11 Most Common Types of House Spiders in the U.S. (2024)

With 40,000 known species of spiders worldwide and 3,000 calling North America home, some simple knowledge of spider biology can help you determine which common house spider you have in your home. While they do belong outdoors, having a spider in your home does provide some benefits.

Spiders can eat other pests such as mosquitoes, flies, moths, earwigs, and fleas that find their way into your home. In doing so, spiders are increasing your home's biodiversity and eliminating potential diseases. Read on to learn more about some of the most common house spiders, including which are harmless or potentially dangerous and what they look like.

Most Common House Spiders

Before getting into house spiders that have venomous bites, it's important to understand that more often than not, spiders are not aggressive and do not bite. "In my experience, the majority of household spiders are harmless and prefer to keep to themselves," says Mohamed Samir, pest control senior technician with Bugwise Pest Control.

American House Spider

American house spiders, also known as Achaearanea tepidariorum, are just what the name implies: incredibly common. These arachnids are the most regularly seen spiders in all of North America, with sightings ranging from Southern Canada throughout the United States. American house spiders are very small and are a dull brown color. Males have yellow legs and females have orange legs, but both have dark marks on their abdominal area.

If you have noticed dirty cobwebs in the corners of your walls, they could have been left by a common house spider. These dust-covered cobwebs can easily be vacuumed up or swept down without fear of coming in contact with a spider.

• Habitat: Choose web locations at random
• Size: 1/8 to 5/16 inches
• Bite: American house spiders can bite when threatened, but their venom is minimal and not poisonous.
  

Cellar Spiders

Cellar spiders come in two different varieties: short-bodied cellar spiders and long-bodied cellar spiders. They are grayish-yellow in color and have long legs. They are found throughout Canada and the U.S. and tend to build their webs in dark, moist environments where they spend their days eating insects and other spiders.

Many people mistakenly believe that long-bodied cellar spiders have venom that would be lethal to humans. However, their venom is not potent and cannot pierce human skin with their jaws, making these spiders harmless pest-eaters.

• Habitat: Cellars, warehouses, barns, and garages.
• Size: 1 3/4 to 1 15/16 inches, including legs
• Bite: No

Harvestmen

Harvestmen, also known as daddy long-legs, are not technically spiders. They are a distant relative of the spider called Opiliones and are frequently confused with the above cellar spider. When trying to determine if you're dealing with cellar spiders or harvestmen, look at their body shape. Cellar spiders are yellow and have two distinct body parts including a long, skinny abdomen. Harvestmen have two body segments as well, but they don't look like it. Their body looks like it has a single, brown or gray oval-shaped segment with eight spindly legs protruding from it.

Harvestmen are not venomous and are typically found outside in wooded areas or gardens.Harvestmen can be found all over the world with currently more than 6,650 known species recorded.

• Habitat: Outside in wooded areas, gardens, rocks, and indoors in crawlspaces, basem*nts, and garages.
• Size: 1/10 to 1/3 inches
• Bite: No

Jumping Spiders

Jumping spiders are hunting spiders that are capable of jumping up to six inches, depending on the species. These spiders commonly wander into homes but can also be carried in on firewood or plants.

Many jumping spiders have red or white markings on their abdomens and can be confused for black widows. Jumping spiders, however, are not dangerous and are beneficial, as they enjoy hunting and pouncing on nuisance insects.

• Habitat: Forests, woodpiles, grassy areas, near windows.
• Size: 1/8 to 3/4 of an inch
• Bite: Bites from a jumping spider are uncommon, but if they do bite (and may when threatened), they are similar in pain to mosquito bites.

Funnel Weavers

Funnel weavers, including the hobo spider, are part of the family Agelenidae and are most noticeable in the fall when their dew-covered webs are visible in the morning hours. It is not to be confused with the funnel-web spider of Australia (the only spider in the world that is considered aggressive).

It was long believed that hobo spiders had a dangerous bite. Reactions vary from person to person, but hobo spiders are not considered toxic to humans, according to the University of California's Pest Management Program.

• Habitat: Windows, doorways, and cellars or outdoors in a woodpile or shed.
• Size: 1/5 to 3/4 of an inch, not including legs
• Bite: Funnel weavers can bite when threatened or provoked.

Wolf Spiders

Wolf spiders are large, hairy hunting spiders that have three rows of eyes. They are black or brown but can be gray and often have a patterned body. They are frequently confused with tarantulas and are found throughout North America north of Mexico.

Wolf spiders are primarily outdoor spiders that hunt nocturnally. They do not construct webs but instead spend their lives running from place to place seeking out food sources. If you are bitten by a wolf spider, clean the bite with soap and warm water, apply an ice pack, and take an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease any swelling.

• Habitat: Open areas such as fields, meadows, grasslands, and gardens
• Size: 1/2 inch to over 2 inches
• Bite: Wolf spiders will bite if they feel threatened or need to defend themselves. They are not poisonous but their bite can be painful due to their size.

Black Widow Spiders

A black widow is most likely to bite after laying eggs and guarding their egg sacs, but only when disturbed. If you need to reach into an area where a spider could be hiding, such as a woodpile or rarely touched storage space, wear rubber gloves to protect yourself from possible spider bites.

• Habitat: Often found near woodpiles and prefer dry, sheltered places, but can also be found in moist tropical areas and rainforests.
• Size: Up to 1.5 inches
• Bite: Black widow females will bite when threatened. Their venom is toxic with chemicals that can affect your nerve endings. Symptoms from a Black widow bite include severe pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms throughout your body.

Brown Recluse

Brown recluse spiders are a part of the Sicariidae family and are the most dangerous spiders of the Loxosceles species. They are brown in color and have a dark violin-shaped marking on their back behind their eyes.

Brown recluse spiders are found most often in the midwestern and southern United States. These spiders are naturally found outdoors in areas where hiding places are readily available but are also adapted to indoor habitats such as storage areas and other dark hiding spots.

It is most common for brown recluse bites to happen on the arms, hands, and feet while getting dressed or cleaning storage areas. If you are concerned about brown recluse spiders and live in an area where they are known to be present be sure to shake out any clothing that is left overnight or stays outside (including shoes); check your sheets before climbing into bed; and wear rubber gloves when cleaning out storage spaces or moving firewood.

• Habitat: Outdoors in debris piles, bark, raked leaves, between or under stones, and within wood piles as well as inside closets and attics.
• Size: 3/8 inch in body length
• Bite: Yes, when disturbed or threatened, brown recluse spiders will bite. Reactions vary but can include pain, itching, and swelling at the bite site and an open sore that develops a week after being bitten. Children and elderly people are most likely to have a harsh reaction.

Yellow Sac Spider

Sac spiders are part of the family Cheiracanthiidae and are normally found inside (or outside) homes. They use their silk to construct tent-like coverings in low corners. They hide behind these silky structures during the daytime, resting before their nocturnal hunting starts.

Sac spiders vary drastically in coloring and are sometimes confused with other spiders due to shades ranging from yellow to brown to green. It's a good idea to keep your distance from these spiders, as their venom contains cytotoxin and is toxic to humans. Use a vacuum or broom to clean them up or hire a local IPM specialist.

• Habitat:
• Size: 1/4 to 3/8 of an inchin body size
• Bite: Yes, a bite from a yellow sac spider is very painful as their venom is toxic. Symptoms develop 2 to 8 hours after the bite and include redness, swelling, a burning sensation, nausea, and headache.

Orb-weavers

Orb-weavers are part of the family Araneidae and are named as such for their spiral wheel-shaped webs. There are close to 180 species of orb-weaver spiders found throughout the world. Orb-weavers are fatter than other spiders and are known to be reddish-brown or gray with a white or brown stripe running down their back.

They are commonly found in areas with dense vegetation such as gardens and vegetable patches, which are also popular among their food source of insects. Orb-weavers are very docile spiders but may bite when threatened.

• Habitat: Gardens, fields, forests.
• Size: 2 to 6 inches in length including legs
• Bite: Yes, an orb-weaver spider will bite when threatened but its venom is not toxic. Pain and symptoms can. be compared to a bee sting.

Grass Spiders

Grass spiders are part of the family Agelenidae and are native to North America. They are small to medium in size with long, slender bodies, and are often yellow, brown, or cream-colored, with two dark bands running the length of their abdomen.

The webs of grass spiders are large and resemble a sheet, with one opening at the end. They are very fast and are not harmful to humans unless they feel threatened.

• Habitat: Ggrass, lawns, bushes, and small crevices
• Size: 1/2 to 3/4 inch in body length
• Bite: Yes, grass spiders can bite when they feel threatened. They are venomous but their bite is not poisonous.

How to Remove Common House Spiders

Even though most common house spiders don’t pose a threat to humans, you may not want them sharing your home. If you have an invasion problem, there are plenty of ways to control house spiders. Here are a few steps you can take to get rid of house spiders:

• Keep exterior lights turned off, especially overnight. This will reduce insects to feed spiders.
  
• Regularly sweep the outside of your home. This will help remove spiders, webs, and egg sacs.
• Seal up cracks and crevices around your home. "Spiders love nooks and crannies, so it's crucial to seal cracks, gaps in doors, and windows where they can enter," Samir says.
• Clear clutter to minimize spider hiding spots. Spiders love clutter to build their webs and hide. Minimizing clutter prevents spiders from finding hiding spaces.
• Try peppermint oil. "Natural repellents, like peppermint oil, can be effective deterrents," Samir says.

If you’d rather not fight them on the front lines, you can find a local IPM specialist to help out.