Group: Cellar Spiders

Cellar spiders are smaller (body is about 1/16 to 1/4") and dull in color with long slender legs. They are sometimes confused with daddy-long-legs. Their webs are irregular and are constantly being added to. The female and male mate will share a web in a dark damp area such as crawlspaces, basements, and outbuildings. Their populations can grown quite high though are not thought to be poisonous to humans.

Group: Cobweb Spiders

The web of the cobweb spider is irregular and contains an outer layer of sticky silk to aid in catching prey. They will abandon their web if they are relatively unsuccessful at catching prey, and the result will be a dusty cobweb. Unlike the orb weavers, the cobweb spider does not deconstruct its web prior to rebuilding a new one.

Cobweb spiders will use their web as a safe, secure spot during the day and opts to build in a location that is moist, dark and undisturbed.

Group: Crab Spiders

These spiders resemble crabs, they can even walk sideways and backwards. They may have horns or other ornamental decorations, possibly to disguise their presence. They are found in trees, on flowers, or hunting on the ground. These spiders ambush their prey, though their venom is not thought of as toxic to humans.

Group: Funnel Web Spiders

These spiders construct large, thick webs that are usually horizontal, flat and non-sticky. The web will often have a distinct funnel which runs through it as so the spider may escape if need be. The spider will also use this funnel area of the web for hiding while it awaits prey to stumble across the web, causing vibrations which triggers the spider to ambush the potential food source and bite it. The spiders are usually large and brown in color - their venom is usually nontoxic to humans.

Group: Jumping Spiders

Jumping spiders get their name from the fashion in which they catch prey - jumping. They are fast and can ambush their prey by leaping many times their own size. This helps them from being seen by both prey and predator. They can also walk backwards. They are hairy and range in size from 1/8" to 3/4". Their legs as shorter then other spiders when compared to their body size and they often has areas of color on them. These spiders have the keenest eye sight of all the groups, needing to rely on catching it's prey rather than the web catching its prey. They prefer to hunt during the day and are attracted to sunlight.

Group: Nursery Web Spiders

These spiders are dull or neutral in color and can reach a size of 3 inches. They reside in moist areas and usually live in places near streams, lakes, or other water sources. They are called the nursery web spider for the females act of attaching the hatched egg sac (with spiderlings still in there) to leaves and encloses the sac in a nursery web. She will guard the egg sac and protect her young. Another interesting fact about these spiders is their ability to walk on water and submerge themselves for some time to evade danger.

Group: Orb Weaving Spiders

These are the spiders that create well organized webs, circular in shape with the appearance of the silk spiraling from the center out, they will usually construct a new web daily. They webs purpose is for catching prey that may get stuck on the sticky spiral silks. These spiders are rarely dangerous, though will bite if provoked.

Group: Wolf Spiders

Wolf spiders are not aggressive, though their large size (over and inch) and quick speed often alarms people. These spiders are hunters and will chase after their prey. Although they would prefer to remain outside, they may occur inside if they are searching for prey. The female will carry her egg sac under her abdomen, once the eggs hatch the spiderlings will crawl onto their mothers back and remain there for a number of days before dispersing on their own. It is important to note that these spiders do not build webs and are active hunters, usually living out of ground burrows.

Black Widow
Harmful to Humans: Yes
Common in NW OH, SE MI: No
Leg Span: About 1.5"
Group: Cobweb

Typical life span: 1-3 years
Can live several months without food or water
Number of eggs laid per time: 200 (hatches in about 2 weeks)

The black widow gets there name from the female usually consuming the male shortly after mating. The female is larger (spanning about 1.5") and has a shiny black exoskeleton. The most distinguished feature is the red or red-orange hourglass marking on the abdomen of this spider. The males are often duller in color, banded and adorn an orange or yellowish hourglass marking.

Habitat
Black widows prefer to build their web in undisturbed locations. Outside, they may seek shelter near log or rock piles, on shrubs, meter boxes, eaves or other areas that may remain undisturbed. Inside, they will build their web behind furniture, in window frames, crawlspaces, basements or other areas that are undisturbed. Black widows create irregular webs which they spend their time in. They will often hang upside down awaiting prey to fly into their web.

The bite
The males are not poisonous. Although black widows are not aggressive, they will bite if they feel threatened. The bite will usually produce a sharp pin-prick pain causing redness and swelling to the bite area. Those at risk of a severe reaction are the young, elderly, or ill. Those whom have been bitten may start to feel weakness, abdominal pain, tremors, nausea, and have respiratory difficulties.

If you believe you have been bitten by a Black Widow, place an ice pack on the area and seek medical attention immediately.

Common House Spider
Harmful to Humans: No
Common in NW OH, SE MI: Yes
Span: About 1/4" - 1/2"
Group: Cobweb Spider

Typical life span: 1 year
Can live several months without food or water
Number of eggs laid per time: 100-400 (hatches in about 1 week)

Habitat
Typically the common house spider is dull in color (allowing them to blend in with their environment) with a large rounded abdomen; they builds irregular webs in sheltered, moist areas inside or out. The silk is sticky and made for catching prey as well as housing the spider during the day. In the evening, they can often be seen hanging upside down awaiting for insects like flies and mosquitoes to get caught in the web. If they do not catch enough food, they will often abandon their web to reconstruct at a new site (the old web will build up dust).

The common house spider has poor eye sight and relies heavily on their web for survival. Their webs may be found in the corner near ceilings and walls, crawl spaces, tall grasses, fences, etc. To deter these spider, remove webs when you see them.

Grass Funnel Weaver Spider
Harmful to Humans: No
Common in NW OH, SE MI: Yes
Leg Span: About 1.5" (body: 1")
Group: Funnel weaver

Typical life span: 1 year
Can live several months without food or water
Number of eggs laid per time: up to 500 (hatches the next spring)

The grass funnel weaver is very common in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. They get their name from crafting webs in tall grasses, lawns and other areas usually near the ground or landing. Their webs are thick and contain a funnel which provides hiding or a quick retreat.

Habitat
These spiders live for one year (they die off during the first frost), their egg sac over winters and then hatches in spring the following year (the spiderlings mature in early summer). The males may be spotted wondering about in search for a female, while the female spends most of her time in her web. After mating, the female usually eats the male. They are not aggressive and will not bite unless provoked.

Yellow Garden Spider
Harmful to Humans: No
Common in NW OH, SE MI: Yes
Leg Span: About 1/2" - 1"
Group: Orb weaver

Typical life span: 1 year
Can live several months without food or water
Number of eggs laid per time: up to 1400 (hatches in fall)

The yellow garden spider is not considered dangerous and will not attack unless provoked. They construct an orb web (one which has the oval or circular pattern to it that is often portrayed for spider webs) with a distinct zigzag pattern running through it.

Habitat
These spiders live for one year and prefer their web to be in a sunny location with little wind disturbance. The male spider spends his time searching for a female to court (and will build a web next or on the females) while the female spends time hanging upside down in her web awaiting for prey to fly into it. When they do court, the female will consume the male once they have mated and in early fall will produce an egg sac (as large as 1") which is place on her web somewhere. They will usually hatch in fall, though remain in hibernation until the following spring.

Each day, the female yellow garden spider will deconstruct and then reconstruct the center of her web with a zigzag pattern as to better camouflage herself. In fall, after preparing the egg sac, the female will begin to weaken and tend less to her web, allowing it to fall into disrepair. Shortly after this, the female will die.

Out of the 1,000's of eggs laid by this spider, only a few emerge full grown the following year. Speculation is that spiderlings will resort to cannibalism.

Yellow Sac Spider
Harmful to Humans: Rarely
Common in NW OH, SE MI: Yes
Leg Span: About 1/4" - 3/8"
Group: Sac

Typical life span: 1-3 years
Can live several months without food or water
Number of eggs laid per time: 30-48 (hatches in about 2 weeks)

The majority of spider bites actually occur from the yellow sac spider. If one is bitten, they may expect to feel itching, pain, swelling and redness in the area.

Habitat
The yellow sac spider makes it's home in areas unlikely to be disturbed. Inside, behind picture frames, along the wall and ceiling, along baseboards, etc. Outside they may be seen along window sills or door frames, in rock beds or within a pile of logs or wood. They will also reside under the bark of trees. They do not construct webs, instead they have a 'sac' of silk they retreat to.

The yellow sac spider actively hunts it's prey at night instead of relying on it's web to catch food. Vacuuming is a good way to control these spiders, ensure that you also get their sac (which may contain the egg sac as well).

The bite
The bite from a yellow sac spider may itch and be painful. The area may swell to one inch or span a few inches, depending on the victims reaction to the bite. Clean the area if you have been bitten. The bites often mimic those of the brown recluse, though less severe. It is always recommended to seek doctors advice if you feel you have been bitten by a spider.

*The only way to truly identify what kind of spider bit you is to capture the spider and bring it along to the doctors with you.