Spiders in San Diego: The Complete Guide

Brown Recluse

While Brown Recluse bites are not common, their venom has the potential to bring about some consequential health concerns. If you come in contact with one of these spider bites, it’s important that you seek medical help in a timely manner. The Brown Recluse is normally about the size of a quarter and appears light to dark brown in color. Oftentimes, it can be difficult to distinguish a Brown Recluse from another common brown house spider in California. One distinctive quality is its six eyes, arranged in three groups of two. These creepy crawlers can commonly be found in boxes, in between crevices, and under furniture, typically in basements, attics, or closets. 

Wolf Spider

There are 6 types of wolf spiders in California, and while most species aren’t poisonous, they usually bite when they feel threatened. The Wolf Spider tends to enjoy its time outdoors, but don’t rule out its potential to get inside your home. Most of the time, you can find this California spider outdoors, burrowing in the grass, under dead trees, around rocky areas, or in stacks of firewood. They are large, brown with a black stripe, and have a hairy exterior. 

Tarantula

Nobody wants to see a tarantula in their house, despite how harmless they are. However, this doesn’t mean that their bite isn’t a bit painful. And while some people have them as pets, most humans still prefer to opt for cats and dogs. There are currently 10 species of tarantulas in California, which means they range in color, usually variations of tan, dark brown, and black. These California spiders also have eight eyes, eight legs, and hair that covers their body. Outdoors, they burrow underground and tend to hunt at night. To keep them from entering your home, try and keep your ant population under control, and seal up any entry points into your house. 

Yellow Sac Spider

Yellow Sac Spiders can be considered a more aggressive house spider in San Diego, and are usually poisonous. It is common to find them indoors out of reach, usually far up on walls or on ceilings. They can also be found outdoors in grass or shrubs. When trying to identify this spider, you may find that they vary in color, due to taking on the color of the last insect consumed. They can be about 5mm to 10mm in size, with tiny black feet. 

Black Widow

A Black Widow is one of the most common house spiders in California. They usually congregate outside around cluttered areas or find comfort inside garages. Depending on maturity, a female Black Widow can be either dark brown or black in color, with a red hourglass figure on the abdomen, and just ½ an inch in body size. In some cases, the hourglass shape can be non-existent. A male Black Widow spider is often brown in color, retains a longitudinal stripe on the abdomen, and tends to be smaller than the females in body size. These are considered one of the most venomous spiders in North America. 

Brown Widow spiders are also quite common in California, however, the bite of this spider is not as concerning as the bite of the Black Widow.