Ned McGarry wrote:

snip...
> While I have heard that the Brown Recluse has been in Washington (and may
> be), it is very rare and probably not the culprit of bites that cause
> problems around here (they're much more prevalent in the South). We do
> have another spider, very similar in appearance, called the Hobo Spider (or
> Aggressive House Spider). It too can be rather aggressive if handled (they
> don't seek out people to bite, but they appear to be more of a threat to
> folks because they move rather quickly and during certain times of the year
> (Sept/Oct I think), the males are more active in their search for mates).
>
> Ok, is everyone sufficiently paranoid and ready to kill every spider on
> sight (and sight-unseen)? Well try to control yourselves. Don't start
> spraying poison all over to kill everything. Most spiders around are
> beneficial, and many of them, including the common house spider, ****prey
> on Hobo Spiders****.

I don't kill Hobos outside but I do try to get rid of them inside in the
fall when they invade my basement. I place scent baited sticky traps in
several areas of the basement and the arrangement of the Hobo spiders
legs traps and kills them. In our area these are sold by the U of Idaho
extension office.

Joan Bergstrom from Pocatello who has Black Widow spiders in her garden
as well as others but who says no to sharing her house with them.