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Please be sure to read the product label of any insecticide you choose to use to get information on the personal protective safety gear you will need. In most situations, it is recommended that you wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, closed toe shoes with socks, chemical resistant gloves, and goggles. In areas where ventilation is poor, a manufacturer may recommend you wear a mask or a respirator. We have put together two different safety kits that will make selecting the correct safety gear easier for you.

Spider Identification Guide

Learn How to Identify Spiders

By DoMyOwn staff
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Overview
Image montage of common spider species
What do spiders look like? There are around 4,000 species of spiders in North America and they all differ in some way in their characteristics. That being said we have only 2-3 medically significant spiders in the US that would pose a threat by infesting a structure.
Size
Image showing various spider sizes
With so many species of spiders in the US, the size of the spiders vary greatly from 1/8" - 3".
Shape
Diagram showing spider anatomy
The shape of the spider will be based on the species.

  • Spiders have eight legs
  • Spiders have fangs to inject venom into their prey
  • Spiders may have 2, 4, 6 or 8 eyes
  • Spiders have spinnerets located near the rear end, which are used to push out silk to make webs
  • Spiders do not have bones
  • Spiders do not have ears
  • Spiders do have brains
  • Some spiders have lungs called "book lungs"
  • Spiders have two main body parts, or segments
Color
Spider colors can vary from dark black to bright orange and most colors in between.
Range
Map showing the range of spiders in the United States
Where do spiders live? Spiders are known to be in every state of the US.

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