CLOSED: help, these spiders have taken my family hostage!

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sccwow50 Omaha, NE Oct 21, 2010

This message was edited Jul 22, 2013 9:24 PM

Post #8168068

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Oct 21, 2010

These are wolf spiders (family Lycosidae), active hunters that often enter buildings in search for prey. Although large specimens are capable of biting (painful, but not dangerous), they are not aggressive, and about the only way to get bitten is to handle one carelessly. You are putting yourself and your family at greater risk from insecticide application than what exists from the presence of the spiders - just stick to the sticky traps and vacuuming. We often have these spiders in our home, and I have never been bitten by one.

Post #8168633

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pollengarden Pueblo, CO(Zone 5b) Oct 21, 2010

The one on the lower right looks underfed, but the one on the right looks well fed. It was eating something. If you tend to have a lot in your basement, there is a source of food - some other bug - in your basement. See if you can figure out what it is, and be sure that what you are doing gets rid of the food source. The caulking may have already taken care of the problem.

With wildlife, it is about habitat - food and shelter - Whether you are improving habitat to encourage wildlife, or damaging habitat to decrease pest wildlife.

And I agree with Suunto - don't use toxic chemicals on harmless spiders. Whatever it does to the pest, it is probably doing to you and your family. You just have a higher tolerance due to your larger body mass. Pets, especially small ones, are more susceptible.