What Should You Do If You Find a Spider in Your House?

For starters, don't panicand remember that most of the 40,000 known spider
species are not venomous.

A
non-venomous
huntsman
spider, Heteropoda venatoria, sits
on ripe bananas in the Dominican
Republic.

PHOTOGRAPH
BY BLICKWINKEL, ALAMY
By Liz Langley, National Geographic
PUBLISHED APRIL 03, 2015
10
When a reader from Belgium found a spider in her bananas, she bravely
trapped itand says she took it to the police for identification (though sadly not
in four pairs of tiny handcuffs).
In retrospect, she asked us: "What should I do if I have a [venomous] spider in
the house?" (See "7 Bug and Spider Myths Squashed .")
For Weird Animal Question of the Week, we asked spider expertsChristopher
Buddle of Canada's McGill University and Jo-Anne Sewlal of the University of
the West Indies how to react when someone screams "SPIDER!"

Don't Panic
Chances are, it's not venomous: Few of the 40,000 known spider species can
harm humans, Sewlal says by email. But it's wise to treat a spider as dangerous
until you know better.

Identifying a spider as dangerous can be tricky, though some can be clearly

deciphered. For instance, the venomous female black widow, found in
temperate regions the world over, is black with a red hourglass shape on her
underside.
The brown recluse spider, found in parts of the central and southern United
States, is brown with a telltale dark brown "violin" on its back, according to the
University of California at Riverside's Richard Vetter. (Check out his brown
recluse identification guide.)
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Sewlal says its best to look up venomous spiders found in your area or areas
youre visiting and, in case of a bite, "look for specific information on how to
proceed with respect to treatment."
If you find a suspicious spider, it's not necessary to call the authorities, as our
reader did. But if you found a spider in your fruit, you can alert the grocery store,
Buddle advised by email.
Buddle notes that an eight-year study published in 2014 in the Journal of
Medical Entomology shows the "vast majority" of spiders found in fruits aren't
dangerous. (Related: "Are Dangerous Spiders Hiding in Your Fruit? ")
"Spiders are our friends," Buddle saysthey are important predators of insects
in crops around the world.

"Just think of the hundreds of times you bought spiderless bananas!"

If You're Bitten, Trap the Spider

In the rare case you do get bitten, it's a good idea to trap the spider so you can
identify the species in case treatment is needed, Sewlal says.
Isolate your leggy little touristalong with fruit, if that's where you found itin a
plastic bag or container, Buddle says. Put that package in the fridge to slow the
cold-blooded arachnid down. This makes it easier to brush it into a jar or other
container, wearing rubber gloves if you like. (Also see "What Happens If You
Swallow a Spider?")
"Do this quickly and with confidence." (Easy for him to say.)
If you're too uncomfortable, Buddle says, you can put the whole shebang in the
freezer, which will kill the spider, leaving an intact specimen for identification.
If you're bitten, an ice pack on the area will usually suffice for treatment, Sewlal
says, but she suggests seeking medical attention if you experience symptoms
such as "increasing pain, nausea, vomiting, sweating, dilated pupils,
uncontrollable muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness."

Document Your Visitor

If you are curious about the spider's species, you can photograph it or bring the
specimen to a natural history museum or a college. (See a video of the world's
biggest spider.)
Buddle recommends the University of California at Riverside and theAmerican
Arachnological Society as great online identification resources.

If It's in Your Food, Don't Release It

In case the spider is a non-native species that got into your house via your food,
don't release it outside. The animal could harm the native environment. If you
found the spider elsewhere in your house, you can put it outside.

If the spider did arrive in your food, "although it pains me to say this [as an
arachnologist], the best course of action is to probably to kill the eight-legged
cargo," Buddle saysand Sewlal concurs.
Last, the experts say to relax and not worry too much about spiders. Banana
daiquiris, anyone?