I
have a love hate relationship with spiders. For the most part, they are beneficial creatures. They happily spend the spring and summertime gobbling up unwanted insects that would otherwise be damaging my beautiful garden. Outside, they typically avoid humans at all costs for fear of being squished by our shoe or whacked with a newspaper.
These eight legged arachnids range in many different sizes. In New Jersey you will find spiders as small as the head of a pen to big scary ones that will fit into a large butter bowl. Of all the creepy crawlers around, more people are afraid of spiders than any other type of bug!
Most spider species that you will encounter in New Jersey are harmless, insect eating spiders. Although most spiders avoid humans, some will bite and do have venom that will cause red itchy welts that can be problematic. Bite reactions will vary from person to person.
The yellow sac spider is a commonly found spider in Monmouth and Ocean County. These spiders are fierce hunters and are known for their aggressive tendencies. They grow to about ¼ to 3/8 of an inch long and are typically found outdoors. Once the weather begins to turn cold in the fall, these creepy crawlers will find their way into New Jersey homes in search of a warm spot to spend the winter and a new food supply source. If there are insects available indoors, these spiders can easily become well established in a short period of time. Unlike many other types of spider species, yellow sac spiders do not spin a web to catch their prey. These aggressive hunters will instead use their speed and agility to stalk, capture and then devour their insect prey.
Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion.