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• Hobo Spider

Tegenaria agrestis

Hobo spiders (also referred to as aggressive house spiders or funnel weavers) are commonly found in the Pacific Northwest. These spiders are actually not aggressive, and would rather flee when disturbed if given the opportunity. However, if bitten, it is not uncommon for tissue around the site of the bite to have difficulty in healing.

Females can be up to 2/3 inch in size (not including the legs); males are usually slightly smaller and can grow to 1/3 inch (not including the legs). They are shades of brown in color and typically have a herringbone (or zigzag) pattern on the top side of the abdomen. The legs appear smooth rather than hairy.

Hobo spiders thrive in darker areas such as wood piles, flower beds, basements and crawlspaces. The feed on other insects captured in their funnel shaped webbing and are mainly nocturnal. Sightings can occur starting in mid to late spring but will increase considerably from late summer to fall. It is during this time that the male actively searches for a mate.

One to four egg cases are produced by the female, with each case containing 50 to 100 eggs. The females usually attaches these egg cases outdoors and underneath objects or in crawlspaces. After mating and producing these egg cases, in late fall the female dies. Eggs will hatch around June. Life cycles range from 1 to 2 years, with those living on the west side of the Cascade Mountains having the shortest lifespan.

Important preventative measures include:

1. Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed back from the home, including any that may hang over a roof. Keep grassy areas mowed and store firewood away from the structure.
2. Inside the home, keep clutter to a minimum. If any webbing is found, it should be removed.
3. Seal cracks around doors, window frames and foundations.

If populations remain in excess then a call to Long Pest Control can develop an Integrated Pest Control program to eliminate the sightings and provide an environment free of unwanted ground crawling insects year round.