Poisonous And Non-poisonous Spiders In North Carolina

Overview Of Spiders

Spiders are very common, in fact, it has been said that we are all within 3 feet of a spider inside our homes, or in the office. That is why it is so perplexing how so many people fear them when we all actually live with them.  

One thing that is amazing about spiders is that they are very peaceful creatures and do not like to confront humans. They just want to be left alone. Another thing is that they actually kill and eat the real household pests that bother us. Mosquitoes, flies, ants, and roaches are yummy treats for them. With this, having plenty of spiders in the house is also an indicator that there are lots of insects there too, so their presence should warn you - and should make you be more vigilant -  about the kinds of pests you may have in your home. 

The main reason why spiders are very helpful to us is that most spiders are carnivorous.  They eat a lot of insects, and frogs, lizards, and toads too. But when they eat, they inject some digestive enzymes, which liquefies their prey.  Soon after they can suck the liquefied remains. Spiders cannot chew their food. Most spiders have 8 eyes, while some have 6, but despite all these, they do not have very good vision.  

All Spiders Have Silk-Producing Skills

All spiders are capable of producing silk.  Not all can spin webs, however. Spiders have plenty of uses for this silk: they use it to climb, to break a fall, to build their nests, to catch prey, to build egg sacs, and many other things. 

Medical Research & Product Development Have Benefited A Lot From Spiders

Spider venom can be used as safe painkillers, as studies have shown. Scientists are now exploring its positive effects in treating strokes and muscular dystrophy. Spider venom is also used as an anti-venom for other spider bites.  

Some Spiders Are Poisonous

Throughout the world, there are around 45,700 of identified species of spiders. While indeed most of these spiders are peaceful, some of them are poisonous to humans. Here in the United States, 4,000 types of spiders present, but there are only two that are venomous and should be avoided.  Somehow they manage to get inside homes, hiding in dark areas of the house. Like all the other spiders, they are peaceful and keep to themselves.  If they are disturbed or threatened, however, they can bite and release a powerful venom.  

The two types of spiders we are talking about are the black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders. These are the spiders we should all avoid.  

Non-Poisonous Spiders In North Carolina

North Carolina has an ideal climate that spiders love.  For this reason, many types of spiders can be found here. According to the trusted spider exterminator near me, here are some of the spiders that we can find here in North Carolina:

Fishing spiders are typically found near bodies of water, but from time to time will go out to the woods to hunt for food.  Their legs can stretch to about 3 inches, making look really menacing. They are a bit bigger than the palm of an adult human.  They have venom but is not potent enough to be dangerous to humans. They have the ability to submerge their bodies underwater to hunt for prey.  They are known to stay under the water for about 30 minutes, breathing through the tiny air bubbles that they trap through their bristly hairs. Hence, their name.  They remain submerged until an insect, small fish, or tadpole swims by. Aside from hunting food underwater, they also look for food on land.  

The green lynx spiders come in green color. The females are larger than the males, at about 12 to 22 mm in length. The males are only about 12 mm. They have 8 legs that have black spines. They rarely bite and tend to keep to themselves.

The thin-legged wolf spiders are dark in color, with long, spindly legs that have hairy spines on them. They are territorial and are very active hunters. They do not build their own nests, and instead just roam around looking for prey.

Similar to the thin-legged wolf spiders, the goldenrod crab spiders do not build their own nests.  To capture their prey and to hold their eggs, they do use silk. They have good vision. The size of a female adult is 8 mm to 10 mm in length, and the male’s size is only about 4 to 5 mm in length. Their 2 pairs of front legs are longer than their other legs. The rest of their legs are spread out resembling that of a crab, thus their name. Their colors range from white to yellow, to pale green, depending on their diet and their environment as well. They are mostly seen during sunny days. 

The Poisonous Ones

While most spiders are harmless and peaceful, there are a couple that is poisonous and can bite humans. The best way to protect ourselves from them is to know what they are. We can find 2 types of poisonous spiders here in North Carolina the black widow spiders and the brown recluse spiders.  

Black widow spiders have venom that is 15 times more potent than that of a rattlesnake’s. They are the most venomous between the two poisonous spiders here. Though the black widow’s poison is very potent and can be very painful, it is not life-threatening to adult humans. For children and the elderly, however, it may cause death. The female black widow has a shiny black body with a red hourglass marking on the abdomen. This serves as a warning to other predators that they are poisonous, and thus cannot be eaten. They are about 1.5 inches long. Only the females bite. The male black widow, on the other hand, is about .75 inch in length, lighter in color, and has either red or pink spots on their backs. The female black widows can live up to three years, while the males can live up to a year. 

Black widow spiders eat mosquitoes, flies, ants, termites, and roaches. They capture their prey through their silk. Once these insects get trapped, the black widow covers it with silk. It bites into the prey to inject an enzyme that would liquefy their prey. Black widow spiders only food in liquid form.  

The second type of poisonous spider is the brown recluse spider.  It is the most common of the brown spiders. In terms of behavior, they are not much different from the black widow.  As their name suggests, they are shy and prefer to be alone. And just like the black widow, they hide in dark places.  They are nocturnal, so they forage for food at night. They also only need to mate just once a year to be able to produce 150 eggs yearly.  Physically, they are identified by their violin-shaped marking on their bodies. They only have 6 eyes that are arranged in three pairs.  

If you are bitten by either of the two, clean the wound with soap and water and then put a cold compress on the bitten area for about ten minutes, then go see a doctor.  Their bite is not fatal, but some develop severe symptoms. As much as possible, capture the spider that bit you, and bring it along with you to the hospital. This will allow the doctor to make an informed decision about the type of treatment to give you.

If you are being bothered by poisonous spiders inside your home, you do not have to kill them. Spiders are beneficial creatures. Try to handle them carefully by trapping them inside a box if you can then let them loose outside your house.  If you cannot do it yourself, then you may call the best pest control experts in North and South Carolina, Go-Forth Pest Control.  

Go-Forth Pest Control is a family-owned company that has a team of expert professionals who can provide the best pest control services to residents and business establishments all throughout North and South Carolina.