Banana Spider Facts & Information

How do I get rid of banana spiders?

Banana spiders are great for keeping insect populations down, but nobody wants a giant golden web blocking their front door. While they're not looking to move into your spare bedroom, you can take a few simple steps to encourage them to build their eight-legged masterpieces elsewhere.

• Remove Food Sources: Reduce the overall insect population around your home.

• Seal Entry Points: Close up gaps and cracks in walls and around doors and windows.

• Yard Maintenance: Trim tall grass, clear yard debris, and remove clutter. A tidy yard is less appealing for a spider looking to set up a sprawling web mansion.

• Professional Help: If the spiders are setting up camp in high-traffic areas and becoming a nuisance, it's time to call in the pros. Contact an exterminator to handle the situation safely.

What Orkin does to get rid of banana spiders?

Banana spiders rarely invade homes and are not typically a household pest. They prefer outdoor environments where insects are plentiful, such as wooded areas, tall grass, shrubs, and spaces near exterior light fixtures that attract prey at night.

However, if homeowners are encountering banana spiders around their property, Orkin can help. An Orkin Pro will conduct a thorough inspection to identify spider activity, conducive conditions, and entry points. Based on those findings, your Pro will develop a customized spider control plan designed to help reduce spider presence and discourage future activity.

What do banana spiders look like?

The banana spider, also known as the Golden Silk Orb-Weaver, is one of the largest spiders you'll find in the United States. Its striking appearance and large size can be startling, but they're easy to identify if you know what to look for. Their name comes from the golden-yellow hue of their intricate webs, not their body color. Here are the key features to help you spot one:

• Size: Female banana spiders are significantly larger than males, with bodies that can grow up to 2 inches long and that's not even counting their long legs.

• Color: They have vibrant and complex markings. Look for a mix of red, yellow, black, and white patterns on their bodies and long, banded legs.

• Web: Their most distinctive feature is the strong, golden-colored silk they use to build their large, orb-shaped webs.

What do banana spiders eat?

Banana spiders are insectivores with a diverse palate, playing a beneficial role in pest control. Their diet primarily consists of flying insects like mosquitoes, flies, beetles, moths, wasps, and dragonflies, which they efficiently catch in their large, strong webs. By consuming these common nuisance insects, banana spiders are helpful allies for maintaining the balance in gardens and yards.

Where do banana spiders live?

Banana spiders thrive in warm, tropical, and subtropical climates, making them common in regions such as the southeastern United States, Central and South America, Asia, and Australia. They prefer humid environments where they can build their expansive webs undisturbed. Typically, these spiders are found in forests, gardens, fields, and even in open areas near wooded regions. Their webs are often positioned in areas with plenty of sunlight, as they rely on warmth to remain active and build their intricate silk structures.

Don't be surprised if you find a banana spider in your yard. While their size might be intimidating, these spiders are generally non-aggressive and act as nature's pest control, feasting on flies and other insects. If you're looking to spot (or avoid) one, you'll typically find them in quiet, undisturbed areas with plenty of flying insects.

Around your home, keep an eye out for them in:

• Porches and eaves

• Gardens, especially near plants and shrubs

• Sheds and garages

Banana Spider Lifecycle & Reproduction

From their unique egg sacs to their seasonal patterns, these spiders have a fascinating reproductive cycle. Here's a look at how banana spiders grow and multiply:

• Egg Sacs: A female banana spider spins a silk sac to hold hundreds of eggs, which she typically attaches to leaves or conceals within her web.

• Spiderlings: After hatching, tiny spiderlings remain clustered near the egg sac for a few days before they venture out on their own.

• Growth and Lifespan: Banana spiders molt multiple times as they mature. Females can live for about a year, while males have a significantly shorter lifespan.

• Seasonal Activity: You are most likely to see banana spiders in warm, humid climates from late spring through the fall.

Banana Spider Bite

Banana spider is a common name that often creates confusion since some species of banana spiders are extremely venomous and others have only a slightly painful bite. For example, the Brazilian wandering banana spiders, genus Phoneutria, are among the most venomous spiders on Earth and its bite can be deadly to humans, especially children. Fortunately, this spider species is exceptionally infrequently encountered in the U.S. Spiders possessing the common name banana spiders found in the U.S. are able to bite, but their bite is not as harmful or painful as bites from other spiders, like the brown recluse or black widow spider. A banana spider bite is usually less painful than a bee sting and usually doesn’t cause further symptoms. Banana spiders are predators that generally prey upon insects such as flies, beetles, and dragonflies, so they are not likely to bite unless given no other way to defend themselves.