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Spiders are helpful outdoors because they eat many insect pests. Some spiders use webs to catch their prey, others chase and capture it. Most spiders are shy and harmless to humans. Although all spiders have venom, most cannot bite through human skin. However, a few can deliver very painful, poisonous bites, usually when cornered or agitated. If someone has been bitten by a spider, keep the person calm and contact the Poison Control center at 1-800-222-1222. If you would like help identifying the spiders in or around your home, you may consider contacting your local Cooperative Extension Service.
If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email us at npic@ace.orst.edu.
If you choose to use a pesticide, read the label before you buy. Try a lower toxicity product first.
If you have a pesticide product in mind, have your label handy and click here for information about that product.
Through its county agents, the Cooperative Extension Service gives individuals access to the resources at land-grant universities across the nation. These universities are centers for research in many subjects, including entomology (the study of insects) and agriculture. Each county within the United States has an Extension office, which is staffed with agents who work closely with university-based Extension specialists to deliver answers to your questions about gardening, agriculture, and pest control. You can find the phone number for your local county extension office in the local government section (often marked with blue pages) of your telephone directory or by clicking on the map below.
U.S. States:
AK | AL | AR | AZ | CA | CO | CT | DE | FL | GA | HI | IA | ID | IL | IN | KS | KY | LA | MA | MD | ME | MI | MN | MO | MS | MT | NC | ND | NE | NH | NJ | NM | NV | NY | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VA | VT | WA | WI | WV | WY | Washington D.C. |
U.S. Territories:
Puerto Rico | American Samoa | Guam | Northern Mariana Islands | Virgin Islands