What Are the Largest Spiders in Maryland and Virginia?

The largest spider in the world has legs that reach up to 1 foot in length — thankfully the South American Goliath birdeater is not native to Southern Maryland or Northern Virginia.

Unfortunately, Maryland and Virginia do have some native spiders. Some of them even get pretty big. If only they were cuter, then homeowners may not fear them so much. As it is, these bugs love to hide in shadowy corners and frighten New Englanders when they least expect it. 

It is best to know thy enemy — check out the list below to learn more about the largest spiders in Maryland and Virginia.

The Barn Spider

The barn spider is a harmless orb weaver and the inspiration for the book Charlotte’s Web. They only grow up to three-quarters of an inch in length, but for someone afraid of spiders, even that is too big.

They’re yellow and brown with striped legs and markings on their abdomen. They’re quite beautiful to examine depending on your tolerance of spiders. 

The Wolf Spider

The wolf spider is one of the more intimidating spiders on this list. Their bodies alone can be more than an inch in length. Although uncommon, they can inject venom when they bite. 

Wolf spiders are hairy, lone wolves that can demonstrate some pretty aggressive behavior; however, they help eliminate other pests.

The Grass Spider

Grass spiders have long bodies and long legs, and are far more scary than dangerous. It doesn’t help that they are funnel-web weavers — the weave funnel webs that they hide in and jump out of to kill prey.

They also run very fast, making them even more terrifying. All spiders, even grass spiders, have venom. Thankfully, grass spider fangs are too small to puncture human skin.

The Nursery Web Spider

Nursery web spiders look like wolf spiders, but they are quite different. They don’t roam around as much as wolf spiders, but rather hang out in their webs waiting for flying and crawling prey. They are harmless, but can grow quite big!

The Black and Yellow Garden Spider

The black and yellow garden spider is an orb weaver that builds beautiful, spiral webs outside. These spiders are relatively stationary, mostly waiting in their webs for food to come by. The only danger is unsuspecting strollers accidentally walking into their webs.

These spiders can bite, but the venom is non-fatal unless you have an allergy. It can hurt and is similar to a bee sting. There are some basic techniques to keep spiders like this out of your home.

Dealing with the Largest Spiders

New Englanders can rest easy that the largest spiders in the world are not native to the area. Still, for anyone with a spider phobia, any size is too big. Some of these spiders are fast and jumpy, giving them a worse reputation. 

For professional help dealing with any size of spider, or other pests, don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance.