We all know that Florida has an abundance of creepy critters and among them are about 900 species of SPIDERS! That’s right, all kinds of spiders. Just to let you breathe easier, you’ll be happy to know the majority of them live outdoors, away from our homes. Experts say about 20 species live in or around our homes. Now isn’t that a relief!
Probably the most common spider seen around homes is the Jumping spider, with 95 species recorded in Florida and over 4,000 world-wide.
Indoors you may see a rather large spider running along the wall or across the floor with a leg span of nearly 5 inches. This very common household spider is the Giant Crab Spider, also called Huntsman or Housekeeping Spider. A few other spiders often seen indoors are the Southern Crevice Spider, Florida Wandering Spider and the Long Legged or Cellar Spider, just to name a few.
You’re probably wondering with all these spiders around, aren’t they a threat to me and my family? Fact is, although we do have a few venomous spiders in our wonderful state, they’re rarely encountered indoors. And even if they are, we humans are not a food source. So actual spider bites, venomous and non-venomous, are rare.
Florida has four species of venomous Widow Spiders, of which two, the Southern Black Widow and the Brown Widow, may be found around buildings. The Northern Black Widow makes its web at the end of tree branches and the Red Widow is mainly found in sand pine scrub habitat.
Another venomous spider that gets a lot of attention in Florida is the Brown Recluse Spider. Although a very few have been collected, the evidence is overwhelming that there is no widespread established population in Florida. Of the few that have been collected, all have been imported from other areas of the world. The Florida climate appears to be one reason why the Brown Recluse has not established here.
Here are a few things that you can do to keep spider populations down:
- Inside clutter such as boxes, paper, clothing, etc., should be discouraged.
- Outside debris such as lumber piles, firewood, stones or bricks, landscape timbers, etc., should be moved away from your home.
- Grass should be cut at the recommended height and shrubs should not come in contact with your home and other structures on your property.
If you find the spider population overwhelming at your home, visit or call the Florida Pest Control branch nearest you or just click here for a free no obligation pest inspection.