While I am not a big fan of spiders, I know some of them are considered “good guys.” Which spiders should I be concerned about? CR

Spiders are part of the class of creatures known as Arachnida which includes ticks, mites, and scorpions among others. Those in this group have several things in common: 2 major body parts, 8 legs, no antennae, no wings, and they kind of creep some people out. The fact that they can creep people out is so pervasive that I considered postponing this article until Halloween because… well you know. But that didn’t seem fair to our spider friends, plus winter can be a time we become more aware of spiders since the cold can encourage them to come into our homes. So, here goes.

Most spiders (with a few exceptions) do not bite humans and are considered important predators that help keep insect populations in check. Because of this, their beneficial aspects far outweigh any hazards posed by the small quantity of spiders that can occasionally cause us concern.

In Oklahoma, we only have two spiders that are considered dangerous to humans: the brown recluse and the black widow. Let’s talk about those two first.

Most of us are probably familiar with the brown recluse (aka fiddleback spider). These light tan spiders are primarily identified by the dark violin shaped marking found immediately behind their eyes. Brown recluse spiders come by their “recluse” moniker honestly since they like to remain hidden in undisturbed places during the day.

These undisturbed places include dark, quiet spaces like closets, basements, cellars, attics, and under furniture. They can also be found on occasion in old clothes, shoes, behind wall hangings, and in storage boxes as well as barns, storage sheds, and garages.

The good news is that these spiders are not aggressive and would be perfectly happy to be left alone. However, if you accidentally apply pressure to them, they can bite as a defensive action.

The other venomous spider we need to pay attention to in Oklahoma is the black widow. Black widows are usually larger than brown recluse spiders running somewhere between 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. These spiders are not furry but shiny and black instead. Males are smaller than the females and usually have three light streaks on their abdomen. It is the female black widow that has the identifiable red hourglass shape on her belly, and it is the bite of the female we want to avoid. While not usually aggressive, they can be if confined, disturbed, or are guarding an egg sack.

Females black widow spiders can usually be found in their webs where it’s easier to identify their red hourglass markings. These webs can be located under eaves, around trash cans, under boxes, in shrubs, crates, or wood piles. However, cold can encourage them to seek shelter indoors.

Bites from black widows are usually quite painful and accompanied by some rather unpleasant symptoms. The mortality rate from a black widow bite is usually less than 1%. The other 99% can recover within 1 to 5 days. But you don’t want to find yourself in that 1%.

Now, on to the less intimidating spiders. Ok, maybe not less intimidating for some, but they probably didn’t read this far.

In Oklahoma, tarantulas are common. If we haven’t seen them in person, most of us have seen pictures of the rather large black, brown, hairy spiders that grow to 3 inches or more in diameter.

Tarantulas are not usually seen during the day since they are nocturnal hunters. Days are spent under rocks, in abandoned mouse houses, or other sheltered places. Male tarantulas can sometimes be seen in interesting group migrations during June or September. While the exact purpose of these male tarantula mass migrations is still up for debate, they are primarily believed to consist of males looking for mating partners. Tarantulas primarily eat insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and other arthropods. They can also eat small lizards on occasion.

One thing that is interesting about tarantulas is that they can use their hind legs to launch barbed hairs from their abdomen toward potential aggressors. These hairs have been found on the noses of dogs and other animals who apparently messed with the wrong tarantula.

Next are wolf spiders. These nocturnal hunters oftentimes get confused with brown recluse spiders but shouldn’t be since they do not have the distinctive dark brown violin shape on their backs. Female wolf spiders are known to carry their egg masses under their abdomens until the eggs hatch, then the young spiders cling to their mother for a period of time afterwards. My wife had a rather traumatizing encounter with one of these mama wolf spiders and her babies early one morning in the bathroom. It’s a story she enjoys sharing and I never get tired of hearing. My wife survived. No comment on the fate of the spider.

Orb spiders are a spider you might find in your garden. Orb spiders are typically brightly colored and build the circular webs we usually associate with spiders. They are often called garden spiders and use their webs to capture insects for food. Orb spiders have an interesting behavior in that they can rock their webs back and forth as either a defensive move or a way to further entangle their prey in the web. There are videos online showing this rocking behavior if you are interested.

While there is no real need to fear our spider friends, if you suspect you have been bitten by a spider, it’s always best to contact a physician as soon as you can. It’s also a good idea to capture the spider in a container to take with you to the doctor for positive identification. Happy gardening!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.

Photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series , Bugwood.org