# House Spider — Spider Squad

## Common Name
House spider, common house spider

## Scientific Name
Parasteatoda tepidariorum (formerly Achaearanea tepidariorum)

## Size
Body: 4 to 6 mm (female), 3 to 4 mm (male). Leg span: up to 15 mm.

## Appearance
Tan to brown with a mottled or marbled abdomen pattern. Legs are banded (alternating light and dark segments). Often confused with other cobweb spiders. The abdomen is rounded and relatively large compared to the cephalothorax.

## Behaviour and Web
Builds irregular cobwebs — the classic tangled, three-dimensional web with funnel-shaped retreat. Webs are not circular. Found in corners of rooms, behind furniture, around window frames, in garages, under eaves, in any protected corner with low foot traffic.

The house spider is a "messy web" builder. Unlike orb weavers, the web is not organized or temporary — they add to it over time, creating dusty-looking web accumulations.

## Where Found in Homes
- Upper corners of rooms (especially undisturbed rooms, guest rooms, storage areas)
- Behind and under furniture
- Window sills and frames (drawn to insects attracted by light)
- Basements and garages
- Under decks and around exterior light fixtures

## Seasonal Pattern
Present year-round indoors. Most noticeable in late summer and fall as spiders mature and males wander looking for mates. The "fall spider invasion" people notice is largely house spiders and wolf spiders becoming more active and visible.

## Danger Level
Not dangerous. Venom is weak and bites are extremely rare — they occur only when the spider is compressed against skin. Bite effects comparable to a minor bee sting for most people.

## Why There Are So Many
House spiders reproduce prolifically. A single egg sac can contain 100 to 400 eggs. In undisturbed areas with insect food sources, populations build quickly.

## Professional Treatment
Spider Squad's exterior perimeter barrier eliminates house spiders contacting treated surfaces and significantly reduces pressure over time by removing the food supply (insects) that attracts them. Most house spider infestations are resolved with one or two exterior treatments per season.