Even if you’re not afraid of bugs with eight legs, the presence of arachnids in the home can pose a threat to your health. That’s why it’s important to maintain spider control. Everyone should know a bit about potentially dangerous species, so they can bring in professional exterminators if necessary. Below is a brief guide to two spiders that are often misidentified.

Brown Recluse Spiders

When people think of venomous spiders that live in America, this species often comes to mind. Brown recluse are typically about the size of a quarter with their legs out and are black and tan. Adults feature distinguishing marks along the back that appear like a violin with its neck toward the arachnid’s hind end and the lower bout near the front. They also have unique eyes—six arranged in groups of two that look like a semicircle.

Brown recluse are nocturnal and may live in walls, stacks of linens, old shoes, or whatever items encourage darkness, making spider control difficult. Bites from this spider can create skin lesions that incur infections and may become serious if not treated. Brown recluse spiders are found mostly in the Midwest and South Central U.S. and, according to the Washington State Department of Health, these arachnids do not live in Washington state.

Hobo Spiders

Hobo spiders earned their name by infiltrating the U.S. throughout the 1900s by riding along with people as they made their way West from Europe. These eight-legged creatures are between 1 and 1 ¾ long, including their legs and do not feature antennae. The females may have bodies about 9/16 of an inch wide while the males are closer to 5/16 of an inch. Both genders are brown and tan, making it easy to misidentify them as brown recluse.

Hobo spiders are known to live in the Pacific Northwest in locations where they can tunnel, like basements and crawl spaces. Their bites may cause an allergic reaction, however these spiders are not poisonous.  Because they look similar to a brown recluse, there may be a misidentification as to what caused a damaging bite.

If the home needs spider control, contact Extermination Services in Kitsap County, WA. Their knowledgeable, timely team can address pest issues in commercial and residential locales. From bees and rodents to cockroaches and termites, they have the training and technology to rid the property of pests. To learn about their 90-day pest warranty and 60-day rodent warranty, call (360) 895-1890. Visit the website for more information on their spider control services.