Spiders are everywhere. You may subscribe to the notion that at all times there are spiders around three to ten feet away from you. Whether these figures are correct or just a common rumour, you can bet that they are never very far away from you, whether you are inside or outside. Scientists have discovered 46,000 species of spider in the world to date, so it’s not hard to conclude that there are always at least a few nearby. Most spiders are not harmful to humans even though some of those might have venom, but there are only a few venomous spiders that can actually cause harm to us. Thankfully, spider bites are fairly rare, as spiders certainly aren’t after us for a meal, unlike other insects such as mosquitos, so it’s not like they are searching us out or stalking us – even those that live in our homes. Louisiana neighborhoods are filled with spiders, with certain spiders living in people’s homes and others in more natural habitats in the state. Here are some of the most common spiders you are likely to find in Louisiana.

One spider that every human is bound to run across at some point or another is the common house spider, also known as Parasteatoda tepidariorum. These common spiders are recognizable by their cobweb-like homes, which are not circular, but rather asymmetrical, and are usually found along fences and under the eave of your porch. The other spider you are likely to come across at home is the cobweb spider, or steatoda triangulosa, which are a bit smaller than the common house spider, and are generally found indoors and under furniture with their webs close to the ground. You may also notice the wall spider in your home. These are tiny little spiders, around 2-3 millimeters long, and they tend to build their tiny webs in the corners where walls meet, hiding there from any human predators. They also eat ants, so they can actually be helpful keeping them out of your home.

There are also some larger spiders that like to settle in people’s homes. One of these is the Twinflagged jumping spider, which doesn’t build a web to catch its prey, but uses its speed and incredible jumping ability to leap at their prey, grabbing it at the same time it bites down to prevent it from escaping its clutches. These spiders have amazing eyesight, able to see up to a foot away from them. Considering their size, that is a long distance for their little eyes to be able to see clearly. The crevice weaver spider builds its white, wooly webs in the cracks in walls and dust-filled hideaways that conceal them and their web. When a meal gets caught in their web, they quickly rush out of their hideaway to grab it. These spiders don’t move around a lot, and will stay in the same place with the same web usually fixed onto a ceiling or wall as long as the prey keep coming there. This can end up being a long time, as the females can live 11 years. They are commonly found in barns or sheds.

What spiders have you caught residing in your house? Do you know what kind of spider it was?