You see a spider sitting on your wall, but as you move towards it, the spider jumps away. Experiences like this may leave you wondering what kind of bug you actually saw. Spiders typically crawl and scurry, but one type of spider prefers to jump — and it is called, not surprisingly, the jumping spider. 

If you've been seeing jumping spiders in your home, here is what you need to know.

Jumping Spiders Are the Largest Family of Spiders

There are actually more than 6,000 species of jumping spiders. They all belong to the family Salticidae. Luckily, most species of jumping spiders do not live in the U.S. The jumping spiders you see in your home most likely to belong to the species Phidippus audax, otherwise known as the bold jumping spider.

Bold jumping spiders are between 13 and 20 millimeters long. Their bodies are black with spots that start off orange and turn white as they age. 

The spiders could also be zebra jumping spiders. This species also lives in the U.S., although it is not quite as common. Zebra jumping spiders, also known as Salticus scenicus, are black with white stripes on their abdomens and a patch of white between their eyes.

Jumping Spiders Have Unique Habits

As you've probably already noticed, these spiders' habits are different from those of your average spider. They do not build webs to catch their prey. Instead, they stalk and pounce on their prey, much like a cat. The spiders primarily hunt at night, which is when you're most likely to see them around your home.

Jumping spiders do build webs, but they use those webs for shelter and protection — not for hunting. A single jumping spider may build multiple webs in areas such as under furniture, behind books, in the corners of doors, and within the folds of curtains.

Jumping Spiders Are Not Dangerous

These spiders' instinct is to flee rather than to stay and fight when threatened. As such, your chances of being bitten by a jumping spider are relatively small.

However, people do get bitten on occasion. Since jumping spiders are venomous, you can expect the bite to itch, swell, and develop a few blisters. Ease the pain by holding an ice pack over the bite, taking an antihistamine like Benadryl, and applying antibiotic ointment to the area.

If you suspect the spider that bit you might have been a black widow, brown recluse, or hobo spider, seek medical care. Reactions to these spiders' bites are much more serious.

Jumping Spiders Are Relatively Easy to Get Rid Of

Jumping spiders prefer to live outside, so if you've seen a couple in your home, they may have just wandered in unsuspectingly. Suck the spiders up in a vacuum cleaner if possible, and empty the vacuum cleaner outside. Then, take additional steps to keep more spiders from finding their way in:

• Seal any cracks in your walls.
• Check boxes for spiders before bringing them inside.
• Make sure all of your windows have effective screens.
• Replace worn weatherstripping under doors.

If you see a lot of jumping spiders, they may be nesting and reproducing in your home. In this case, you're best off hiring a pest control professional. They can locate the nests and get rid of them, hopefully before any more eggs hatch, while also eliminating any adult spiders.

Finding a jumping spider in your home can be a little alarming, but once you learn a bit more about these pests, you'll come to realize they're just a minor annoyance. Contact Environmental Pest Control  if you believe you may be dealing with an infestation.