There are only three species of spiders in the United States that are recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as that can be dangerous to humans:

  • Black Widow Spiders: Yes, may be present in New England but they are rare
  • Brown Recluse Spiders (southern and Midwestern states): To get here, they would have to hitch a ride on fruits etc. 
  • Hobo Spiders: Northwestern and Pacific States

In Massachusetts, some of the most common spiders include house spiders, daddy long legs, and wolf spiders:

  • House spiders are often found inside homes, especially in attics, basements and on ceilings.
  • Wolf spiders in or around windows, doors and houseplants, or outside in gardens and under rocks.
  • Daddy Longlegs live in tree trunks and other organic materials, but can commonly be observed scurrying across lawns and through gardens.

Note

  • Daddy Longlegs are technically they are not spiders. They are arachnids, more closely related to scorpions.
  • Daddy Longlegs are not venomous.
  • House spiders offer benefits indoors, helping suppress a wide variety of insects without the need for synthetic insecticides. Spiders feed on common indoor pests, such as roaches, earwigs, mosquitoes, flies and clothes moths.