Spiders are scary little creatures. Places you don't want to find them would be inside your house and especially not crawling across your face as you sleep which has actually happened to me.

Here are the spiders commonly found in Arkansas and what you need to know.

 

  • 1

    Common House Spider

    (Parasteatoda Tepidariorum)

    And easier name would be "common house spider." I killed one of these just last night as it scampered across my living room floor. It is also known as the American house spider and is the most common spider found in our area.

    If you are bitten by this spider it will leave a red, itchy welt on your skin which I have experienced as a teenager. These spiders do not seek you out to bite but when you have one of them wedged between the towel that it crawled on and your body that you are attempting to dry with the towel, you will be bit and it does hurt. Look for a large body and tan or brown stripes down the legs.

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  • 3

    Black Widows

    These are the easiest to spot, at least the females are. Stay away from these spiders because they can make you very sick. I have found black widows in turned over water buckets, in my spice cabinet, as well as the normal corners of garages, wood piles and such.

    If you are bitten by a Black Widow seek medical attention immediately.

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  • 4

    Brown Recluse

    (Loxosceles reclusa, Sicariidae)

    Yikes! This bad boy is native to Arkansas. I've heard people say look for the violin on the back and you'll know it is a Brown Recluse. I just don't see it. These spiders are about the size of a quarter. I just squish them all.

    Did you know that the venom of a Brown Recluse is more potent that the venom of a rattle snake? That's scary. Bites will normally start as a hole, surrounded by a red, irritated area. If untreated, you can wind up with a big hole in your skin because it kills the cells in the skin around the bite area.

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  • 4

    Wolf Spider

    (Lycosidae)

    These hairy spiders are super creepy when they are loaded with thousands of babies. They carry the offspring on their backs which make them seem huge. I hit one with a rock once and freaked out when all of the babies scattered in every direction. That was not the day to be wearing flip flop sandals.

    They look a lot like Brown Recluse spiders minus the violin on the back which I can never see anyway.

    Wolf spider bites can happen if you mess with one long enough. They inject venom which isn't deadly but it can cause pain, itching and swelling. Some people may have worse reactions if they are allergic.

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