Are house spiders poisonous? What you need to watch out for

Surely you know this spider, right? The house spider is one of the most common spiders you can find in your home. Many people are frightened when they encounter this large, fat but also fast spider. Some may even have asked themselves the question: Is the house angle spider actually poisonous? Here you can find out more about this spider and whether such worries might be justified.

No danger to humans

First of all, the reassuring news is that the house angle spider is basically harmless to humans. Even if it appears threatening at first glance due to its size and speed, it does not usually attack. It only bites if it feels seriously threatened and has no way of escaping. And even if a bite does occur, it is harmless for a healthy adult.

But you will definitely notice it: it feels a bit like a pinprick. You can feel it, but it is not comparable to the sting of a bee or wasp. And the venom? Fortunately, it is not strong enough to cause serious damage to your health.

Not dangerous, but useful

Although most people are disgusted by them and would therefore rather banish them from their own four walls yesterday than today, the house spider does fulfill some useful functions in the household. For example, it feeds on other insects such as flies, mosquitoes and smaller bugs that enter your home. In this way, it keeps your home virtually clean – and also protects you from many a mosquito bite at night.

The house angle spider is creepy, but useful. Photo: IMAGO / Manfred Segerer

What should you do if you find a house spider?

Most house angle spiders look for a quiet, dark place and prefer nooks and crannies where they can spin their webs. You don’t need to take any special measures to control the spiders as they don’t usually appear in large numbers. If you discover a house spider and want to get rid of it, you can catch it with a jar and put it outside – but it probably won’t survive there. This is because house spiders are adapted to living in houses.

Experts therefore advise not to trap house spiders and simply leave them where they are. This may take some effort on the part of some people, but it is the more animal-friendly option. Even though many people are creeped out by them, house corner spiders pose no danger to us – and even help to get rid of other annoying insects. So if you can live with that, just leave them where they are.

Source: t-online

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