Please tell me if this guy is harmful?

Actually, I have 3 of these guys living here. The keep to themselves, mind their own business and don't seem to be aggressive; they also aren't afraid of us or my animals.
I have two of them that have made webs at the base of my computer desk, attached to the wall. They just sit there and wait for insects. The other guy is over my my door, and does the same thing. He's built his web in a corner where we keep a small stack of fire wood for our wood stove. They have been coming back for a couple years now, bigger each year and have never caused a problem. They're just over the size of a quarter now. Biggest one's a good quarter and a half in size which is the one in the photo. I have a small dog, two cats and my 3 and 4 year old children just love all sorts of bugs and want to hold them. I just want to make sure if they do end up getting their hands on these spiders, I don't have to worry.
I hope the picture's good enough, I can get more if needed.

I did a bit of googling... Could this be a hobo spider?
I'm in northern BC Canada.

Thank you!
Alicia

This message was edited May 4, 2012 8:12 PM

Funnel weaver in genus Tegenaria; bite painful but not dangerous.

Great, thank you. Any idea how I can get rid of them and keep them from getting in the house?
I got up this morning to a fourth big one one the wall beside my computer desk.

I would remove them as they travel through the night and might end up on your bed and should you move they might bite. A girlfriend of mine use to get tons of spiters in her home, she started dusting everyweek, then she started seeing fewer a fewer now. Her doctor told her to do that, as she was getting bit all the time.

Jan

It's nearly impossible to exclude them completely; suggest just vacuuming them up.

They're so fast though, I have yet to be able to catch one or vacuum them up. :/
I have also been finding spiders in my room, which I kill regardless simply because my 3 year old daughter sleeps in my bed with me. She's the one that usually finds them and screams bloody murder. I'm also pretty much afraid of spiders. So I try to keep my distance. I've actually come across a 5th one today. Another down at the base of my computer desk.
Is there something they're attracted to in the house that's causing them to come in? I mean, this certain species of spider? My cement foundation has some cracks, I assume they're coming in that way, just curious if there's a reason for these particular spiders. They're definitely all the same judging by color, shape, size, markings, etc.

* The count is up to 7. 5 along the base of my desk, 1 on my wall and 1 by the door. I'm about ready to move. :/
Oh, I also wanted to ask, do these guys eat mice? There was a mouse back where they are that was caught in a mouse trap, but it's missing chinks and there's chunks of fur leading back to the webs. As I was closer to these spiders, I've noticed very obvious spider skins. Some small, some medium sized. I'm so not happy right now.

Also, everywhere I've been looking says the male can cause lesions like the brown recluse, that they are what the states consider hobo spiders. Is this correct?

This message was edited May 5, 2012 5:11 PM

Does Canada have county extension offices, like the USA? If so, I would contact them or an extermination company. Have them out to completely spray your house, make air tight items you aren't able to clean completely.

I hope you get this problem taken care of very soon.

Jan

As with recluse spiders, there is a vast amount of misinformation about hobo spiders - see
http://pep.wsu.edu/pdf/pls116_1.pdf for a discussion on identification and the "Toxicity and aggression" section of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_spider for medical issues.