SALT LAKE CITY — Halloween brings out spooky spiders, but few people want these creatures in their homes, though October's cooling temperatures do make these encounters more often.
Fall temperatures signal the end of spiders' life cycles, when they search for mates and look for places to lay egg sacks; fortunately, most found in Utah are not dangerous.
They are necessary as a food sources for other insects and wildlife, and eat other insects as well, so spiders should not be feared, as most are completely harmless.
Common spiders that show up in the fall include cellar spiders (so-named because of where they like to live). They can be mistaken for the deadly brown recluse spider, but unlike the recluse they have long, skinny legs and are not completely brown. The brown recluse also is much larger and thicker, and has hairs on its body.
All commonly seen in the call are wolf spiders, so-named because they stalk, ambush, and pounce on their prey as opposed to building webs. Their eyes make them easy to identify; four small eyes on the bottom, two large eyes in the center, and two small eyes on top. Giant wolf spiders can grow to two inches in diameter.
Most common indoor spiders in northern Utah are hobo spiders, so-named because they were thought to travel from city to city via railroads. They have a varied appearance, and despite the myths around them, they are not flesh-eating creatures. They can run up to 40 inches per second and because of poor eyesight might run into people, but they are essentially harmless and quite small—just one-quarter to one-half inch in size.
Spider bites can still happen, so try to collect the culprit so it can be identified Along with a description of symptoms, this is the best way to have the proper treatment provided.
Go here for more information about how to identify Utah spiders and what to do if bitten.
