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Insect Pest Prevention and Management

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Oregon Spiders

​​​​About Oregon spiders

  • Oregon has at least 500 species of spiders.
  • Black widow spiders may be the only potentially harmful spider in Oregon.  
  • Spider bites are not common.
  • Spiders help people by eating the insects that eat our food, invade our homes, and are vectors for disease. ​
  • The most common spiders submitted for identification at the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) are the hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis) and giant house spider (Eratigena atrica). 
  • Review the information below before submitting a request to identify a spider​.

Resources

Common Household Insects and Spiders of Oregon

Guide to common Oregon insects and spiders

How To Identify Brown Widow Spiders

How to identify (and misidentify) the brown widow UC Riverside's online guide to identifying brown widow spiders

How to reduce contact with spiders in your home

Tips for reducing spiders in your home

Myths, misconceptions, and superstitions about spiders

Spider myths

Oregon Spiders: Facts and Fiction

Basic information on Oregon spiders (including the hobo) with photos. Oregon spiders handout

Oregon Spiders: Hobo, Giant House, Black Widow, and Yellow Sac Spiders

Information on these four Oregon spiders (with photos). More about Oregon spiders handout

Spider Bites

General information about spider bites Wikipedia page on spider bites

University of California IPM Online - How to manage pests: Hobo spider

Hobo spider identification, medical aspects, management Hobo spider guideline

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​Contact​​

Insect Pest Prevention & Management
plant-entomologists@oda.oregon.gov
635 Capitol St NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-986-4636
Alt Phone: 1-800-525-0137​

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