Common Black House Spiders
Spiders are of the arachnid family and are carnivorous, feeding off insects and other arthropods or invertebrate animals that have jointed limbs. Most spiders are found outdoors, but in the early fall as temperatures outdoors drop they may relocate indoors to a cellar or a window well. Funnel weaver spiders, orb weavers, jumping spiders and black widows are the names of some common black household spiders. Does this Spark an idea?
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Funnel Weaver Spiders
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One of the most common spiders found in homes, the funnel weaver spider is harmless, but often mistaken for the brown recluse spider, which is a poisonous species. Funnel weaver spiders are very dark brown in color with black markings on the abdomen. They produce dense mats of silk webs shaped similar to a funnel. The funnel weaver spider retreats to the funnel or base section of the web and waits for its prey.
Orb Weavers
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The orb weaver spider constructs a typical wheel-like, flat web in which flies are trapped. These are the traditional webs depicted in cartoons and children's picture stories. The orb weaver spider does not see well so it uses other senses to detect prey in the web, such as feeling tension and vibrations. The orb weaver bites the prey and then transports it to the center of the web before consuming it. Female orb weavers lay eggs in the fall and die after producing the egg sacs, which generally contain several hundred eggs.
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Jumping Spiders
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Jumping spiders have eight legs like all spiders and four pairs of eyes, although one pair is small enough to not be easily recognized. The body length is approximately 1/2 inch and they are primarily black or dark brown in color. Jumping spiders move quickly and are considered one of the fastest in the arthropod populace. They possess keen eyesight and stalk prey, feeding on crickets, flies and even other spiders.
Black Widow Spiders
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The female black widow spider possesses a black, shiny body and black legs and measures approximately 5/8 inches in length. The male is about half the size of the female and has a smaller abdomen. Although both the male and the female of the species are poisonous, the female is the one capable of piercing a person's skin and injecting enough venom to cause a reaction. However, widow spiders rarely bite unless provoked. Black widows are usually found in window wells, old rodent burrows, crawl space entrances and in garage corners.
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