Have you come across crab spiders or experienced their bites in the past?
You’d be lucky too because these creatures are good at camouflaging their presence. Readers who haven’t seen these spiders would wonder why they’re called crab spiders.
Well, the name comes from their crab-like appearance.
Not only do crab spiders have a similar appearance to a crab, but they also move in like fashion. Here, the focus is on crab spider bites. Do they bite? How venomous are crab spider bites?
Am I at risk of getting bitten by these? All such questions are likely to come up during our discussion.
Our discussion will progress in a way that you’ll get to understand all that there is to know. We’ll begin with the features before delving into further details about their bites.
Crab Spider Features
As stated earlier, crab spiders look similar to crabs and also move alike. Their bodies consist of two large and strong legs which enable them to get hold of their prey.
Now, not all spider species move like crabs. Some actually do move like spiders. For those that move like crabs, their hind legs are used for sideways movement.
Crab Spider Diet
To understand more about crab spider bites, it’s necessary to consider their diet.
Crab spiders mostly feed on insects. Unlike other spider species that spin webs for hunting prey, this spider species doesn’t need that. They depend on camouflage as an effective way to grab their prey.
Some crab spider species are even known to change colors to fit or blend into their surroundings. Now, crab spiders are known to be venomous and will readily inject such venom into their prey when they grab them.
Their venom paralyzes the prey in preparation for consumption.
Crab Spider Bites
What does a crab spider bite look like?
This is the main focus of our discussion. Having confirmed this spider species as being venomous, concerns are bound to arise with crab spider bites on humans.
Before we go further, it’s necessary to know whether crab spiders bite humans.
Now there are giant crab spiders which are mostly docile and won’t harm you. However, these might bite when they feel threatened. Even the bite of a giant crab spider won’t do you harm.
Their venom isn’t dangerous to humans. However, it should be known that in terms of pain, you’re bound to feel it.
-
You’re Unlikely to Get Bitten by Crab Spiders
There’s a slim chance of you getting bitten by crab spiders. It’s so because this spider species is known to be nocturnal. That is, they mostly hide during the day.
More so, crab spiders hardly get into human dwellings or indoors.
Due to these reasons, the chances of coming across a crab spider are slim. Even when you come across them, they don’t readily bite until threatened.
-
Are There Side Effects to Crab Spider Bites?
When bitten by crab spiders, it’s possible to experience side effects. However, such isn’t common. Even when you do experience any side effects, they’re short-lived or won’t last long.
Also, the pains experienced by crab spider bites aren’t severe.
-
Infestation Signs
Pest problems are mostly announced by tell-tale signs. For crab spiders, the case is mostly different. The case is different in the sense that crab spiders leave no signs of their presence around.
Actually setting eyes on them is the only way you’re going to know about their presence.
So, if you’ve recently seen a number of these spiders around your property, it’s a sign that you’re having an infestation. Some homeowners may decide to ignore these spiders for as long as they don’t get stung.
If you wish to have them repelled, getting help from a pest control service will be in order.
What Attracts Crab Spiders?
As a way of guarding against crab spider bites, you’ll need to know the attraction to your property. In other words, an understanding of what attracts these spiders is necessary.
Positioning is everything to crab spiders because they don’t spin webs or move out to hunt.
Crab spiders patiently lay in wait for food to come to them. Now, landscaped areas and gardens have an ample supply of insects or prey. As such, crab spiders target such locations to get their meal.
Having the ability to blend into their surroundings, crab spiders easily hunt down prey.
Reproduction
Like most spider species, crab spiders produce their offspring through the laying of eggs. This happens after a few weeks of mating. Two silken sacs hold or contain the eggs.
When these eggs are hatched, they’re exposed to predators.
To limit the danger, female crab spiders stand-by to guard their eggs until they hatch. Environmental conditions play a role in determining hatching time.
When such eggs are hatched, the young spiders must go through several molts to attain adulthood.
Are Crab Spiders Beneficial?
It might sound surprising for many to find that crab spiders are beneficial.
Since we’re talking about their bites, should they be beneficial in any way? Well, apart from their bites, black spiders tend to be beneficial to humans because they feed on pests like mosquitoes and flies.
These are among the pests most people will love to get rid of. Having a natural predator feeding on these would be a welcome development for most people.
Nevertheless, some homeowners will still want crab spiders expelled from their property.
Getting Rid of Crab Spiders To Avoid Bites
To limit the chances of getting bitten by crab spiders, you’ll need to have them expelled from your surroundings. Pest management services are always on hand to offer all sorts of spider pest solutions.
For crab spiders, a definite remedy or treatment is used.
The treatment applied depends on the conditions on the ground. Treatments approaches will also vary in extermination cost and methods from one client to the next.
Your only concern will be to ask for environmentally friendly treatments.
Having Crab Spiders Around your Property May not be a Big Deal
Some homeowners don’t consider crab spider presence on their property a big deal.
This is due to the almost harmless nature of their venom. However, when this spider species grows in population, their numbers will need to be reduced.
Crab spider bites have been under focus with different aspects of such being tackled. You may want to have a professional handle your spider issues for better results.