Unlike mosquitoes, spiders do not seek people in order to bite them. Generally, a spider doesn't try to bite a person unless it has been squeezed, lain on, or similarly provoked to defend itself. Moreover, the jaws of most spiders are so small that the fangs cannot penetrate the skin of an adult person. Sometimes when a spider is disturbed in its web, it may bite instinctively because it mistakenly senses that an insect has been caught.
The severity of a spider bite depends on factors such as the kind of spider, the amount of venom injected, and the age and health of the person bitten. A spider bite might cause no reaction at all, or it might result in varying amounts of itching, redness, stiffness, swelling, and...
Halloween is a time when many people enjoy having creatures come to their homes in search of treats. But what about unwanted indoor visitors with six or more legs? Here are three types of creatures that might bring a chill to your spine if you find them in your house.
Spiders
Many people in the world fear spiders. Sure, they might be creepy, but in general, spiders are beneficial because they feed on pest insects both inside and outside the home. One spider that is cause for concern in California is the black widow. Wait, what? Not the brown...
The black widow spider is known and feared by many people due to its venomous bite. However, in the past decade in California, a change in widow spider populations has occurred. A newer invasive spider called the brown widow may be displacing black widow spiders in some urban habitats.
Brown widow spiders are now common in urban areas of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties. People have also reported finding them in Ventura and Santa Barbara, and experts believe they may eventually be found in other areas of the state.
Residents may be relieved to learn that brown widow spiders are less likely to bite and if they do, the symptoms are more mild than a black widow...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Halloween is the perfect time to talk about some of the creepy, crawlies that scare people the most: Spiders.
Many people think that all spiders are dangerous, scary, and aggressive. Most spiders are harmless and serve a beneficial role by catching and killing pest insects.
There are many different types of spiders inhabiting homes and gardens. In California, the main spider capable of causing serious injury is the black widow, which generally remains outdoors and out of sight. Spiders seen out in the open during the day are unlikely to bite people.
The UC Statewide IPM Program has lots of information to help you identify
- Author: Mary Louise Flint
- Author: Rick Vetter
[From the February 2013 issue of the UC IPM Green Bulletin newsletter]
During the last 10 years, a new widow spider has moved into parts of Southern California. The brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus, is closely related to the well-known black widow spider, L. hesperus, (Figure 1) that occurs throughout much of California.
A recent survey of widow spiders in Southern California led by retired UC Riverside entomologist Richard Vetter revealed new information about the distribution of brown widows. Currently brown widow spiders...
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