Spring is the perfect time of year. The weather’s beautiful, flowers are blooming, spiders are…everywhere. Humans aren’t the only creatures taking advantage of the warmer weather and in fact, many spider species wait for the spring to lay eggs and start exploring their world.

Here are a few of the most prevalent spider species found in homes this spring. Some are completely harmless and in fact eat pesky pests like mosquitoes; others are poisonous, however, and should only be handled by a pest control professional.

Yellow Sac Spider
This spider is a “wandering” species, prone to scuttle all over the house. They’re sometimes yellow, often at least 1″ long (including legs) and are most active at night. They’re not poisonous to humans but they’re pretty scary looking.

Garden Spider
Another harmless spider that’s actually great for gardens, the Garden Spider can be identified by its yellow and black stripes. These spiders can be enormous and feast on everything from aphids to flies. They’re commonly found in tropical, humid areas like Hawaii.

Cellar Spider
There are several varieties of cellar spiders, most identified by their long legs. They crave the cool, damp spaces in homes, most notably the cellar. They’re not poisonous to people or pets. Granddaddy Long-Legs are a type of cellar spider.

European House Spiders (aka Hobo Spiders)
Some of the most commonly seen house spiders, hobos aren’t poisonous. They’re usually brown in color, slightly hairy, and vary in size from about 2/9th of an inch to dime-sized. They’re web builders so they’re usually found in or around the large webs they construct to trap prey.

Black Widow
Everyone knows the Black Widow is poisonous but most don’t know how to spot them. Identified by red markings (sometimes hourglass-shaped) on the abdomen, females are larger and carry more venom. Males may be brown or even gray with no red markings at all – if you suspect you’ve been bitten by a Black Widow seek medical attention immediately.

Wolf Spider
The Wolf Spider’s bite can be slightly poisonous to humans but never fatal. The American variety is large, brown and carries its egg sack on top of its body. These critters are good at camouflage so they’re difficult to spot in the home.

If you’ve seen any of these pesky spider species in or around your home, call an extermination company in your area immediately. Whether or not you believe you’ve got poisonous spiders it’s better to be safe than sorry this time of year.