Question: How'd they get here?
Answer: Some of the spiders' eggs are thought to have been transported from Europe to Seattle in ship cargo sometime before the 1930s.
Question: What does the bite do?
Answer: Aside from lesions that rupture and look like a "target and bull's-eye," hobo spider bites have been known to cause dry mouth, nausea, weakness and lethargy, dizziness, visual disturbances, hallucinations and joint pain. In rare instances, the bites can be fatal or cause loss of limbs. It is estimated by some researchers that about half of all hobo bites result in a "dry bite," which means no venom is injected and no effects will be felt other than a little red mark similar to a mosquito bite.
Question: Should I use a bug bomb to kill them?
Answer: Fumigation is not recommended for hobo spider problems because often it is ineffective in treating the problem but kills other spider species that prey on the hobo. Fumigation also might stir up other pests from hiding places you never knew you had.
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Source: Toxinologist Darwin Vest, Eagle Rock Research in Idaho Falls.
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On the Net: www.hobospider.org