Common Central Texas House Spiders

• Spiders often invade homes in search of food and a warm place to build their nest.carolina wolf spider image by Kurt Anderson from Fotolia.com
  
  Despite their reputation as unwelcome house guests, spiders play a beneficial role in the environment. They work to keep unwanted insect populations down by eating them and numerous insects also consume spiders as their primary food source. Nearly 900 spider species thrive within the state of Texas, according to the Texas A & M University System. Most species pose no threat to humans. Spiders live very reclusive lives, many species only come out at night. A prominent insect population must exist for spiders to invade a home.
  
  

Southern House Spider

• The southern house spider produces a unique flat web with a central webbing tunnel within corners and crevices of a house. The spider generally picks areas of the home that are unnoticeable.
  
  Slightly larger then the male spider, the female spider looks similar in appearance but has a more bulbous body. Both sexes attain a size of around 2 inches in diameter. They are dull brown with light gray fur on the abdomen. Southern house spiders are often mistaken for the venomous brown recluse. The southern house spider rarely bites and when it does, it only produces a localized swelling with slight pain and itching in sensitive individuals, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science. The spider is found widely throughout Texas and often inhabits homes.
  
  

Wolf Spider

• Wolf spiders frequently inhabit Texas homes in the fall when the temperature begins to drop at night. It does not build webs to capture its prey, it hunts down insects and attacks by pouncing.
  
  The spider often grows up to 2 inches in length and can bite humans, according to the University of Oklahoma. Sensitive individuals suffer localized swelling and itching when the spider bites. The body of the spider is covered in light fur that varies in shades of brown, gray, white and black.
  
  Female wolf spiders carry their eggs on their stomach for protection. Even after hatching, the baby spiders remain hanging on their mother for safety.
  
  

Jumping Spiders

• Jumping spiders often invade homes in search of prey. They have a bold personality and they hunt primarily during the day. The tiny spiders leap on their unsuspecting insect prey. Prior to leaping the insects attach a silk line to a surface to prevent them from falling.
  
  The spiders are furred in different colors of black, gray, tan, white and brown. A few species have metallic shades of green and blue. Most have black and white banding on their legs. The spider is 1 inch in diameter when fully grown and females average slightly larger then the male. They pose very little threat to humans and rarely bite unless provoked or cornered.
  
  The female jumping spider lays her eggs in a protected spot such as under a rock or flooring. The eggs lay upon a silken bed. The female will guard her nest and young fiercely.
  
  

Black Widow Spider

• The black widow poses a venomous threat to humans and often takes up residence within a house. It tends to locate itself in dark areas such as under beds, furniture or appliances. Unsuspecting human occupants often stick their hands under such areas to clean or retrieve an object and receive a painful bite. The venom of the black widow works as a nerve toxin. Humans suffer pain with a rise in blood pressure and temperature. Five percent of bite victims suffer convulsions and can die if not properly treated, according to the University of Kentucky.
  
  The black widow appears a glossy black in color with a red violin-shaped marking on the female's abdomen. They rarely exceed 1/2 an inch in size.