Wolf Spiders

Despite their startling appearance, wolf spiders are not aggressive and will only bite when threatened or provoked. Wolf spiders are venomous, like all spiders, but their venom is not lethal. Common symptoms of a wolf spider’s bite are swelling, mild pain, and itching.

Wolf spiders primarily eat small insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, earwigs, ants, and flies. These spiders are fast runners with excellent eyesight that hunt their prey instead of building a web to trap their prey.

Wolf spiders are nocturnal ground hunters and are found virtually anywhere there are insects for them to eat, including open fields, suburban backyards, and wooded areas. Wolf spiders will occasionally burrow in the ground for protection. When the weather turns cold, wolf spiders often seek warmer habitats and sometimes enter homes. They are typically found in garages and basements and around windows and doors.

You can help prevent wolf spiders from entering a building by clearing vegetation from around the perimeter of the building and removing yard debris such as wood, rock, and lumber piles. You should also seal all cracks or holes near the building's foundation and all gaps around windows and doors. Keeping exterior lighting to a minimum can also be helpful, as light attracts the insects that wolf spiders like to hunt and eat.

In small numbers, wolf spiders can help control other pests. However, they can become a nuisance in large enough numbers. If you’ve suspect you have a wolf spider infestation, get help from the professionals at Arrow Exterminators using the form below.