Have you ever seen an up-close picture of a jumping spider? If you have, maybe you were a little surprised. Because, if you think about it (and imagine they only have 2 eyes) these creatures are actually kind of cute. They look a tad bit like a furry little bunny rabbit, sitting up on its haunches, peering at you with large curious eyes. And, let's be real, who ever thought that a spider could actually be cute?!
Well, the fact of the matter is, lots of cute things in the wild are dangerous. Consider anteaters, orangutans, and, of course, cuddly bears. These, and several other creatures, which are absolutely adorable in a photo (especially when they are young) can be quite deadly if you meet one in person. So our question here is: are jumping spiders dangerous if you meet one in person?
This spider belongs to the family Salticidae, of which there are over 4,000 species in the world. It can be found all the way from tropical regions too far reaching lands in the frozen north. So, being that Texas is right in the sweet spot, we have our fair share of these jumping arachnids.
A jumping spider has 4 large eyes on the front of its face and 4 more eyes on the top of its carapace. So it has very good vision.
As its name implies, a jumping spider jumps. Not only that, but it can jump really far, sometimes as far as 25 times its own height. And if you have a heart condition, and one of these cute little critters jumps out at you from a dark corner of your basement, that could be considered dangerous.
But, aside from giving someone a heart attack, they're actually not all that dangerous. As mentioned, these spiders have excellent vision and, when they see a human coming, they tend to go the other way. They will, however, bite if provoked. But, their venom is not dangerous to humans.
In the end analysis, jumping spiders may be cuter than they are dangerous, but do you really want one of these critters scaring the wits out of you in the middle of the night when you just want to get a drink of water? For that matter, do you want any creepy crawly insects invading your home? For assistance with year-round control of jumping spiders, and all other household pests (some which can be quite dangerous) reach out to Adams Exterminating Company for immediate assistance.