Four types of spider

The Hobo Spider

The hobo spider has a brown body and can grow from 1/4 to 5/8 inch in length. It is commonly found in Idaho and Utah. It is a European immigrant that has recently been implicated as a potentially poisonous spider in the United States. They live in funnel web. Most hobo spider bites occur in bed or clothing where the spider is trapped next to the skin.

The initial bite from a hobo spider is usually painless but hardens within 30 minutes. The area of the bite may have numbness and it is common to feel dizzy. After 15 to 35 hours the area forms blisters and can start to slough, which stops after about 24 hours. It causes a slow healing wound. It can take months to heal. The hobo spider bites is not considered to be fatal but fatalities have occurred.

The Brown Recluse

The Brown Recluse spider is one of the few dangerous spiders in the United States. It is also called the fiddle back spider or violin spider because of the violin shape mark on it. It's native to south central United States but can be commonly found in the central mid western states. It is best to use glue traps for brown recluse, because they are not affected by pesticides.

The initial bite from a Brown Recluse spider is usually painless and the victim can be unaware for 3 to 8 hours later. Then the site of the bite might turn red and swollen. The bite can take a long time to heal. It will often leave scaring. It is extremely rare for a fatality to occur from a brown recluse spider bite but they still must be treated as a dangers spider

Black Widow

Adult female black widow spiders are about 1/2-inch long, not including the legs. They are jet black with a red hourglass marking underneath their circular abdomen. The adult males are around half the size of the females. Females can be identified by their red dots and white lines along the abdomen. The male black widow spider is harmless. It's the females you have to watch for. In spring or summer the black widow start to mate.

A black widow spider bite can go unnoticed. The intensity of the pain depends on amount of venom injected and the area of the bite. The bloodstream carries the venom around the body and it acts on the nervous system, causing different levels of pain. There may be slight local swelling and two red puncture points from the fangs. Pain usually starts from the bite site and works it way to the abdomen and back causing severe cramping in the abdominal muscles in some cases. Less than 5 percent of black widow spider bites results in death.

Wolf Spiders

Wolf Spiders are a common household pests that look for a warm place to stay for wintertime. They do not spin webs but they hunt for food at night. The Wolf Spider can be commonly mistaken for brown recluse spider, but they lack the violin-shaped marking behind their head. They are not aggressive and will run away from disturbances.