Most Common Spiders Around Your Mississippi Home

Finding spiders in your Mississippi home can be frustrating, especially it’s a recurring issue. Spiders can be extremely invasive, and in some cases, they can also pose threats to you and your family at home.

The best way to assess a spider problem at home is to call a pest control professional to help you. However, it can also help you to identify the most common spiders in Mississippi so that you can know what to do in case of finding one.

In Mississippi, there have been recorded over 27 unique species of spiders. While not all of them are dangerous for you and your family, some can cause severe health issues over time. Regardless, you should always try to get rid of spiders as soon as possible.

On this page, you’re going to learn more about the most common spiders around your Mississippi home. Keep in mind that their appearance may change depending on your region and climate.

American House Spider

Although it’s called the “American House Spider,” it can be found throughout the world; this is one of the most common types of spiders that you can find at your home in Mississippi since they mostly habit garages, sheds, homes, and furniture.

Thankfully, these spiders are reasonably harmless to humans. While they can bite, they’re not going to do so until they feel threatened. Even if they bite you, it feels like a small bee sting. In some cases, you may feel some swelling in the bite area; in others, you may feel nausea and dizziness. If this happens, seek medical help as soon as possible.

The American House Spider carries venom within it, but they don’t usually inject it in humans when biting. In the rare case that they do, you may feel slight swelling in your skin. To identify them, try and look at their color; they mostly appear in white, yellowish-brown, or black.

Wolf Spider

The Wolf spider entails a large group of large and dark-colored spiders. As with the American House Spider, the wolf spider can bite you if it feels threatened. While they carry venom, it doesn’t cause any more issues than slight swelling on your skin.

Wolf spiders are mostly seen at night, and they generally live on the ground. These spiders feed on insects and other spiders, so they aren’t an issue for most humans. However, if you notice that you have a significant swarm of wolf spiders in your home, it may be best for you to find some help.

Black Widow

Black widow spiders are considered one of the most dangerous ones on this list. They can be easily identified due to their red-colored mark on their abdomen. Although it’s not too common in urban areas in Mississippi, you may still encounter one, depending on where you live.

These spiders only bite you in self-defense, meaning that they can attack you if you attack them. Many people fear the black widow’s bite since its venom is potent; according to some reports, a black widow’s venom can be up to 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake’s.

In recorded human cases, a black widow’s bite has caused nausea, aches, and diaphragm paralysis. Typically, these bites are not fatal, but they can cause death in some particular cases among children or elderly people.

Brown Recluse

If you encounter a brown recluse at your home in Mississippi, you need to take action immediately. This spider is known for its unique appearance and its deadly venom. The brown recluse has six eyes, and it has a uniformly colored abdomen, which isn’t typical among spiders.

As opposed to the other spiders we’ve mentioned above, a brown recluse’s bite can be fatal for humans. If you’re ever bitten by this spider, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. However, these spiders only bite you when they feel threatened, so you shouldn’t have any issues if you don’t disturb them directly.

In some cases, people may not be severely affected by a brown recluse’s bite, but in others, some bite-sensitive people may develop a volcano lesion, which can take months to recover.

Daddy Longlegs

When people say “Daddy Longlegs,” they may be referring to one of many types of insects. However, in this case, we’re going to focus on the daddy longlegs harvestmen, which are not actually a spider. You can quickly identify this type of animal by looking at its legs. Daddy longlegs is known for having long, skinny legs and a small body.

Keep in mind that daddy longlegs is commonly found in urban areas in Mississippi, so you’re likely to find one once in your lifetime. In the case that you disturb this spider, it usually responds by spinning very fast so that you cannot see it anymore.

There’s an ongoing myth that daddy longlegs are one of the most toxic spiders out there. However, there isn’t any evidence backing up this claim. While the daddy longlegs can pierce human skin with its bite, it’s not likely to cause adverse reactions.

Cellar Spider

Cellar spiders are often referred to as the “true” daddy longlegs spider. They’re yellow to light brown in color. A cellar spider is mostly considered a nuisance since it tends to construct webs in areas with moisture or humidity, which can be an issue in some houses.

As for their bite, cellar spiders are not known to bite humans, so you’re safe.

Hobo Spider

The hobo spider got its name due to its constant appearance in railroad tracks. However, they may also be found in urban areas. As opposed to popular belief, the hobo spider doesn’t usually live indoors, and it’s not aggressive.

In the case that the hobo spider feels threatened, it may either run away or bite you. Thankfully, the hobo spider’s bite is harmless, and you may not even feel it. There may be some special cases where you may experience swelling or redness for some hours, but it’s not the common case.

The hobo spider has long legs and a brown body, making it fairly similar to other spiders. If you see that the spider has longer legs than a normal one, it’s probably a hobo spider.

Jumping Spider

As the name suggests, the jumping spider is popularly known for its jumping abilities. They have eight short legs, and their body is usually black with pale markings.

The jumping spider may only bite you if it feels threatened, as with the rest of the spiders mentioned on this list. Their bite is not poisonous, but it may cause swelling or redness in the skin for some hours in some cases. Typically, the spider runs away rather than biting you.

These spiders can enter your home through small holes or cracks, and an efficient way to get rid of them is to vacuum them and release the vacuum back outside your home.

Yellow Sac Spider

Yellow sac spiders provide harmful bites that may be severe for your health, so you need to make sure that you don’t disturb them if you see them in your home. Instead, you should try and look for professional help to get rid of them safely.

A yellow sac spider’s venom can damage and kill skin tissue, meaning that it can cause swelling or itchiness. While a bite from this spider may not be severe for everyone, you should seek medical help in case you see a bad reaction on your skin.

These spiders usually range from a light green to yellow color with dark legs.

Orb Weaver

The orb-weaver spider can be found in several different forms since its abdomen can vary depending on the species; it can be smooth, spiny, or irregularly shaped. However, you may find them in a gray, brown, yellow, or orange color.

Thankfully, the orb weaver is not considered a dangerous spider. A bite from this spider is often compared to a bee’s, and its venom doesn’t cause any severe health problems for humans.

The orb weaver is also commonly known as the “Garden Spider” since it can be found in gardens and clearings. They mostly create their orb-shaped webs in places with a low amount of wind.

These spiders are considered beneficial to gardens since they eat most of the harmful insects in your garden. However, they may be a nuisance if they’re located near windows or gates.

Grass Spider

The grass spider is often found with a brownish-yellow color and two black stripes running through the abdomen. These are mostly found in grass (As its name suggests) since they can’t build strong webs above the ground.

A grass spider’s bite may contain venom, but it doesn’t pose any serious risks to human health. In worst-case scenarios, your skin may feel irritated for a couple of hours.

How to Get Rid of Spiders

You may get rid of spiders yourself by using several methods depending on the species. However, keep in mind that most of these spiders are not going to bite you if you don’t threaten them, so make sure that you get safely rid of them.

In most cases, you can manually catch the spider and then release it outside of your home. If that doesn’t work, you may use spider repellent, apply pesticides, or seal any known cracks in your home.

Conclusion

Regardless of the type of spider you encounter, many homeowners preferis to call a pest control professional to take care of everything; this way, you ensure that your home is free of spiders without exposing your health.

If you’re looking for the right team to handle the issue for you, Synergy² is here to help. We provide trusted services throughout the area, so contact us for the best pest control services around.