The Homeowner’s Guide to
Spiders in Florida
Florida is home to many types of spiders that can easily enter your home or make their webs where you don’t want them. Find out what spiders are most common in Florida, which are venomous, and how to avoid spiders in your living space.
Get help with your roach problems by calling the spider control pros at Hawx Pest Control! Call (888) 372-9514 today.
Spiders in Florida: Common Species Throughout our State
Common House Spider
Often found indoors, these brown spiders spin messy-looking webs in corners and other quiet areas. The male southern house spider can sometimes be mistaken for a brown recluse spider, but these common Florida arachnids are actually harmless. They have eight eyes (whereas a brown recluse has six), and they sport long pedipalps coming off of their head, which sometimes looks like an extra set of legs. (Pedipalps are appendages that help spiders sense their surroundings and manipulate their food.)
- Danger level: None
- Appearance: Brown or Beige spiders, not bigger than an inch with legs outspread
- Habitat: Indoors or Outdoors
Wolf Spider
One of the hairier spiders in Florida, the Wolf Spider is different from other species because it does not weave a web; wolf spiders catch their prey by lying in wait and pouncing on their food as it passes by. Generally 2-4 inches in size including leg span, they are known for their fuzzy appearance and large eyes. Two of their eight eyes are large, surrounded by rows of smaller eyes, making them one of the Florida spiders with great eyesight.
Wolf spiders are considered beneficial for your garden or around your yard because they are natural predators for pests like flies, ants, and earwigs. Also, female wolf spiders are good mothers! The females can be seen carrying the egg sac or even her spiderlings on her back.
- Danger level: May bite if threatened; not dangerous
- Appearance: Brown, Hairy
- Habitat: Burrows, wooded areas, sandy spots, or in debris
Orb Weaver Spider
Florida is home to several types of orb weaver spiders. They’re known for their tidy, circular, wheel-patterned webs which they often re-weave every day. The Spiny Orb Weaver is one of the most recognizable orb weavers, with black spots on a white abdomen and large red spines around the periphery, So, if you see a red and white spider or a black and white spider in Florida, this may be the species you’re seeing.
- Danger level: Harmless to humans
- Appearance: Colourful with large webs
- Habitat: Gardens, woodlands, near lights
Banana Spider
These black and yellow or brown spiders are actually a type of orb weaver, and are also called the golden silk spider. They’re very common in Florida and eat flying insects like mosquitoes and flies. Found in wooded areas, along meadows, and on hiking trails, banana spiders are usually not a nuisance to people. They may bite humans if they’re threatened, and although the bite may hurt, it won’t cause any lasting damage. Find out more about Banana spiders and how to identify them.
- Danger level: Mildly venomous, not dangerous.
- Appearance: Large, yellow, and black.
- Habitat: Forests, gardens, near water.
Crab Spider
The crab spiders in Florida are small spiders that are named after crabs due to the way their legs go off to the sides. Florida is home to several species of crab spiders, including the goldenrod crab spider, known for its ability to change color from white to yellow depending on its environment. They aren’t harmful to humans, though, and are generally considered beneficial because they help control insect populations around your yard or home.
- Danger level: Harmless to humans
- Appearance: Small, crab-like, and camouflaged
- Habitat: Near flowers and foliage
Jumping Spider
What Poisonous Spiders Are in Florida?
Well, we’d use the word venomous for spiders because it’s their bite with their venom that might do harm. According to the Florida Dept. of Agriculture (and our pest technicians can attest to this), there are only two types of venomous spiders in Florida: widows and recluse spiders.
Are There Brown Recluse Spiders in Florida?
Contrary to popular belief, there are no species of recluse spiders native to Florida, although three species have been sighted in specific Florida counties.
The brown recluse has long legs, is brown or gray in color, and has 6 eyes rather than the more common 8. Also called fiddleback or violin spiders, they have a distinctly segmented body and a dark marking on their cephalothorax or “head” shaped like a fiddle. Read more about the Brown recluse spider.
Are There Black Widow Spiders in Florida?
There are four species of widow spiders in Florida, not just the Southern Black Widow most people think of, with its red hourglass marking. Unfortunately, Florida is home to the northern black widow, the southern black widow, the brown widow, and the red widow. It may sound like a list of characters from a fantasy novel, but the good news is that widow spiders would rarely bite unless they find themselves trapped against a person’s skin; for example, if you life a box where one was hiding or put on a glove that has a widow hiding within it.
All of these species have shiny, dark abdomens with red or orange markings and long, slender legs. (Read more about what to do if you find a black widow spider.)
What To Do if You Think You’ve Been Bitten by a Brown Recluse or Widow Spider
If any symptoms like nausea, muscle cramping, sweating, or dizziness occur, call a poison control center or go straight to an emergency room.
Spider Pest Control in Florida Locations
If you’re seeing more spiders than you’d like, contact Hawx for a Free Estimate or click here to call the Florida branch nearest you.
You can have your spider problem addressed quickly thanks to our local experts who know our climate and the common pests that love to call it home. Find more about our Spider Pest Control services, one of our main areas of focus.
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