it as not dangerous. The brown recluse does not occur naturally in the Northwest at all. Most of what homeowners see, giant house spiders, orb weavers, and cellar spiders, are harmless pest-eaters, but webs in living spaces and venomous species near doors and play areas still call for action.