Topic Page
House spiders pose no significant danger to you, your children or your pets. Especially compared to your fellow humans!
No, those big, hairy, fast-moving spiders you see indoors are not wolf spiders (well, hardly ever). Most likely male house spiders.
Spiders in sinks and bathtubs come down the walls, attracted by water. They cannot come up through the drains!
If you put a house spider out in the yard, you aren't doing it any favor; it probably won't survive there.
Outdoor spiders are not drawn to indoor habitats where they can't survive. Indoor spiders are different species, called house spiders.
Your house (and any other house) contains 10-30 spider species, not just one!
Why, oh why, do people think any unfamiliar spider must be "new to the area" and presumed dangerous?
The spider you're trying to identify does not have to be one of the few species you've already heard of!
Spiders sent for ID in an envelope (even if padded) are likely to arrive powdered! Send it in a rigid container, preferably in alcohol.
Don't trust physicians and pest control operators to correctly identify a spider; only an arachnologist has the required training and skill.
A picture that "looks just like" your spider does not identify it!
Please use inches or centimeters, not "silver dollars" or other coins, to describe the size of spiders!