WARNING: These Four Texas Spiders Could Kill You

Texas is full of spiders. Thanks to its geography, spiders can be found living in the deserts, around the lakes, in forested areas & sometimes...in your own backyard. The most common I've seen are tarantulas or wolf spiders (and you don't want to mess with them).

Some species of spiders are harmless but there are 4 different species that contain deadly venom that can do some serious damage to a human. So here are the ones you should really watch out for to avoid a trip to the hospital:

Black Widow spiders

Yes the most common form of deadly spider you can find in Texas is arguably the easiest to spot; black widows. You can easily spot them with their red hourglass markings. The males are usually really small & it's the females that are the deadlier ones (I mean they straight up eat their partners after mating... talk about a maneater).

They're most commonly found in outdoor buildings like sheds or under debris piles. While black widow bites are rare in the States, their venom can cause nausea, muscle cramping, and partial diaphragm paralysis, meaning you can't breathe.

Currently there have been no recorded deaths in the U.S. from a black widow bite...so unless it's a woman that looks like she's straight from In This Moment's Black Widow album (just saying...), don't mess with those eight legged ladies.

Brown Recluse Spiders

Though brown recluse spider bites are rare, they are NOT to be taken lightly. Brown recluses are also called violin spiders due to their violin-shaped marking on their cephalothorax.

If a brown recluse bites you, its venom has the potential of destroying the surrounding muscle and skin tissue around the bite that can cause ulcers & tissue damage. While bites rarely lead to death, there HAVE been recorded deaths from brown recluse bites so don't become the next one.

You can mostly find them indoors in areas such as attics, basements, closest or pantries or any unused part of your home.

Yellow Sac Spiders

Don't let their bright colors fool you, yellow sac spiders are NOT shy. They will actively hunt & chase down insects or bite a human if they get too close to their egg sacs.

Yellow sacs have a nasty habit of hiding in clothing or bedding that have left out. Sometimes they will bite in self-defense, with the person completely unaware what just happened.

Their bites are similar to a brown recluse; the symptoms CAN be mild but it's highly recommended to go to a hospital if you're bit.

Brown Widow Spiders

And finally we have ANOTHER species of widow; the brown widow. Just like a black widow, they also contain an hourglass marking on them, which makes them easier to spot. However UNLIKE a black widow, a brown widow's venom is much more potent.

Thankfully, brown widows are usually unaggressive & their bites usually don't contain venom. So the likelihood of you being bit by a brown widow is highly unlikely. But if you DID get bit, it will still be a very painful experience.

You can mainly find brown widow spiders outdoors in garages, garden sheds or even abandoned vehicles.

Trust me those aren't the only kind of spiders you can find in spider, believe me... there are more in Texas... MANY MORE. So bottom line, DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT mess with these spiders or ANY form of spider you may come across.

If you do get bitten or attacked by a spider, contact your nearest hospital IMMEDIATELY. If you're afraid your home might be infested with a spider, it might not be a bad idea to call an exterminator either.

Get our free mobile app