What kind of spider do I have?

Question: Tarantulas are in and around my house. I have never had this problem before, but I have found at least five of them. Why would they be here now?

Answer: Not sure why now. It simply could be that conditions became ideal for them to locate around the house. Are you certain that these are indeed tarantulas? I’m not so sure about them in Indiana.

Question: I am not absolutely sure that they are in fact tarantulas. However, they are large furry spiders that look very much like tarantulas (I have looked up online).

All I know for sure is that I don’t want to have them around anymore. I hope that I can get you guys out to have a look and let me know what I can do to get rid of spiders and all the other bugs that have been running around my property.

Answer: What you may possibly have are wolf spiders. Wolf spiders (Family: Lycosidae) are usually large and ”hairy” (their legs will have long hairs on them). They are fast moving and will seem threatening by this rapid movement, but they are trying to get away and not chase you.

These large spiders look more dangerous than they really are. They are hunters of insects and do not build webs. They usually live outdoors, but sometimes are found indoors such as around lights and in doorways, where insects are common at night.

The best control for wolf spiders is to use a vacuum. They can be picked up with a vacuum cleaner and then the bag disposed of. Spraying is generally not effective because they move around a lot and you can’t predict where they will be.

A good idea is to get rid of the food the spiders are eating, insects around your home.

Call your local Orkin Branch office and set up a visit by a highly trained Orkin Pest Specialist who will develop a customized treatment plan, backed by science, to best fit your needs.

Orkin used the information above to also answer the following questions submitted by Orkin.com users:

Question: Wondering if you can tell me what kind of spider I have? They are black, hairy and have a small yellow spot of their back. They are about as big as a common barn spider. Any ideas? Thank You!