The hobo spider (Tegenaria agrestis) is also known as the aggressive house spider or western hobo spider. Originally native to Europe, hobo spiders were introduced to the Northwestern United States during the 1980s. They can be found in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and the Pacific Northwest United States. Hobo spiders belong to the family Agelenidae, a type of spider known for its funnel-like web construction. These arachnids spin silk threads in horizontal layers that the spider uses as a nest or trap for unsuspecting prey.
How Do You Identify Hobo Spider
The Hogna antelope spiders are among the most poisonous spiders in North America. They are also known as the “aggressive house spider” or “Hobo spider” due to their tendency to move into human dwellings, much like their cousins (the Brown Recluse and Black Widow spiders). The Hobo Spider is usually flat with long, thick legs. It can be found in all sorts of habitats in North America, including woodpiles, rock piles, automobiles, and barns.
Typically, the male Hobo Spiders are black with white stripes on their back, while females are usually brown with red stripes on their backs. Males have tiny fangs while females have larger fangs. The Hobo Spider can be distinguished from other poisonous spiders by its two rows of eyes that are closely set together with one row below the other. Also, the female Hobo Spider is generally much larger than males.
The Hobo Spider builds a small cobweb in dark areas of trees or shrubs for daytime holding. Then at night, it hunts for other insects that are caught into their web. They also build silk-lined tubular egg sacs containing thirty-six to fifty eggs under stones, tree bark, or old masonry buildings.
The only way you can tell if it’s a hobo spider is by its markings. Its abdomen has stripes about as wide as a pencil lead, with alternating light-colored stripes on a dark background. They have no webs spun, preferring instead to hunt prey close to ground level, where they will then attack them from beneath rocks or logs.
Why do Hobo Spider Come Inside
The hobo spider may come inside a house if there is a food source nearby. Tiny insects and other spiders, such as wolf spiders, can easily be swept up from plants or under rocks and logs close to the house. Hobo spiders will also go inside if they’re searching for somewhere to mate. These spiders will sometimes come inside through open windows to escape the rain, snow, hail, or heat. It is also a possibility that some people have unknowingly brought them in from the garden on fruit or vegetables.
When outside, they will typically hide close to the ground during the daytime and come out at night to hunt for food. They usually seek shelter near woodpiles, under rocks, debris, trash, clumps of grass and leaves, etc.
The hobo spider is sometimes referred to as the aggressive house spider. Studies have shown that while some other species of spiders will run away when approached by humans, the hobo spider will rear up and bare its fangs in a defensive display. They can also be swift and agile, and they can move 4-5 times their length in a single jump. These spiders will bite if provoked, so caution should be taken around them.
Hobo spider bites occur when the occupant of the home accidentally disturbs the web and an adult female, or male spider is forced to defend itself. The wounds created by hobo spiders are often not very painful and only cause symptoms in about 16% of bitten. However, in some cases, symptoms can include itching, nausea, headaches, and vomiting. The symptoms that do occur due to the bite usually resolve themselves within a week or two.
Hobo Spider Bite
Hobo spiders usually build their webs near human residences and wander into them to feed on insects. If they bite humans, it is only likely if the spider has come into contact with an insect that has crawled onto you or your clothing after living in or near its web. While there have been occasional reports of people being bitten by these spiders, they are rare and might not be due to contact with hobos altogether.
Hobo spider bites usually cause redness and swelling around the area where the bite occurred. If left untreated, a skin ulcer may form about two weeks after the bite that takes anywhere from three to four months to heal. Some people have become sick from hobo spider bites and have experienced severe pain, fever, chills, and nausea. In cases of serious illness, medical treatment should be seen as soon as possible.
Hobo Spiders are not aggressive but will bite if threatened. They are very similar to the brown recluse but do not contain venom that can harm humans. Hobo spider bites will usually produce symptoms for a few days, with no other symptoms following. The hobo spider bite can cause discomfort and become itchy or painful, but they produce no necrosis like the brown recluse. For this reason, if a hobo spider bites you, then seek medical treatment as quickly as possible.
Hobo Pest Control and Removal
The hobo spider likes nesting in moist, dark areas of homes that are close to the ground. These spiders are active during the day and are typically viewed indoors during the winter months.
The detection is typically done through hair, fecal matter, or silk around an indoor area. The web should be sprayed with diluted soapy water and then vacuumed up if it is not detected. This should also help remove the spider from the area where it is hiding.
Treatments should be done early in the fall when the spider is more active. Treatments should include cracks and crevices around windows, doors, pipes, and exterior walls. In addition, a residual pyrethroid insecticide, such as permethrin, should be sprayed on doorframes and entry points.
The main way to get rid of these spiders is by cleaning all the places they might be residing in your home. Check for cobwebs, egg sacs, or even dead bodies. You need to make sure you clean out all of your closets, basements, under furniture, and any dark places where they might live. Hire a professional if you have large areas that are difficult to reach or do not have the time for cleaning yourself.
When you are cleaning your home, do not leave clothes out for too long. Hobo spiders like to live in clothing so if you have any on the floor, avoid them not only because of their aggressive tendencies but also because of the amount of dirt that comes with it. If they get on clothes while wearing them, remove them immediately and clean them to avoid hobo spider bites.