Yellow Sac Spiders
Cheiracanthium spp.
Adult yellow sac spider (Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org)
Newly hatched yellow sac spiders (Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org)
Sac spider eggs (Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org)
Identification
- yellowish coloration
- ends of legs with brown-to-black tufts of hairs that look like socks
Nesting Habits
- found indoors and outdoors
- under bark, rocks, leaf litter, in rolled leaves, etc.
- behind or in clutter/storage
- often make a silk, saclike retreat where walls meet other walls or ceilings, or other hidden places; they spend the day in the sac and hunt at night
- easily climb slick surfaces
Diet
- insects and spiders
Significance
- could be a nuisance pest indoors
- not known to be a health hazard, but can aggressively bite when trapped against the skin
- painful bite
- beneficial
IPM Recommendations
- Minimize nesting habitat around property.
- Seal exterior cracks and crevices.
- Install tight-fitting door sweeps at the base of all exterior doors.
- Install tight-fitting screens in windows.
- Keep windows closed.
- Vacuum individuals and silk retreats in buildings.
- Step on or smash individual spiders that enter.
- Catch and release (with a glass jar) spiders found indoors.
- Change exterior lighting to sodium vapor bulbs.