Do you have a huntsman spider in your home? Are you wondering how to deal with a huntsman spider that looks like it is going to attack you? Let’s find out
Huntsman spiders are one of the many spider species that are not deadly to humans. However, they can be unwelcome houseguests.
If you have one in your house, the first thing to remember is to calm yourself. Remember that there are ways to dispose of it, either on your own or with the help of a professional. It will most likely not attack you, and even if it did, the bite wouldn’t cause much harm.
Moreover, know that there is no reason for you to try and kill a huntsman spider. The best thing to do is to just return it back outside the home, where it belongs.
Why Huntsman Spiders Come Into Homes
The Huntsman species of spider displays foraging behavior in its hunt for food. Unlike other spiders, huntsman spiders don’t spin a web around their prey to kill it.
Instead, they use their legs to sense their prey and then use their superior speed to attack it. This foraging tendency sometimes leads them inside human homes.
Their diet includes insects and arthropods, so if one of these things has come into your home, or you have an infestation of these creatures, a huntsman spider might very well show up inside your place.
Huntsman spiders also eat small lizards and frogs, which is why you might sometimes find them in your garden or near water bodies.
Another reason why huntsman spiders come into homes is to escape extreme weather. The ideal temperature for a huntsman spider is between 75 to 85F.
If the heat is unbearable or if it is too cold or wet outside, huntsman spiders may seek shelter indoors. But, despite being one of the biggest spider species, they can be quite harmless.
How To Get Rid of Huntsman Spiders?
If you want to get rid of giant crab spiders inside your home or in your garden, the first thing to do is locate why they are in your house – what’s the food source they have chased inside your home?
Check if there is any pest infestation or arthropods living under the floorboards or within crevices. You can also call pest control and get some treatments done to prevent infestation.
This will help you get rid of huntsman spiders automatically.
Most spiders cannot stand certain scents like peppermint oil. You can put a few drops of this scented oil around the house to keep them from coming in.
How To Gently Remove a Huntsman Spider
If you find a huntsman spider in your home, don’t try to chase it or crush it. It might run towards you or simply run away and hide in a place where you won’t be able to find it.
Instead, approach it slowly without disturbing it. Place a plastic container over the spider and hold it in place. Then, take a sheet of paper and gently slide it under the container. Now, take the container outside and release the spider.
However, before you approach a spider to dispose of it, be sure about the species. If it has a brown color, it may not be a huntsman spider. So check for other markers for correct identification before you try to remove it.
Crushing a spider is one of the worst ideas because if it turns out to be a female with its egg sac attached to it, you will end up having an infestation of baby huntsman spiders in your house.
How To Kill a Huntsman Spider
There’s really never any need to kill a huntsman spider. Huntsman spiders cannot fatally harm humans, and they typically don’t even consider humans as prey.
If you find one or more in your house, it is best to call pest control and get rid of them. However, this does not mean getting someone to kill the spider. Instead, a professional will use the same method we described earlier to put it in a safe place in its natural habitat.
Sometimes, people mistake the brown recluse spider for a huntsman spider. This spider species can cause considerable damage to humans, so you need to be very careful.
However, no matter how venomous the spider is, it is always wise to look for alternatives to killing it. You should always try to gently trap the spider and take it outside or simply call for professional assistance.
Don’t Hurt a Huntsman – They Are Not Dangerous to You
Huntsman spiders may look scary, but they are not dangerous. They might be one of the largest spider species, but huntsman spiders rarely attack humans. So, while you may not want to keep them at home, there is no need to hurt them.
Huntsman spiders’ venom is non-lethal to humans. It is unlikely that you will need medical attention if you get bitten.
But on rare occasions, a huntsman spider’s bite can cause nausea, headaches, heart palpitations, erratic pulse, and vomiting. However, this is still not reason enough to hurt a huntsman spider.
Huntsman spiders are great for pest control. They eat insects and other pests. So if you see one in your house, release it into your garden or out in the wild instead of hurting or killing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do huntsman spiders jump at you?
Huntsman spiders do not deliberately jump at you. They may fall from the surface while trying to escape. It looks like they are jumping because of their crab-like posture.
However, huntsman spiders rarely target humans. They are usually scared and tend to run away. So as long as you don’t go digging around a piece of loose bark and disturb their nests, you should not encounter a huntsman spider.
Can you handle a huntsman spider?
You need to be very careful while handling a huntsman spider. It can bite if you don’t know the right technique for picking it up.
If it does, immediately clean and press an ice pack to the wound. When you are unsure about handling the spider, you should call in pest control professionals.
Should you leave huntsman spiders in your house?
You can leave a huntsman spider in your house. It can get rid of other pests and is not a dangerous spider, for humans at least.
However, you may not want to share your home with such an unwanted guest. In that case, it is best to gently remove the spider and ensure that it doesn’t enter again.
Why do huntsman spiders run towards you?
Huntsman spiders usually run when frightened. Therefore, if they are running toward you, it is not to attack you but to escape. They have poor eyesight and rely on their legs to tell them about dangers nearby and which direction to run in.
This is why they might run towards you instead of away from you. With a leg span of almost 12 inches, giant huntsman spiders run very fast, and that can seem disturbing. But you should remain calm and just let them be.
Wrap Up
If you have a fear of creepy crawlies, you will want to be miles away from a huntsman spider. But if you stumble across one, remember not to panic. You can calmly remove the spider without getting bitten. We hope you were able to deal with any huntsman spider you had in your home, and thank you for reading!