Experts are in the habit of telling people that spiders are easy-going and misunderstood creatures that rarely bite humans, and when bites do occur, they are considered harmless by entomologists and medical professionals. Of course, such experts will also mention that only an incredibly small amount of spider species are capable of inflicting bites that can be hazardous to human health. In the United States, medical professionals usually refer only to the black widow and the brown recluse as being medically significant spider species. They say this despite the fact that there actually exists three black widow species in the US, all of which are capable of injecting highly toxic, and potentially deadly venom into the human bloodstream. It is also not often mentioned that 13 recluse species can be found in the US, two of which are invasive, and all of which have been documented as inflicting dangerous bites wounds that sometimes result in hospitalizations. However, it cannot be denied that very few spider bite cases result in serious medical consequences, and most people are not likely to encounter the most dangerous spider species within residential homes. Unfortunately, this too, is not entirely accurate, as the common southern house spider has been documented as causing bites that resulted in significant pain and localized swelling that lasted for two days.
Luckily, the southern house spider’s bite is not toxic enough to result in death. In fact, the vast majority of bites inflicted by this species require no medical attention, but their bites are painful, and considering their abundance within homes in Texas and other southern states, sustaining a bite should not be considered an unlikely event. The worst aspect of southern house spiders is not their bite as much as their tendency to establish large populations within homes. This can be very offputting… so exactly how long do spiders live? On average, as detailed at the Pest Control Zone website, spiders can have a lifespan of 1-2 years. That’s one or two years of this spider living in your home. One survey of 114 southern house spider sightings reported 94 indoor sightings, while the other 20 sightings occurred within residential yards. Females grow to be around three fourths of an inch in body length, but their long legs make them appear much larger. Males are much smaller and are often mistaken for brown recluse species. In addition to being unpleasant house guests, these spiders can fill homes with numerous webs that can become a nuisance to residents. These spiders are able to fit through extremely narrow cracks in foundation walls, allowing them to establish sizable indoor populations. Sealing these crevices with caulk is an effective method for keeping them from entering homes, but some infestation cases require the services of a pest control professional.
Have you ever sustained a spider bite within an indoor location?
