The Two Most Dangerous Spiders in Iowa

If you're someone who isn't a fan of creepy crawly bugs, insects, or spiders...I don't think this article will help ease your anxiety very much. Most of the time if you come across a spider in the state of Iowa, there isn't much to worry about. Spiders are actually a pretty big benefit to the ecosystem. Spiders do a fantastic job of catching and eating pests that could be harmful to our food supply.

You could argue that without spiders eating these pests, it could cause a big problem with our state's food supply as some of these pests can devastate crops. While most spiders are pretty harmless and good for our ecosystem, that doesn't mean everyone loves seeing one of them in their house.

If you see one of these 2 spiders in your house, you should call your favorite pest control company.

Black Widow/Brown Recluse

Here we have a black widow spider and a brown recluse. As far as spiders found in Iowa, these are the two most dangerous, according to Trust Springer. What you should know is that bites from either of these two spiders are rare. These spiders use their bites in self-defense and are normally docile creatures.

While the bites from these two spiders might be rare, if a bit does occur, it can cause some serious issues.

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Black Widow

Female black widows have the infamous red hourglass on their abdomen and prefer to live their lives in quiet, dark, and undisturbed areas. According to Trust Springer, they avoid contact with humans unless they feel threatened. If you do receive a black widow spider bite, the symptoms will appear shortly after. They can range from "stiffness and pain to nausea, abdominal cramping, chills, and fever."

Brown Recluse

Brown Recluse spiders are mostly...well, brown. Sometimes they appear to be a dullish brown color and these spiders can reach up to 11mm in length, which is roughly the size of a quarter. Bites from Brown Recluse spiders are usually mild but in serious cases, they can result in "blisters, pain, and even necrosis" according to Trust Springer.

A  bite from either of these two spiders will likely never happen to you but if it does, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.