What is this spider?! Please help me I’m an extremely arachnophobic new mother

[Please Help Me]

My baby and I just recently moved into my parents basement apartment so to speak. I was cleaning up his baby toys and noticed a scary spider on the wall by his chair. I ran to get something to hit it with and came back and I was gone. I literally cried mustering up the strength to turn the chair around and there it was on the back! I smacked it with a dvd season and then starting having major anxiety!

What if it’s poisonous? What if it bit my son? I’m literally terrified and came researching for anyone who can tell me what this is and if my son or I am in danger. Brown recluse and black widow stories have haunted me so I’m terrified it’s the brown recluse. Please tell me what this is? If you’re 100% sure? Sorry if pics aren’t clear.. even getting that close completely freaked me out!

 

[Poonjab]

That is a dead spider.

First off, it’s not poisonous but venomous. The spider would need to bite you to inflict any harm as opposed to being consumed. If it bit your son, he would probably get a small bump that would itch for a day. This is neither a brown recluse or a black widow. Without knowing region, I’m not certain on species but I can reassure you this is a harmless spider that you just destroyed with the entire first season of friends. Spiders like this generally just run around eating other more harmful insects like roaches, etc.. you nor your son are in any danger. I would however urge you to stick around the boards and try to learn more about spiders in general. While they might seem scary, you’ll soon learn that they are actually fascinating creatures.

 

[Please Help Me]

That is a dead spider.

First off, it’s not poisonous but venomous. The spider would need to bite you to inflict any harm as opposed to being consumed. If it bit your son, he would probably get a small bump that would itch for a day. This is neither a brown recluse or a black widow. Without knowing region, I’m not certain on species but I can reassure you this is a harmless spider that you just destroyed with the entire first season of friends. Spiders like this generally just run around eating other more harmful insects like roaches, etc.. you nor your son are in any danger. I would however urge you to stick around the boards and try to learn more about spiders in general. While they might seem scary, you’ll soon learn that they are actually fascinating creatures.

Thank you so much for your reply. I’m so sorry to come on this to post after I see that you all are not scared of spiders because I realize you keep them as pets. I hope I didn’t offend anyone with this I am just a new mom who lost her home and a lot and all I know how to do is take care of my son and so the thought of putting him in harm scares me to death.

Thank you for assuring me that it can’t kill him although I’m still scared it may bite him. I wish I could learn to watch them but even the images of them make me shake and so scared. I love that there is people like you to help people like me and maybe one day I’ll be ok but it’s a true legit horrible fear and now I’m going to have to face it more. Thank you for your reply. I haven’t been able to sleep since trying to find someone to ask.

Be well!

 

[Poonjab]

No worries. I don’t think you’re going to offend anyone here with your post. You shouldn’t fear your son getting bit. He would have to lay on one or really mess with it to get it to bite. And even then the likelihood of him or you getting bit by a “harmful” species is pretty slim.

You’d be surprised by the amount of people who were terrified by of spiders, then hung around the boards and now own a tarantula of their own.

I’d advise you to stick around, ask questions. Might help you overcome or at least lessen your fear of spiders.

 

[emminotte]

Looks like a Tegenaria spider. It's either tegenaria parietina or tegenaria domestica. Either way it looks like it belonged in that family.

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

Looks like a house spider (Tegenaria) to me, one of the most harmless arachnids you may find in your home. You’d be surprised how many spiders you pass by without even knowing. Still, better to be safe than sorry. If you are still concerned and find another one, you could always move it outside with a cup if you’re comfortable enough. You’ve certainly come to the right place to get identifications, so feel free to come back with questions if you need more identified!

Also as a side note, the only spiders in the U.S. that pose a threat to humans are Recluses and Widows, both of which are quite timid and rarely encounter humans.

 

[Please Help Me]

Looks like a Tegenaria spider. It's either tegenaria parietina or tegenaria domestica. Either way it looks like it belonged in that family.

Thank you! Thank you for taking the time to help me

Looks like a house spider (Tegenaria) to me, one of the most harmless arachnids you may find in your home. You’d be surprised how many spiders you pass by without even knowing. Still, better to be safe than sorry. If you are still concerned and find another one, you could always move it outside with a cup if you’re comfortable enough. You’ve certainly come to the right place to get identifications, so feel free to come back with questions if you need more identified!

Also as a side note, the only spiders in the U.S. that pose a threat to humans are Recluses and Widows, both of which are quite timid and rarely encounter humans.

Thank you so much! I think that’s what makes them so scary to me is that they are so sneaky and one could be on you and you wouldn’t know. Thank you for saying I can ask about others as we’ve just moved into the basement this will probably not be my first encounter even tho I vacuum and clean every corner even ceilings every day.

That gives me so much more comfort knowing that black widows and brown recluses don’t like people because I’ve seen shows where someone got bit by one and had to have a leg amputated and ever since every spider I see looks like one! Except daddy long legs. Those come out in the bathroom from god knows where when I shower but they don’t scare me so much.

I really appreciate your reply and taking the time to respond and help me!!

 

[Ungoliant]

What if it’s poisonous? What if it bit my son? I’m literally terrified and came researching for anyone who can tell me what this is and if my son or I am in danger. Brown recluse and black widow stories have haunted me so I’m terrified it’s the brown recluse. Please tell me what this is? If you’re 100% sure?

This is a mature male funnel weaver (Agelenidae) -- not to be confused with the unrelated funnel-web spiders of Australia. Compare with genus Coras.

Funnel weavers are technically venomous -- it's how they kill their prey -- but they are not medically significant or prone to bite. Females and juveniles remain in their webs, but mature males like this one wander in search of a female.

 

[Veles]

Thank you! Thank you for taking the time to help me


Thank you so much! I think that’s what makes them so scary to me is that they are so sneaky and one could be on you and you wouldn’t know. Thank you for saying I can ask about others as we’ve just moved into the basement this will probably not be my first encounter even tho I vacuum and clean every corner even ceilings every day.

That gives me so much more comfort knowing that black widows and brown recluses don’t like people because I’ve seen shows where someone got bit by one and had to have a leg amputated and ever since every spider I see looks like one! Except daddy long legs. Those come out in the bathroom from god knows where when I shower but they don’t scare me so much.

I really appreciate your reply and taking the time to respond and help me!!

You are not going to get any part of your body amputated from a black widow bite, their venom is not necrotic in any shape or form.

 

[NYAN]

That gives me so much more comfort knowing that black widows and brown recluses don’t like people because I’ve seen shows where someone got bit by one and had to have a leg amputated and ever since every spider I see looks like one!

First off, you are outside the range for recluse spiders. You would have an extremely slim chance of encountering one. They are found around 100 miles south of you.

Next, you should understand that these TV shows don’t necessarily feature people who have any significant knowledge in these subjects. A lot of the information is wrong because they want to entertain rather than educate. The reality of recluse spider bites is that as many as 80-90% of them cause extremely minor effects. The stories of adults dying and losing limbs is made up or a misdiagnosis. The truth is not very shocking or scary, is it?

 

[The Snark]

Lets run the statistics. You have a 5 times greater chance getting struck by lightning than getting a significant spider bite. So if you have been struck by lightning a few times you're due to get sick from a spider bite. But stay away from bees and wasps. They are thousands of times more likely to make you all toes up, green and moldy.

 

[Vanisher]

Thank you so much for your reply. I’m so sorry to come on this to post after I see that you all are not scared of spiders because I realize you keep them as pets. I hope I didn’t offend anyone with this I am just a new mom who lost her home and a lot and all I know how to do is take care of my son and so the thought of putting him in harm scares me to death.

Thank you for assuring me that it can’t kill him although I’m still scared it may bite him. I wish I could learn to watch them but even the images of them make me shake and so scared. I love that there is people like you to help people like me and maybe one day I’ll be ok but it’s a true legit horrible fear and now I’m going to have to face it more. Thank you for your reply. I haven’t been able to sleep since trying to find someone to ask.

Be well!

That is ok. Many are afraid of spiders and in 99,9% of the case they are totally harmless. It is way more dangerous to be driving a car or having a pet dog! I am certain that more people oer year that are killed by getting a golf ball in the head than are seriously harned by a spiderbite

 

[myrmecophile]

People scare me far more than any spider out there.

 

[Poonjab]

People scare me far more than any spider out there.

Ain’t that the truth...

 

[RoachCoach]

This right myere is one of my Brownies. Reclusa. I can pick her up and do whatever I like as long as I'm fast enough and don't press her against my skin. Otherwise she 100% wants to just get away. If you are worried about spiders you should be sure to remove clutter, and anything their prey feeds on. You can always buy cheap cheap sticky traps i.e. catchmaster from Walmart. Having spiders only means you have tons more of the tastier, brazen, germ carrying other bugs they are chasing. Get rid of the other bugs, not the spiders.
Edit: Disclaimer - Don't handle potentially dangerous spiders please.

 

[ColeopteraC]

I

First off, you are outside the range for recluse spiders. You would have an extremely slim chance of encountering one. They are found around 100 miles south of you.

Next, you should understand that these TV shows don’t necessarily feature people who have any significant knowledge in these subjects. A lot of the information is wrong because they want to entertain rather than educate. The reality of recluse spider bites is that as many as 80-90% of them cause extremely minor effects. The stories of adults dying and losing limbs is made up or a misdiagnosis. The truth is not very shocking or scary, is it?

These shows and articles telling us to fear ‘The killer spiders hiding in your own home!’ are a constant source of irritation for me, these presenters and producers aren’t professional. They do not have a degree in any associated field, so who gives them the right to educate? You wouldn’t get a greengrocer to lecture on particle physics so why should you get these guys to educate on arachnology and associated fields?...

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

If its at all comforting someone i used to be friends with handles black widows just barehanded whatever n they just chill n walk around. I still kinda just wonder why but i stopped asking lol. It takes a lot for them to bite you lol.

Im not promoting just picking up random black widows btw im just adding to the point theyre reluctant to bite n would rather just go NYOOM n run away

 

[dangerforceidle]

This is a mature male funnel weaver (Agelenidae) -- not to be confused with the unrelated funnel-web spiders of Australia. Compare with genus Coras.

Seconding genus Coras.