Tegenaria agrestis

[snoflax]

Yesterday I found a Tegenaria agrestis in my room. Now I don't really want to kill the thing, but I dont really want him wandering around my house either. And I think its too cold and wet to put him outside besides from what I understand house spiders can die outside, they don't belong there. I am also not really keen on keeping the creepy little thing. My daughter was going to feed it to her G.rosea, but then she got to worrying about pesticides ect that the little guy may have been exposed to hurting her Rosie. So the question is, if I put this spider outside someplace, will he die from the temps and humidity?
I realize if I seen one I probably have a bunch., and as long as they stay out of my site that fine. I love my T's but I can't deal with house spiders.

 

[JPD]

What criteria did you use to identify the spider as a T.agrestis? They are actually increasingly more difficult to find throughout the region so I am interested in knowing. There are a number of things to be looked at closely in order to make an accurate identification.
I would venture to say that it is more likely to be T.gigantea or T.domestica.
As far as putting it outside....
Answering your question:
In their "true" native haunts, (Europe), they are found outside. It was when they hopped a ship to the US that they decided to find their way indoors. If it is indeed T.agrestis, then it would likely be no worse for the wear being put out.
Even if it was T.agrestis, I would not be concerned in the slightest to have them in the house. They are quite docile and would be more inclined to find a cozy, out-of-the-way spot to call home.

 

[snoflax]

you're right it could be either of those species as they are hard to tell apart. I know that some residents where I live have been complaining of spiders and the management sent out a leaflet saying the pest control people had said that they found hobos here, they even included a cute little pic, unfortunately the pic was of a recluse. which we don't have here.
I know in thier native habitat they dont live in houses more in fields I believe. As far as not wanting it in my house, right now we have 8 T's and I love them, and I have no problem handling them when neccesary and feeding and otherwise taking care of them. BUT......for some odd reason house spiders creep me out. even in a vial I don't like him being in my room.

 

[JPD]

Many of the pest control companies seem to work via scare tactics. Makes sense because they can generate a lot of business that way. I worked for Terminix for a short time and must say that the folks there really knew their stuff and gave out correct information unlike others.
With regard to the Tegenaria creeping you out....
I had been in the hobby about two years before I finally lost my aversion to Tegenaria. Keep in mind that all-the-while I was handling many of the nastiest T's and a widow or two.
I think my fear of the T.gigantea came from several incidents as a child. For starters, when I was around 6, I picked up a christmas wrapping tube in the basement and went to look in it only to see a spider running up the tube toward me. Then, when I was 10 or so, I went to visit my sister in Kirkland...we were sitting in the kitchen and a T.gigantea male came galloping across the floor. I was mortified. Later that night, I went down to her basement bathroom and found a similar sized bugger in the sink. I had visions of "nests-o-spiders" and all of the horrid images associated with spider horror flicks. I honestly thought that spiders lived in big nests similar to ant hills and that all of the new construction in my sisters neighborhood had disturbed several "nests!"
Needless-to-say, one day I got up the nerve to pick-up a monster male T.gigantea as he strolled by and quickly realized how docile they are. At that time, I had been bitten by a host of T's and rationalized that I made no sense in being scared of anything smaller. Even reaching into the web of female Tegenaria will bring nothing more than a scrambling spider.
If you are anywhere close to Issaquah, PM me and perhaps you can bring the spider by and I will ID it for you.

 

[padkison]

Good site for IDing spiders

You can compare your spider to pictures here or if you have a pic, people here will ID it for you.

http://bugguide.net

 

[snoflax]

Well after observing the little guy/gal for the past couple of days I have noted some definate un-T. agretis behavior. He webs. alot......and he seems to like to climb. I also found while looking at him under a magnifying glass that what I thought were brown legs are actually a molted brown, black, grey and white.
I think I am going to keep him a few more days, feed him a couple of pre killed pinheads and send him on his way.......outside.
My adversion to house spiders also comes from childhood. When I was about 5 I pulled down the bedcovers one night to find a nice fat spider in my bed, im not sure what kind it was, fairly common in this area (renton/kent) kinda grey and brown and huge marbled looking abdomen. Another time I went to turn on the light switch and had a large T gigantea crawl out of the wall switch right onto my hand. Ans when I was a teenager my room was in the basement,my brothers wouldnt sleep down there because of the spiders, well I never saw a spider down there, but when we moved they moved the sofa that was in my room and found that I had a nice big widow living under it. shiny jet black and a nice little hourglass on her.