Different Types of Pennsylvania Spiders (and Are They Pests?)

Dominion is receiving many calls this year for residents requesting help for spiders — inside and outside their homes! Most folks who report spider issues in Lancaster, York, and Central PA, seem to be bothered in spring, and again in the fall. This is when spiders try to enter homes looking for refuge from the falling temperatures.

Let’s look at different kinds of spiders found locally.

Spider Species Found in Our Area

Christopher Komarow, Dominion’s Senior Technician since 2008, reports that most Pennsylvanians can expect to see Yellow Sac Spiders that hang out in wall joints and hunt at night.  Another common spider he suggests can be found inside are Wolf Spiders. Wolf Spiders aren’t known to spin webs, but rather they chase down their prey.  These spiders are often associated with damp and moist conditions, and often found in basements.  However, they may also be sighted when overturning a rock outside. They seem to go where bugs (their prey) can be found.

Cellar spiders and Harvestmen are also found downstairs.  Known for their long legs, they are often referred to as “Daddy long-leggers.”  People often confuse these insects with spiders, and daddy long-leggers generate many calls to Dominion’s Customer Care Team. 

“People just freak out when they see them,” reports Dominion’s Business Manager Maria Pettis.  “It seems that nobody wants these guys running around their home.”

One spider that Lancaster and York residents don’t seem to mind is the popular Orb, or Garden Spider, with its beautiful, bright yellow abdomen.  Yet Orb Spiders can take over a front door with their incredible web systems that allow them to move around on the surface of their territories.

Oh, and as for outdoor spiders, we can’t forget about the Hobo or Funnel Weaver Spiders that produce funnel-like webs.  On landscape bushes around homes, these spiders can produce many webs, which can take over the surface of the plants.

Brown House Spider or Brown Recluse?

The Brown House Spider is another common spider that seems to startle folks. It often gets confused with Brown Recluse Spiders — a dangerous species found mostly in the South.  Every year Dominion receives calls from panicked residents concerned about the Brown Recluse and are relieved when Dominion technicians identify them as just Brown House Spiders.

Our technicians can shut down all types of spiders in and around your home.

If you find unwanted spiders inside or too close for comfort on the outside of your home, it might be time to give Dominion a call.