Animal Species:White-tailed Spider

White-tailed Spider bites have been controversially implicated in causing severe skin ulceration in humans.

White-tailed Spider

White-tailed Spider
Mike Gray © Australian Museum

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Identification

White-tailed Spiders have a dark reddish to grey, cigar-shaped body and dark orange-brown banded legs. The grey dorsal abdomen bears two pairs of faint white spots (less distinct in adults) with a white spot at the tip; the male has a hard, narrow plate or scute on the front of the abdomen. The two common species in southern Australia, Lampona cylindrata and L. murina, are similar in appearance and have overlapping distributions in the south-east. Their bites have been controversially implicated in causing severe skin ulceration in humans.

Size range

Males 12 mm, Females 18 mm

Distribution

Lampona cylindrata is found across southern Australia (south east Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia). Lampona murina is present in eastern Australia from north-east Queensland to Victoria (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria,).

Habitat

White-tailed Spiders are vagrant hunters that live beneath bark and rocks, in leaf litter, logs and detritus in bush, gardens and houses.

Feeding and Diet

They are most active at night when they wander about hunting for other spiders, their preferred food. They have been recorded eating curtain-web spiders (Dipluridae), daddy-long-legs spiders (Pholcidae), Redback Spiders (Theridiidae) and black house spiders (Desidae) During summer and autumn White-tailed Spiders are often seen in and around houses where they find both sheltered nooks and crannies and plenty of their favoured black house spider prey.

Life cycle

Tufts of specialised scopulate hairs on the ends of their legs allow them to walk easily on smooth or sloping surfaces. They make temporary silk retreats and spin disc-shaped egg sacs, each containing up to 90 eggs.

Management

White-tailed Spiders around your house can be controlled by catching and removing any that you see and by clearing away the webs of the house spiders upon which they feed.

Danger to humans and first aid

White-tailed Spider bites can cause initial burning pain followed by swelling and itchiness at the bitten area. Occasionally, weals, blistering or local ulceration have been reported - conditions known medically as necrotising arachnidism. As well as the spider's venom, minor bacterial infection of the wound may be a contributory factor in such cases.

A debate continues about the involvement of White-tailed Spider bite in cases of severe ulcerative skin lesions seen in patients diagnosed as probable spider bite victims. Typically, in such cases no direct evidence of spider bite is available. Sensational media reporting of supposed cases of severe "necrotising arachnidism" has given the White-tailed Spider a bad reputation. However, a recent study has monitored the medical outcomes of over 100 verified White-tailed Spider bites and found not a single case of ulceration (confirming the results of an earlier study). The available evidence suggests that skin ulceration is not a common outcome of White-tailed Spider bite.

Classification

Genus:
Lampona
Family:
Lamponidae
Suborder:
Araneomorphae
Order:
Araneae
Class:
Arachnida
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  • Isbister, G.K. & Gray, M.R. 2003. White-tail Spider bite: a prospective study of 130 definite bites by Lampona species. Medical Journal of Australia 179: 199-202.
  • Isbister, G. & Gray, M. 2000. Acute and recurrent skin ulceration after spider bite Medical Journal of Australia 172: 303-304
  • Platnick, N.I. (2000). A relimitation and revision of the Australasian ground spider family Lamponidae (Araneae: Gnaphosoidea). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 245: 330 pp.
  • Sutherland, S. & Sutherland, J. 1999. Venomous Creatures of Australia. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne Vic.
  • White, J. 1998. Response to Chan, S.W. 1998. Recurrent necrotising arachnidism. Medical Journal of Australia 169: 642-643


Dr Mike Gray
Last Updated:

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43 comments

Aerogers - 12.03 PM, 08 March 2012
Hi, I saw a huge whitetail charging towards my baby's cot last week, got it and threw it in the toilet to show my husband when he wakes up. 5 mins later it was gone! Since then, I have killed 10x small/baby whitetails and I'm afraid there will be more if these are the offspring. I read that they can lay upto 90 eggs. My questions are: Is it true whitetails can crawl up slopey, slippery surfaces therefore possibly escaping up the toilet bowl? What attracts whitetails? My room is tidy and they constantly come into MY room! What other spiders eat whitetails and Is it true that spiders don't like peppermint oil? I'm petrified of whitetails, it takes me hours of checking the house before bedtime before falling asleep. I think I need mental help! I live on the central coast of NSW..
tanyamwatson - 7.01 PM, 29 January 2012
I just wanted to also add that I have been diagnosed with a white tail spider bite on my toe back in Sept 2011 which was a very painful burning blister underneath my toe at the time. (The spider was not seen by me) I immediately went to see my GP who gave me 2 weeks of antibiotics. It seemed to clear up that was until small clear fluid type blisters kept forming in the original region I was bitten. However on 20th Jan 2012 I had 4 very painful brown spots with white halo's surrounding and a large 10cm red area come up on the inside of my elbow??? Again went to my GP who suspected cellulitus from that bite I was sent straight to Emergency at the local Hospital to commence IV antibiotics and I am still on them (up to day 9 so far) The wound is huge and now looks like a very blistered sunburn.
flippa11 - 6.06 AM, 15 June 2011
Hi there, I've been bitten by a white-tail in Tasmania about 7 years ago. I do live in Germany and I haven't found anyone who's familiar with this type of problem... A couple of times during the year, probably every other month or so, the spot on my upper arm, where I got bitten, starts itching again and also has a little swelling to it. What can I do about it (other than apply a local treatment) and can it cause any long time problems? Has anyone had a similar problem? Besten Dank and Thanks! Kerstin
gemini84 - 8.04 AM, 30 April 2011
I was bitten by a white tail spider in December 2009, i had ulcers and satelite ulcer all over the top part of my back, i was bitten whilst in bed. I also had ulcers appear on my right leg around my knee cap and also on my jaw line on the right side of my face. My questin is i seem to be getting the itchiness back on my jaw line with the little pimple type then turning in to scabs. Is it common for the symptoms to come back and affect you?
tassygirl - 7.04 PM, 03 April 2011
I live in Tasmania & several years ago read in a magazine how a mother treated her child for a white tailed spiderbite with a common dock leaf found in most gardens (I think plantain is the real name for it) She rushed to a doctor firstly and when the treatment didn't offer much relief or cure she found the common dockleaf may offer a cure - it worked like magic (on an upper arm strapped with soft cloth overnight) and her doctor suggested she continue the treatment - my sister has also tried this in N. Tasmania with good results (the leaf contains an acid which counteracts the poison) Worth trying - Felicity
Rebekah - 11.04 AM, 01 April 2011
Was bitten by a white tail spider about eight days ago, and the pain from the bite came on very gradually, through the day, and it was not until the second day that a small [Removed] lump appeared in the center of a red welt from the bite. I am a generally very healthy person, but recently my immunity has been under more pressure, from a new relationship with somebody withdrawing from opiates, and also a minor accident, but I did not anticipate that I would have any problem with a white tail bite. However, this morning, eight days later, I am heading out to go to casualty at the local hospital (thinking it best to be well informed via the internet first), because the bite is becoming a larger ulcer as the inflammation subsides. The inflammation peaked at around day 5, but as the inflammation is subsiding, the small point of entry of the spider bite, is becoming an open sore. There is not much puss, but a lot of lymph. The puss has not been exposed at the skin at any time, but simply looked like a pimple at first, and then a scab developed around it, and then the scab became a blister, and then by this morning it was an open wound. I have wondered if it was because of a bacteria on my skin, but I have also wondered about a psycho-somatic response, since I have noticed that the spider bite hurts more after every time I complain to anybody about it. The blister and its late appearance, (it did not show up until after I first told another person about the spider bite) has also make me wonder about whether there maybe any connection between having the herpes virus and the white tail bite forming an ulcer? Many people have the herpes virus in a dormant form, and like me, have never had an outbreak on the genitals, but when our immunity is run down, the herpes simplex viruses tend to assault any vulnerable patch of skin. Some years ago I got given a homeopathic medicine that cured me of herpes on my lips, (although I understand homeopathy is a controversial method, my experience is of the medicines disrupting normal patterns of dreams, enabling the subconscious to become more astute to the daily conditions of life), and I have recently had repeated contact with that same substance, which could explain how the ulcer began. The medicine that cured the herpes outbreaks with me, was only oregano though, so I guess doctors are unlikely to want to agree. However, how the oregano in a homeopathic potency, impacted on my nightly dreams, was by making me conscious that if I over expose my own self belief in being hard done by to the extent that I provide information to another person which hurts their well being, then I am more likely to blister on my lip from the herpes virus. So it sort of makes sense to me, that since showing the spider bite to my partner, was what precipitated it hurting more, that perhaps the herpes virus is involved. I will ask the hospital to test for that this morning.
Freeland - 11.03 AM, 31 March 2011
I love spiders, at the moment i have a baby white tale captive in a bug catcher. They are exactly the same shape and pattern but at the joints in the legs almost transparent in colour. At what size does this type of spider become dangeres its 5 mm exact thank you.
lisavdd - 9.03 PM, 10 March 2011
hi, I was bitten by a white tail last night and straight away I could feel it swelling and the pain was like a pinching pain and burning. I caught the spider in a jar and it is about 20mm. but this morning all I have is a little bruise and no side effects, which is good coz I was worried coz I'm pregnant. I was just wondering what the chances are of finding another one in my room tonight, do they travel alone??
tixly - 10.03 PM, 07 March 2011
Well, I just got bitten by one on the neck and it was no baby. Lets see what happens!
massob - 9.03 PM, 03 March 2011
Hi Martyn I have seen little baby white tails before. They have the same shape, they are fast but they have red legs. They are too small to see the white dot, but believe me no other spider looks like that here. Now I need to just find the eggs and get rid of them... do you think they would be in the roof or under weedmat?
massob - 9.03 PM, 03 March 2011
Oh isn't this interesting, another one came in now at 11:50pm, same size. I said to my hubby that I normally find them when the weather is going to change. They are hunting spiders but maybe they also come inside before heavy rain. We shall see, heavy rain predicted for Auckland for the next 4 days. I will make note of this pattern because they don't come every night
massob - 9.03 PM, 03 March 2011
Hello, I am terrified of these spiders and am in New Zealand so I decided today to observe them from a distance. This is what I found. They love my house and regularly come inside. We don't have any other poisonous spiders so its easy to blame the White tail for bite related illness. My uncle was bitten by an 11mm body white tail, we think it was female because of its behavior and size. We got it in a jar, My uncle's arm went numb and he got a red line going from the bite up toward his heart. he started to have a problem with speech but they sorted him out at hospital - apparently the reaction to the bite here, depends on what the spider has been eating. The trick is to be aware of what spiders you have at home and in your garden. If you can get rid of them, the White tail will have no food and leave. Today: 11pm - 1 on kitchen wall about 9mm body, another opposite wall - they seem to like coming in pairs. The bigger one raised her abdomen like a scorpion in defense as I tried to kill it. Too scary - the smaller one was faster, both produce web strings that allow them to float off the wall. They can feel you coming through their legs so even if they can't see, they still feel you. I think the bigger one was female because that would make sense for a spider. They raised their front legs and charged toward me on the carpet... like mini tarantulas. I felt really bad for killing them but I did not want to get bitten.
THEA ATKINSON - 1.02 AM, 22 February 2011
I was scanning the net for people that have been affected by white tail spider bites . I thought I was going mad . I was bitten christmas eve in my bed by boxing day my leg was 4x the normal size and red up to my groin I went to hospital and was sent home on antibotics oral ones and told it was cellulitis , but 4 days latter I was so ill and couldnt walk I went back to the hospital and was kept in , by this time an ulcer had form under a huge blister , the doctor still would not say it was a spider bite . I spent most of January in hospital on Antibotics . Since I have been home I am unable to put my leg or foot to the floor for more then 10 minutes at a time or I am in so much pain , my foot and leg continue to swell so much I cant put on shoes therefor I have had to stop working , the bottom of my foot to my ankle is numb most of the time . I also am experiencing lots of bouts of tears and pain in other joints like my hip elbow and other leg . The ulcer has left a huge scar ( no leg modelling for me LOL) and keeps breaking down in parts . I dont know if you give me more information or put me onto other that are experiencing the same thing . I am usually a healthy person , that was working full time and was active in my life now I feel like a waste of space . please I hope you can help I am away at the moment and not on my laptop so therefore I dont have the photos my partner and I took of the sequence of events and the leg through to ulceration I will be back to my laptop on monday so will forward photos if you are interested . To date the doctors still won't give me a diagnosis Thank you
Martyn Robinson - 5.02 PM, 11 February 2011

Hello to Robert, Robyn, and Kathy,

Robyn - if your baby is bitten or stung by ANYHING you should seek medcal attention as it is always better to be safe and you can never tell how children will react to stings and bites which are considered harmless to adults.

Robert - I'd suggest you tell your doctors to read the new research on White-tailed Spiders. It would be a very brave doctor also who would tell you you've been bitten by a White-tailed Spider when even you never saw what bit you!

Lastly Kathy - yes the warmer months are when most spiders breed but the number of eggs they lay and how quickly they would grow depends on the temperature and the size of the spider who laid the eggs and also how much food she is getting. I'm also curious as to how you could identify the baby spiders as White-tails?

Martyn Robinson

 

Martyn Robinson - 4.02 PM, 11 February 2011

Hello Blake

I'm afraid I would not recommend that you or anyone else experimments with treatments. The medical professionals generally know what they are doing but if you are unsure you can always go to another doctor.

Martyn Robinson

KathD - 9.01 PM, 24 January 2011
Hi There! We have some recently hatched baby white tails in our house - (noticed them yesterday, on the ceiling, about 15 or so... & counting! - I'm thinking they hatched in the roof & have come inside via the downlights) I'm just wondering how many are usually produced from one egg sac, is Summer traditional breeding/baby spider time, and how long do these little guys take until they become BIG guys?! thankyou so much! Kathy.
bobjf - 12.01 AM, 13 January 2011
hi i'd like to also add a different view here i'v now been bitten twice by white tails,recovering now from 2nd 1. you may be right about a secondary infection but on both occasions i was bitten the hospitals lab chose what bit me,i didn't see the spider either time. strangly enough both times i have ended up with ulcerated sores & bad sunburn type rashs. i was also informed that it was most likely the cause of long term cellulitus in my leg by the doctor. every year the rashs & sometimes sores that take ages to heal come back this time the bite is on the other leg which is now dressed daily , i also have a canular in my arm in which i receive high dose antibiotics daily. the doctors seem to have a different opinion on what these can do
Ronbdyl - 2.12 PM, 20 December 2010
I just discovered quite a large female white tail spider in my apartment. This causes me concern as I only got the place sprayed for cockroaches and spiders about 3 weeks ago and this spider did not look at all ill. I have a 7 month baby and am really nervous about having this type of spider in my unit. How agressive are they and what should I do if my baby gets bitten?
Martyn Robinson - 4.11 PM, 24 November 2010

Hello Catherine,

This is a good idea to keep the spider that bit you as, if the bacteria source is from the spider rather than from your skin, then the doctors may be able to identify what it is - and from that what the best treatment may be. The bactieria may even be just something that occurs, or is more common in your local area for some reason.

Martyn Robinson

Martyn Robinson - 4.11 PM, 24 November 2010

Hello Emma,

White-tailed Spiders are not social so you have little to worry about. If you do not want to have White-tailed spiders around your house you can remove the webs of any other spiders from around the windowsills and similar places. That will remove the food source which may attract them as they only feed on other spiders.

Martyn Robinson

Martyn Robinson - 4.11 PM, 24 November 2010

Yes Clint,

There is also the possibility of different amounts of venom being injected by different spiders as well as the presence or absence of bacteria on the skin of the person bitten or the jaws of the spider at the time.

There's the possibility that different people may suffer different reactions to various bites, stings, and even foods, as well. To most of us we only get pain and some mild swelling from a bee sting - but for some people it can be life threatening. If you ever get bitten or stung by something and feel very ill afterwards please seek medical aid as soon as possible.

Martyn Robinson

Emma_beery - 11.11 PM, 19 November 2010
I just removed a white tip spider from my room what are the chances of there being another one? I am quite afraid of spiders.. Do they normally travel in groups or alone
hardhatcat - 10.10 AM, 30 October 2010
I was bitten by a white tail a couple of years ago. i saw the spider as well so i'm sure what it was. I did come up with an ulercating toe where i was bitten and i lost my toe nail and it took a while for the infection to heal. I was told it was not the venom itself but more a bacterial infection that may have been introduced by the spider bite. I was bitten again today by one (this time i saved the spider in a jar) and i instantly cleaned the bite and iced it so i'm hoping i don't get the same problem i had last time. We normally don't kill spiders in our house , but i might hang on to this one in the jar in cause i have problems with the bite. I still have issues with the sensitivity of my toe where the nail fell off (the whole end of my toe was a weeping sore at the time) so i'm hoping that the ulceration is a rare responce and i don't get a repeat performance.
creaturecomfort - 1.10 PM, 29 October 2010
Hey there, I remember when i was a child there was a nest in my bed in Sydney's inner west, i'm not sure if i was ever bitten, but i have never suffered any necrotic ulcers. Because my grandmother has a large garden and is unable to do the work herself, i am helping out, so i did some reading on all the venomous Aussie spiders and apparently there is a chemical in the white-tails venom that is very similar to that of the Brown Recluse spider in the US (also causing severe necrosis). From what i read the toxin only affects about 15% of the population but for those who are affected, they have found that nitroglycerin patches applied directly on the necrotic tissue fixes it up immediately... though i have spoken to a few GP's in Sydney and none of them had any idea where they could even get nitroglycerin patches (a few had never even heard such things exist). Anyway just thought for people like Mort, this may be useful in some way (i have always found that it pays to come up with a few idea's of your own before you go to your GP).
ix - 11.10 AM, 26 October 2010
My friend had a whitetail bite which was mild but a year after he had an acupuncture treatment and the bite wound reapeared. If the whitetail has been proven to not have a necrotic venom then I suggest it may be a bacteria other than the venom that causes the adverse reaction, after all they prey on other venomous spiders so maybe it's carrying a bacteria from another species it recently devoured. I have seen whitetails approach the funnel webs of black house spiders, tap the extremeties of the web causing the house spider to emerge seeking prey and then the whitetail pounces.They are very evolved for spider hunting. However I have also seen that they are not the top predator in my house. I have seen a daddy longlegs carefully wrap up the legs of a large whitetail that was moving across the ceiling. The whitetail was oblivious to the slow gentle entrapment. Once the whitetails legs were bound only then did the daddy longlegs bite it, the whitetail unable to move. Since then we refuse to kill daddy longlegs as they are excellent spider controllers! Leave them alone and they will help you out!
clintd7 - 12.10 AM, 23 October 2010
Hi Clint here, I've been bitten by 2 white tails, once when working on my car, it bit me on the back and it swolled up to a size of a golf ball. Second one was when I was in bed and it bit me on the leg, it only hurt but no swelling, so yeh it seems like different white tails have different effects.. What bought me on to this subject was that I just killed one with my finger.
Martyn Robinson - 12.10 PM, 08 October 2010

Hello Mort,

In both cases I would seek medical assistance and confirmation that what you and your friend have is actually a spider bite and the results are from spider venom. They both sound more like a bacterial infection to me and a doctor is needed in either case.

Martyn Robinson - 10.10 AM, 06 October 2010

As a follow-up from one of the earlier suggestions about if you have to suck up the spider into a vacuum cleaner to add fly spray afterwards to kill it. I have been advised that this is not recommended and a better option would be to use a pyrethrum based insecticidal powder to suck into the vacuum cleaner after collecting the spider that way. Of course I would far recommend that you collect the spider unharmed in a jar and release it outside but I also know not everyone will do this, or be able to manage this.

S

M

cintalee - 6.10 PM, 02 October 2010
Hi! I believe my daughter has been bitten by a white tip/tailed spider. she is 2 years old and the bite is near her right ankle. It is extremely inflammed and pussy. It has also started swelling around the bite. I have heard that it will not affect her.. is this true or should i take her to the hospital??
mort - 6.09 PM, 02 September 2010
Hi all well I have a different point of view. I got Bitten by a large white tail(I found the spider and chatted briefly to it ) in my bed on my left ankle. It got worse and ulcerated for maybe 2 years, then went away slowly. I had given up alcohol and I believe that helped. 10 years later I have been drinking again and the ulceration has erupted painfully and badly. Large and ugly. Info For those who are interested. I also have a friend whose white tail bite gave him kidney failure and a mild heart attack as well as an ulcer larger than a dinner plate. Nasty little creepy crawlers.
Martyn Robinson - 2.05 PM, 17 May 2010

Hello Mel,

If you have a fear of spiders and cannot sleep with them in your bedroom there are a number of options you could try. If the spider is exposed enough you can place a jar over it and then slip a small sheet of card between it and the wall to trap it inside the jar - then simply take it outside and release it. If you wait until the eggs hatch both the parent and the young soon disperse anyway - although this may not help your sleep in the meantime. Lastly - if there is no other way - then sucking up the spider and her egg-sac in a vacuum cleaner is effective and then the spider can be either released outside afterwards, OR some insect spray can be sprayed down into the still 'inhaling' nozzle' for a few seconds afterwards to dispose of the spider and her eggs.

I hope this allows you to sleep in peace.

Sincerely

Martyn 

meldavis - 4.05 PM, 09 May 2010
Hi, I have a white tail egg sack on the cornice in my bedroom with a female guarding it. How can I get rid of it before they hatch? I can't stand the thought of them in my bedroom!
Martyn Robinson - 12.04 PM, 21 April 2010

Hello Liz,

You have just demonstrated how these spiders got their unwarranted reputation. A possible infected White-tail Spider bite gets an ulcerated appearance. Therefore the next person who shows up with an ulcerated would is told they've been bitten by a White-tailed Spider based on nothing but the presence of an infected wound! That's a bit like someone getting food poisoning from eating a bad meat pie and when the next person shows up with food poisoning is told 'You've been eating meat pies!"

A White-tailed Spider bite is far less likely a cause of  the infected wound that is troubling your dog than many other things. I'd follow what the vet has to say. Good luck with your dog - I hope she improves.

Sincerely

Martyn Robinson

Martyn Robinson - 12.04 PM, 21 April 2010

Hello Lize,

If the White-tail you originally removed from your room was large it may well have been an adult female and the smaller ones could be males that have wandered in looking for her. They should work out that she's outside now and leave you alone. unfortunately there is no easy way to find them as they wander about looking for other spiders to eat (their only diet) - so if you are worried, as long as you shake out any clothing which has been lying on the floor, and tap out your shoes before putting them on, then you should be fairly safe from any bites - rare as they are.

Sincerely

Martyn Robinson

LizCaskey - 8.04 PM, 20 April 2010
I have been gardening today and came across heaps of these spiders in my garden, not realising at the time what they were. Last week, my dog came out in a huge ulcer under her collar, which has resulted in a very infected welt which has spread to the eyes, ears and stomach. We saw the vet and have been treating with antibiotics and bathing however it is only healing very slowly. The vet thought it was a "hot spot" however I am now wondering if she has been bitten by one of these spiders. Is it likely a dog would have similar symptoms to some humans and if so, would the treatment be any different?
miss_eliza - 12.03 PM, 27 March 2010
I recently found a large white tail spider in my room which we took outside. Since then i have found four small, what i believe are white tails in my bedroom. is it possible they have hatched in my bedroom? and how exactly do i find them or get rid of them? eeeek. i'm really uncomfortable, and i need to get rid of these suckers so i can rest easy!
Martyn Robinson - 9.03 AM, 25 March 2010

Hello Razputin,    If you either bring us in a specimen of your spiders or, if this is inconvenient, please send in an image to us (j'peg file - not too large please) then we can let you know whether your spiders are White-tails or another species. Like IB Christie (above) we usually just remove ours from inside the house and place them outside. Ours have never caused any trouble and a study of many verified White-tailed Spider bites involving the museum failed to find any which produced necrotic wounds.

IBChristie - 2.02 PM, 04 February 2010
I have just removed a white tail from my work place. I caught it in a glass and released it outside. Given the lack of scientific evidence, as distinct from anecdote, on ulcerating lesions caused by these spiders I have no hesitation in letting them live. I removed this particular spider because a colleague has a slight phobia for spiders.
Razputin - 1.01 PM, 07 January 2010
Hi There. Just a question regarding the sizes of the white-tailed spider. I reside in Sydney's South West, and this summer the white-tails have been unusually active in our household. The ones we are seeing are obviously female due to their size but they are HUGE! Most averaging around 15mm body length but some as large as 25-30mm. Very distinctive white-tailed markings, not just the white tip but the dual bands of white as well, cigar-shaped body. Could these be a different species? We are worried with our 10yo daughter here, as we have heard stories of flesh-eating disorders after a white-tailed bite, but have since researched that these are possible unconfirmed species or alternative factors contributing to these cases. We find that the "window spiders", daddy-long-legs and white tails are living together quite happily in our home. We will shortly be getting the house sprayed but are worried due to the large number we have been seeing this summer that there may be a large infestation. Is it possible that the white-tailed spider may "nest"? Thanks.

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