There’s just something about spiders. It doesn’t matter how many times we think about the good that they do, or how many teenage super heroes are named after them, they scare us. Sure, sometimes it’s just a quick startle, but around 75% of humans have a deep-seated fear of spiders. Between 3 and 15% of people have full-blown arachnophobia.

Now imagine a large spider – seemingly as big as a movie tarantula, with 8 eyes, hairy legs and an even scarier name – wolf spider. It doesn’t matter how rational you are, you’re not picturing your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, you’re imagining a cross between Eight Legged Freaks and The Wolfman.

But let us assure you one more time – Wolf Spiders are not evil. In fact, like most spiders, they do a lot of good as natural pest controllers.

Just the Facts, Please

Wolf spiders have been found in nearly every country and every continent except Antarctica. They prefer to live and hunt in open fields, quiet backyards, wooded areas, and along the coast. They also sometimes hang out in vegetation along streams and marshes.

The spiders range in size from as small as a quarter inch up to two inches long. In order to blend in while they stalk their prey, they vary in color and can appear brown, grey, or black. Sometimes they even present a greenish tint. Yes, we said stalk their prey – wolf spiders are named for how they find food. They hunt it just like a wolf in the wild, sometimes waiting for long periods until their prey come too close and then snatching them up.

One of the more unsettling aspects of the Lycosidae sp has to be their eyes. As mentioned earlier, they have 8 – in three rows. Four small eyes sit, almost like a mustache, below two large eyes. Above and behind the large eyes are two more eyes that allow the spiders to see peripherally and even most of what’s behind them.

Yes, they do have fangs. Yes, those fangs technically contain a venomous toxin. But even if you get bitten by a wolf spider – which is very rare – the worst thing you’ll experience is similar to an allergic reaction. Their venom just irritates our skin – and, again, they rarely bite humans unless they need to defend themselves.

Mistaken Identity

While most spiders you may encounter in North America aren’t a threat to humans, we do have a few to watch out for. Especially in Florida, you need to be careful if you spot or disturb a Brown Recluse spider.

There are distinct attributes of Loxosceles reclusa that set it apart. The most obvious sign of this dangerous arachnid is the dark, violin shaped mark on their backs. In front of that, brown recluses have six eyes arranged in a semicircle of pairs: one pair in front and a pair on either side.

Brown recluses are smaller than most wolf spiders – only about one quarter to one half an inch long. Their legs are thinner and spindlier, lacking the thicker hairs on a wolf spider’s legs. 

Unfortunately, in the excitement of the moment many wolf spiders die heroic deaths in the place of the brown recluses the stomper thought they saw. If you’ve been bitten by any spider, it’s best to go to an ER or urgent care and have them check you out.

Signs and Portents

No matter what we tell you, we know you likely aren’t keen on having spiders in your home, and we understand that. You can chase most spiders out of your home or garage with a broom or long-handled duster. You don’t want to try and pick them up by hand, and try to avoid just squishing them.

The best way to get spiders out of your home is to KEEP spiders out of your home. One of the first steps for our popular Go Green Perimeter Plus solution is to check your home for entry points and seal them. That not only keeps the spiders out – it gives them no reason to try and move in.

You see, if you’re spotting one or more wolf spiders in your home, it’s because they are confident there’s food for them to eat. Since they eat crickets, grasshoppers, earwigs, ants and flies, there’s a very good chance those pesky insects are inside your home as well. The good news is Perimeter Plus also clears those pests out of your home. If you live on the Gulf Coast of Florida and would like to know more, please give us a call!