People ask if there are poisonous spiders in Maine. The answer is yes, however, there are only a few poisonous spiders in Maine. All spiders are predators and that goes for the ones in Maine. They feed on a wide variety of insects and other soft-bodied invertebrate animals.
All spiders spin silk, but the silk is used in a wide variety of ways. Most spiders construct a silken case to protect their eggs, but not all spiders make a web.
Fear of a few highly venomous spiders, such as the black widow and brown recluse, has expanded to include all spiders. Fortunately, black widows and brown recluse spiders are not native to Maine but on rare occasions can be found in Maine. They have only been seen two or three times in the state.
As said before, on rare occasions, two of the country’s most poisonous spiders, the black widow and brown recluse, have been accidentally transported to Maine from southern states in produce shipments and construction material. However, these species are unable to gain a foothold in the state because of the cold winters. Thank goodness the weather in Maine is not ideal for these spiders. Being a person with arachnophobia, I’m very thankful that they are not native to Maine. Knowing they can only jump and not fly gives me some comfort. Thank you and Amen to that!
List of most common spiders in Maine:
1. House spiders
are common in Maine. They can be found in barns and houses, where they make webs in the corners of walls, floor joists and windows. They frequently abandon their web to build new ones nearby and can produce many webs in a short amount of time.
2. Fisher spiders
are also in Maine. They are commonly referred to as fishing spiders or water spiders. They are usually found in moist areas, especially along the edges of streams and lakes. They can skate across the surface of the water and will even dive beneath the surface to feed on small fish, tadpoles and aquatic insects.
3. Wolf spiders in Maine
hunt at night and are often seen under lights. They run over the ground or on plants in search of prey and pounce on their victims with vigor and power. They are large, usually brown, and black, and may have longitudinal stripes. They do not weave webs but instead make burrows. In Maine they frequently enter homes and backyards. They are not poisonous, but they are venomous. There is a difference. However, that does not necessarily mean they are of much danger to humans.
4. Jumping spiders in Maine
are active hunters during the day, stalking their prey and attacking in a fast leap. They can sometimes be seen dangling from a silken dragline after a leap that fails. Many jumping spiders are bold, stocky, and often brightly colored. They are not considered hazardous to humans and are unlikely to bite unless cornered or handled. A few interesting facts about
Brown Recluse Spiders in Maine
Many people ask if Brown Recluse spiders are native to Maine? They have only been seen two or three times in the state. The brown recluse is poisonous, and their bites sometimes require medical attention. The brown recluse is one of three spiders in North America with toxic venom, the others being the black window and Chilean recluse. These two are also not normally found in Maine.
Brown recluse spiders are usually between 6 and 20 millimeters; however, many can grow larger. The brown recluse has six eyes arranged in three pairs unlike most spiders who have eight eyes. They are usually light to medium brown and can range in color from wheatish to dark brown or blackish gray. Brown recluse spiders in Maine usually have markings that look like a violin, with the neck of the violin pointing to the rear. They have also been called nicknames such as fiddleback spider, brown fiddler, or violin spider.
Although the brown recluse spider is not normally found in Maine, the states that do have this scary little guy are mostly in the south to southeastern states. Their life cycle is about one to two years. The female produces several egg sacs over a period of two to three months, from May to July with about fifty eggs in each sac. That’s a lot of spiders! They are very resilient and can tolerate up to six months of extreme drought and no food. While brown recluse spiders are not typically found in Maine, they are known for building asymmetrical (irregular) webs in dry and undisturbed places consisting of disorderly threads. Unlike most web weavers, they leave these webs at night to hunt.
Black Widow Spiders in Maine
Many people believe that the poisonous black widow spider is now native to Maine. However, its population is still extremely small. They are more commonly found in southeastern Canada. The black window is the most venomous spider in Maine! The females are 6 to 19 mm long and have a very distinctive red hourglass shaped mark on it’s abdomen, making them the most recognized spider in the world. The females have bristles on their hind legs, which they use to cover their prey with silk once it has been trapped.
Black widows found in Maine are not aggressive, but they do have a highly toxic venom, 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake. They only bite when in danger or disturbed and rarely bite humans. However, if you are ever bitten by a Maine black widow, you should immediately go to the hospital. The venom is dangerous, as it affects your nervous system. It is extremely rare that a person will die from their poison, however, small children are at risk.
The best places to look for these venomous and poisonous spiders in Maine include overhanging ledges, woodpiles, under benches or stones, near entrances to abandoned rodent burrows, or around outbuildings. Inside your home, they can be found in dimly lit locations, such as dark corners, closets, or other cluttered areas. They do not like moisture and prefer dry areas.
Black Widows in Maine have a bizarre mating ritual. It begins with the male coming to the female’s web and destroying it. This reduces the female’s pheromones and makes the web less attractive to other males. The females don’t seem to mind the destruction of their property, and it seems to make them more receptive to the male. Even so, sometimes, the female kills and eats the male after mating. This gruesome behavior is what gave these poisonous spiders their name.
Black-Footed Yellow Sac Spider
Another spider that is not often found in Maine is the poisonous Black-Footed Yellow Sac Spider. These spiders are a pale yellow-beige color with dark brown markings on their jaws and ends of their feet. They also have an orange-brown stripe that runs down the top center of its abdomen. Their venomous bite begins with a pain followed by itching and swelling. However, they rarely ever bite. Even though their bite is nearly as bad as a Black Widow, the bite usually results with swelling and localized pain.
Spider Bites in Maine
People also ask what happens when a poisonous spider in Maine bites you? Spiders attack and subdue their prey by biting with their fangs to inject venom. All of them are predators, but only bite out of defense and to capture prey. The few spiders that do bite people in Maine are not potent enough to cause a serious health risk. Symptoms include initial pain, redness and itchiness that subsides over a short time. No serious medical consequences of these bites have been noted. However, people in Maine believe that a wolf spider’s bite causes the same reaction as the brown recluse spider.
If you live in Maine and have been bitten by a spider, unless the spider is collected, it is difficult to identify the guilty culprit. Generally, spider bites are identifiable and distinctly different from other insect bites due to the two pinpricks they cause when biting. Unless the person bitten is highly allergic to spider venom, there are rarely serious medical problems.
If you have been bitten by a spider in Maine, the symptoms include pain, redness and itchiness that subsides over a short period of time with no serious medical issues. Wolf spider venom is not lethal to humans and rarely causes an allergic reaction. Bacterial infections are likely if the bite is not kept clean and disinfected.
If bitten by a brown recluse spider or a black widow spider in Maine, seek medical attention immediately. The brown recluse spider has a potent tissue-destroying venom which can cause fever, nausea, vomiting and in rare cases burst red blood cells. The black widow spider bite includes the following: Muscles hurt and get stiff, within 8 hours, nausea or vomiting, trouble breathing, belly pain, heavy sweating, rash and itching, swollen eyelids and weakness or shaking. Although brown recluse and black widow spiders are rare in Maine, they have been known to sneak into our beautiful vacationland state undetected.
If you’re living in Southern Maine and have found some venomous spiders in or around your home, it’s time to take action before the situation gets worse. While not all spiders in Maine are venomous, there are some that pose a major risk – which is why you need to call on the experts at Green Shield Pest Solutions today.
Our team of experienced technicians is fully equipped to handle any sort of spider infestation that you may be facing.
When you choose us to handle your spider infestation, you become a part of our family of happy customers. Our team will work closely with you to ensure that your needs are met and that you are completely satisfied with our work.
So, if you’re dealing with venomous spiders in Southern Maine, don’t wait any longer. Contact Green Shield Pest Solutions today to schedule an appointment – and take the first step toward a spider-free home.