Nothing is more terrifying than finding a furry spider the size of your palm staring at you as you turn on a light or move a piece of furniture. The fear alone is enough to send a grown man several inches into the air. Have you ever wondered where these monster spiders came from or what they are? First off, they are called wolf spiders. Here are 5 things you need to know about them.
Wolf spiders depend on camouflage for protection. Unlike other spiders that build webs high up in the corners of rooms to stay out of the way, the wolf spider is limited to where their legs will take them. Most commonly wolf spiders are brown and grey in color with patterns across their bodies that help them to blend into their surroundings out in nature. When inside homes, these patterns do not give them the same ability to hide, forcing them to find cover in any object they can to stay hidden.
Wolf spiders are the only spiders that carry their babies on their backs. Typically, spiders lay their eggs in a sack either on their web or nearby. Wolf spiders, on the other hand, carry their egg sacks on their backs for several weeks until their babies are ready to hatch. This makes sense seeing that wolf spiders commonly travel without establishing a permanent residency.
Wolf spiders do not spin webs but do use their spinnerets for other things. As you have guessed by now, wolf spiders do not weave webs to catch prey or for shelter. But they do still have spinnerets and they are not useless. In fact, the main purpose of their spinnerets is carrying their egg sacks. If a wolf spider is not currently carrying an egg sack, their spinneret can be used to carry other small objects if needed.
Wolf spiders are agile hunters. Since wolf spiders do not have the advantage of a web to catch prey, they have to hunt from the ground, using their legs and potent venom to chase down and incapacitate their victims. It is good to note that although their venom is a powerful weapon against other smaller creatures, it is not anywhere close to as powerful as their cousins, black widows or brown recluse. Typically wolf spiders feed on a diet of other ground insects such as ants, centipedes, and grasshoppers and can only survive in your home for an extended amount of time if other pests are present.
Wolf spiders will not harm you unless they feel threatened. A wolf spider bite is no worse than that of a bee or wasp, but you shouldn’t have to worry about being bitten. The only time wolf spiders will bite is if you trap them or threaten them, causing them to attack out of fear. This most commonly happens when moving things in a storage area where wolf spiders are hiding.
How You Can Keep Wolf Spiders Out Of Your Modesto Home
We have just told you a lot about the furry spiders you have been seeing in your Modesto home. But we have not yet given you a solution to keep them away. Here at Insect IQ, Inc, we have qualified pest professionals trained to service homes for pest problems, including spiders. If you are ready to find out what a pest-free* home could mean for you and your family, reach out to us today. We would be happy to answer your questions and find a plan that best suits your home’s individual needs.
