So, why am I talking about spiders in December? The main reason is now that it’s finally a bit chilly outside, we aren’t the only ones seeking a warm place to get out of the cold. Some of them are inside our homes all the time (mostly un-noticed). But we need to be aware that there are a couple of spiders here in Oklahoma that could actually harm us. But first let’s talk about spiders in general.

Spiders are members of the Arachnida family. Other members of this family would include ticks, mites, and scorpions among others. The members of this family have a few things in common. First up, they have 2 major body parts: a cephalothorax and an abdomen. They also have 8 legs, no wings, and no antennae.

First up is the brown recluse spider. You’ll notice the word “recluse” in its name. A recluse is someone or something that likes to live in isolation. True to its name, the brown recluse spider likes to live its life away from us. Brown recluse spiders are also known as fiddleback spiders, and it is this dark brown shape of a violin right behind its eyes that makes it easy to identify. Brown recluse spiders are only about 1/2 inch in diameter.

As a reclusive creature, if you stumble across one it will likely be in the basement, closet, cellar, attic, or under furniture. However, you can also find them in garages, storage sheds, barns, storage boxes and behind wall hanging. I must also add that they might find a shoe that doesn’t get worn as an inviting place to call home. Sorry…

Fortunately, the brown recluse is not an aggressive spider. However, if they feel threatened, they can bite you in a defensive move.

The other spider we need to be on the lookout for is the black widow spider. Black widow spiders are typically between 1 to 1.5 inches across. Male black widow spiders tend to be a little smaller and have three light colored streaks on their abdomen. It’s the female black widow spider that has the distinctive red hourglass shape on their belly. Males won’t bite humans, but the females will if they are disturbed or are guarding their egg sack.

Black widow spiders like to live in wood piles, crates, shrubs, under boxes, around trash cans, under the eaves of the house, and as we have learned at our Seed to Supper Farm, under the black plastic mulch. No, the Master Gardener that found them was not pleased.

Bites from either of these spiders will get your attention. If bitten by either of them, try to capture the spider in a container for positive id and then make your way to your physician or an urgent care facility. Typically, a bite from a spider is similar to a bee sting, but there can be complications which is why you should go to the doctor. Having the spider will help them know what to do.

So those are the main two spiders we need to keep on our radar for our own safety, but there are a variety of other spiders common in Oklahoma such as tarantulas.

If you haven’t seen a tarantula in person, they are a formidable spider. They are usually at least 3 inches in diameter and tend to be brown and hairy. I used to have a friend who was deathly afraid of spiders, so to get over his fear, he took on a tarantula as a pet. I guess that’s one way to do it.

Tarantulas live off a diet of insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, or other arthropods. Once in a while they might also eat small lizards.

Since tarantulas are nocturnal, we don’t often see them out. During the day they spend their time under rocks or abandoned tunnels. Each year it seems like social media lights up during mating season for tarantulas when hundreds of male tarantulas set out in search of female mating partners. If you’ve ever seen this, I guarantee you still remember it. While it shouldn’t be creepy, it most surely is.

One interesting thing about tarantulas is that they can use their rear legs to launch barbed hairs from their abdomen toward something they consider to be a threat. Maybe you’ve seen these on a dog’s nose without knowing what they were. Either way, that’s enough to get me to keep my distance.

Next let’s talk about wolf spiders. Wolf spiders are not dangerous to humans, but they are oftentimes confused with brown recluse spiders. To be sure, look for that brown fiddle shape. Wolf spiders don’t have that. And wolf spiders don’t build webs because they are hunters. In spite of how some might feel about them, they aren’t bad to have around the house in that they eat crickets, cockroaches, beetles, and other insects.

One morning years ago, my wife went into the bathroom early one morning to find what was probably a wolf spider on the cabinet covered in tiny baby wolf spiders. She decided to be brave and take care of this herself without waking me. She attempted to smash the spider with a rolled-up newspaper. Unfortunately, as she took action to dispatch the spider, tiny baby spiders were launched all over the bathroom and all over her. I’m not sure she’s totally gotten over that even though it was probably 30 years ago.

So, the moral of the story is that most spiders don’t pose a threat to humans and those that do, only do so after we disturb them. For the most part, they are good partners. But if you get bitten, get yourself to a doctor. See you in the garden!

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: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org