The Hobo Spider

Hobo Spider Along The Wall

The Hobo Spider is one of many spiders that have made their home in the Pacific Northwest. The Spider is native to western Europe and it showed up in the Seattle Washington area in the late 1930's. It is one of three species of spider that can potentially kill you. And it can cause tissue death in the area of the bite.

It is believed that the Hobo Spider has been spread through out the Pacific North West through the use of railroads that run through the area. The Hobo Spider is one of the few spider species in the United States that can cause serious medical problems if it bites you. The venom is strong enough that it can cause tissue death and infections around the area of the spider bite. Wood piles, yard waste, and home foundations are the favorite places of the Hobo Spider. When the Hobo Spider is found in the house it has quite often come into the house looking for prey. If you have seen hobo spiders in your house be sure to shake out all clothing, shoes, and socks before you put them on.If they are in your home they are in your yard so wear long sleeve shirts tucked into gloves when you are working with your firewood or carrying firewood into your house.

Remember if you are in doubt if it is a Hobo Spider you are seeing that if you see spots on the spider it is not a Hobo Spider. You will usually see funnel shaped webs where there are Hobo Spiders. If you have Hobo Spiders showing up in your home the best thing to do is call a professional exterminator.

Spider Bites Can Kill You

Unfortunately it is true that there are three species of spiders in the United States that can kill you. They are the Brown Recluse Spider, The Hobo Spider, and the Black Widow Spider. Above is a chart you can go by and it will tell you exactly what you should expect in the event of a spider bite.



If you think you have been bitten by a poisonous spider you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The best thing to do if you think you have received a bite from one of the three deadly spiders is to call 911 and ask for help. If you can capture the spider with out getting another bite get it into a jar with a tight fitting lid and take it with you when you seek medical help.



If you can not capture the spider get to the hospital and tell them what you think bit you. Tell the medical professionals what you are feeling.

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How Do You Get Rid Of Hobo Spiders

This is a sticky spider trap from a home in Idaho. If you use these sticky spider traps you may be shocked at how many spiders you catch.

Hobo Spiders are also known in some areas as aggressive house spiders. The best way to eliminate these spiders is to eliminate their food source. If you live in an area where their is a high concentration of Hobo Spiders I would suggest pressure washing the outside of your home with a strong soapy solution every year just before you know the weather is going to turn colder. You can put the sticky spider traps down that trap spiders in outdoor utility rooms, in crawl spaces and in attics. Remember to check them and if you have caught a lot of spiders repeat with fresh sticky spider traps. If you find your home is full of spiders you may want to contact a professional pest exterminator.

It is amazing that the Hobo Spider has not spread to more of the United States than the Pacific Northwest. They have been found in other areas of the United States but this was probably people accidentally moving the Hobo Spiders in packing boxes. Be warned that the Hobo Spider loves cardboard. They love firewood piles and will invest them. Use gloves with long sleeves tucked into the gloves to shake firewood off. You can spray your firewood often with a strong soapy solution to get rid of Hobo Spiders.

The Hobo Spider

The Hobo Spider belongs to the type of spiders known as Funnel Web Spiders. One of the worst of the funnel web spiders is the Australian Funnel Web Spider. Hobo Spiders build their funnel shaped webs outdoors near human habitation and this is where the problem is.

Here is a female Hobo Spider. The Hobo Spider builds funnel shape webs and they wait at the bottom of the webs for their insect prey to fall into the webs.

Hobo Spiders usually bite people when the spider comes indoors or gets picked up with firewood and carried into the house. If you live where Hobo Spiders occur you need to be sure to shake out all your clothing including socks and shoes. If you accidentally crush or squeeze a Hobo Spider it may very well bite you and the bite of a Hobo Spider can  kill you. It can also cause tissue death in the area where it bites you. 

The Hobo Spider was not originally native to the United States. The spider was first accidentally introduced to the Pacific Northwest from Western Europe in the 1930's. Two other similar spiders also live in the same area as the Hobo Spider. They are the Giant House Spider and the barn funnel weaving spider. Both of these spiders were also introduced to the area from western Europe.

Here is a photo of the Giant House Spider. The bite of the Giant House Spider is not dangerous to Humans or Pets.

The Hobo Spider

Here is a photo of a Hobo Spider.

The Hobo Spider lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and it is one of the three spiders in the United States that can kill you. The Hobo Spider is a funnel web spider and this makes its nest very easy to identify outdoors though indoors it is often mixed up with the more common House Spider. As a funnel web spider this spider builds a funnel shaped web and it waits at the bottom of the web to take its prey when it falls into its web.

The Hobo Spider is not a aggressive spider and bites from it occur when the spider is mashed. If your in a area where the Hobo Spider occurs you should shake out your clothing including your shoes and socks before you put them on. People in the Pacific Northwest are often bitten by this spider when they put on coats that have been stored over the summer. So be sure that you shake out your coat also. Don't find out to late that the bite of a Hobo Spider can be very painful and tissue death can occur where you are bitten by a Hobo Spider.