When we talk about the main players when it comes to spiders in Michigan, we usually hear about the Black Widow, the Brown Recluse, maybe the occasional Wolf Spider but have you ever heard of a Hobo Spider?

Starting My Spider Research

Let me just say, while spiders are pretty freaky and some are pretty dangerous, I really don't have the biggest problem with them. You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone.

However, the other night, my boyfriend and I saw the biggest spider we have ever seen in our house and we both just froze.

We weren't sure what it was but it was HUGE and so my boyfriend did smash it with his work boot. After we smashed it, you know how spiders kind of curl up when they die? Well, this thing, even curled up was the size of a quarter!

Jordan Bailey
Jordan Bailey
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Not the best photo but you get the idea. From there, we actually put it in a bag...you know, for science...and started trying to figure out just what the heck it is.

How to Identify a Hobo Spider

At first, we thought this spider was a Wolf Spider. It was brown, with black and pale stripes on it with a thick, some sort of bubble butt. Though, it's "butt" (for lack of a better term) was not perfectly bulbous, it had a strange point to it.

For reference, here's a look at a Wolf Spider:

However, as we researched further, one spider popped up that looked even more like the one in the bag...a hobo spider.

According to Griffin Pest Solutions, Hobo spiders are also referred to as "the aggressive house spider." Identifying features include being "light to medium brown with dark stripes to either side of the lighter midline stripe"

Pest control company, PF Harris, Hobo spiders like dark, damp places like basements and hide in and around places like storage boxes, wood piles, crevices between bricks and more. Basically, they like dark, damp, tight hiding places and are not known for being very good at climbing.

How this thing got up two sets of stairs from our basement is beyond me but, hey, you can appreciate it's feat.

Are Hobo Spiders Dangerous?

Harris says they are often mistaken for Brown Recluses or Wolf spiders and were once thought to be a hell of a lot more dangerous than they have recently been found to be.

"Previous reports indicated that hobo spider venom was dangerous because it produced necrotic (death of tissue) lesions at the site," PF Harris says. "More recent research, however, has dispelled this idea. Now, science shows that hobo spiders do not pose a health risk, and their venom is not considered toxic to humans."

While they are not necessarily dangerous, CLICK HERE for some tips on how to prevent these creepy-crawlies.

So, as scary as they may look, Hobo spiders are not deadly but here's a look at some of Michigan's critters that are:

Michigan's Deadliest Animals & Critters

You may have even seen a few of these in your home or around the state.

And here's the deadliest in the world:

WATCH OUT: These are the deadliest animals in the world

 

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