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Local spider information

Spider control in California

Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.

Spiders in California: what to know

Around California

Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.

What to note

Where you see spiders, how long it has been going on, and anything you’ve already tried are the most useful details to mention.

A useful next step

Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to identify the problem yourself before getting in touch.

Local research

Spiders in California: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which spiders actually live in California, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

the brown recluse spider has NEVER established breeding populations in California!
Brown recluse in California

Necrotic wounds in California are almost never recluse bites.

UC Riverside Spider Research
about 20,000 spiders have been turned in by concerned Californians and none have been brown recluses
Spiders submitted by Californians identified as brown recluse

Identification before treatment saves money and worry.

UC Riverside Spider Research

Spider species recorded in California

  • Western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) — 'The black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus, is the most common harmful spider in California' and 'occur in most parts of California' (UC IPM); 'common in Colorado' (CSU); Lat…
  • Yellow sac spider (Cheiracanthium spp.) — 'Can be seen running on walls and ceilings at night'; bites happen when 'trapped against a person's skin in clothing or bedding' (UC IPM). One of two spiders of medical signific…
  • Desert recluse (Loxosceles deserta) — California's 'south eastern deserts are home to several related native species such as the desert recluse spider'; the brown recluse itself has 'NEVER established breeding popul…

When spiders are busiest in California

Black widows 'occur in most parts of California' and are the main spider that can cause serious injury (UC IPM); widow bites concentrate in summer months.

'In California, the main spider that can cause serious injury is the black widow' (UC IPM). 'While the brown recluse has occasionally been brought into California in household furnishings, firewood, and motor vehicles, there are no breeding populations in the state.'

Rules that apply in California

For context, nationally

  • Throughout North America, but are most common in the southern and western United States — Black widow distribution. CDC/NIOSH
  • In the midwestern and southern United States — Brown recluse distribution. CDC/NIOSH

Sources: Brown Recluse Spiders? Not in California!; UC Riverside Spider Research; CDC/NIOSH; Pest Notes: Spiders (PN 7442). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore California cities

Anaheim, California cityscape

Anaheim

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Bakersfield, California cityscape

Bakersfield

Semi-Arid · urban setting

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Chula Vista, California cityscape

Chula Vista

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Fremont, California cityscape

Fremont

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Fresno, California cityscape

Fresno

Semi-Arid · urban setting

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Glendale, California cityscape

Glendale

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Huntington Beach, California cityscape

Huntington Beach

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Irvine, California cityscape

Irvine

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Long Beach, California cityscape

Long Beach

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Los Angeles, California cityscape

Los Angeles

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Modesto, California cityscape

Modesto

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Moreno Valley, California cityscape

Moreno Valley

Semi-Arid · suburban setting

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Oakland, California cityscape

Oakland

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Ontario, California cityscape

Ontario

Semi-Arid · urban setting

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Oxnard, California cityscape

Oxnard

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Rancho Cucamonga, California cityscape

Rancho Cucamonga

Semi-Arid · suburban setting

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Riverside, California cityscape

Riverside

Semi-Arid · urban setting

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Sacramento, California cityscape

Sacramento

Mediterranean · urban setting

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San Bernardino, California cityscape

San Bernardino

Semi-Arid · urban setting

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San Diego, California cityscape

San Diego

Mediterranean · urban setting

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San Francisco, California cityscape

San Francisco

Mediterranean · urban setting

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San Jose, California cityscape

San Jose

Mediterranean · urban setting

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San Mateo, California cityscape

San Mateo

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Santa Ana, California cityscape

Santa Ana

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Santa Clarita, California cityscape

Santa Clarita

Semi-Arid · suburban setting

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Santa Rosa, California cityscape

Santa Rosa

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Stockton, California cityscape

Stockton

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Sunnyvale, California cityscape

Sunnyvale

Mediterranean · urban setting

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Fontana, California cityscape

Fontana

Hot-Summer Mediterranean · urban setting

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Ask about spider control in California