Don’t Be Afraid, but Spider Season is Beginning in Western Washington

Giant House Spider (Eratigena atrica) in Oslo, NorwayPhoto by Ryan Hodnett, Wikimedia Commons

At 4 inches long, the giant house spider is something of a nightmare to arachnophobes. To be fair, it’s also a little freaky to people who don’t have a phobia. They move fast on very long legs – their bodies are only about an inch long – and they can’t tell you apart from a wall, which sometimes makes it look like they’re running toward you. They’re likely looking for a place to hide, but that’s not why you’re seeing them right now.

These spiders have probably been in your house all along, but they reach maturity and full size in the fall and they’re looking for mates. The females mostly stay hidden, so the males are on the hunt for them. It’s the oldest story in the animal kingdom.

Despite their freakish size, you don’t have to worry about them harming you. It’s extremely rare to be bitten by these spiders, but even if you are, it won’t be any more bothersome than a mosquito bite, unless you have a specific allergy.

Giant house spiders are also great at pest control if you’re plagued by mosquitos, bed bugs, cockroaches, moths or other insects. These bugs make up their diet and allowing the spiders to remain in your home can help control everything else. If a corner in the living room is just too creepy, you can try to capture the spider and put it in your garage. It will likely die if you take it outside; it’s an indoor spider.

Mid-September to late October is the typical time of year for multiple sightings of giant house spiders, but they aren’t the only types of spiders you’ll run across during this season in Seattle and Western Washington.

Wolf spiders can grow up to 3 inches long, including their legs, are often a bit hairy, have lots of eyes, and come in a wide variety of species that are hard to identify. They’re also looking for mates and somewhere warm to hang out.

Of course, these are just the big indoor varieties. Smaller spiders proliferate outdoors during fall, and it’s a good idea to pause before exiting your house and check for webs. Waving a stick ahead of you to break up webs and capture stray strands is a common method of self-defense in this region.

If spiders seriously scare you or you’re just tired of webs dangling everywhere, you can try spraying peppermint or tea tree essential oil in trouble spots. The smell is claimed to be overpowering to spiders. Just think twice about using chemical pesticides on these beneficial bugs. Even pest control companies often advise against strong measures.

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