How to Identify the Hobo Spider – a Potential Future NJ Pest

ID a Hobo Spider
ID a Hobo Spider

Hobo spiders have been making their way to areas outside their usual range in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast. If they continue to spread, they could become a problem in NJ. Since these spiders are known for being aggressive, it’s important to know how to identify them.

Hobo spiders are brown spiders that are typically up to 2 inches in length, including their legs. They rarely grow bigger than this size. You can identify these spiders by the zigzag-shaped lines running along both sides of their abdomen, although this can be hard to see.

Unlike other spider species, hobo spiders have solidly colored legs rather than legs with ring-shaped patterns along them. These spiders can be easily confused with more common spider species, such as wolf spiders and brown recluse spiders.

Their bite was believed to have similar effects to those of brown recluses, which have venom that can make flesh become inflamed and potentially begin to rot without prompt treatment. However, it is now thought that hobo spiders are not venomous.

They can still inflict painful bites, though, and are considered more aggressive than brown recluse spiders. This makes it important for building owners to know how to spot these critters and have them eliminated as soon as possible.

If you’re having a spider problem, contact Stern Environmental Group. We offer effective, nontoxic NJ and NYC commercial pest control services.