Hobo Spider, Giant House Spider, and Barn Funnel Weaver Part 2 - The Spiders in Your House

[@travismcenery2919]

References Akre RD, Myhre EH (1991). Biology and medical importance of the aggressive house spider, Tegenaria agrestis, in the Pacific Northwest (Arachnida: Araneae: Agelenidae). Melandaria 47:1-30. Bennett RG, Vetter RS (2004). An approach to spider bites: Erroneous attribution of dermonecrotic lesions to brown recluse or hobo spider bites in Canada. Canadian Family Physician 50:1098-1101. Bennett RG, Vetter RS (2004). An approach to spider bites: Erroneous attribution of dermonecrotic lesions to brown recluse or hobo spider bites in Canada. Canadian Family Physician 50:1098-1101. Binford GJ (2001). An analysis of geographic and intersexual chemical variation in venoms of the spider Tegenaria agrestis (Agelenidae). Toxicon 39:955-968. Dominguez TJ (2004). It’s Not a Spider Bite, It’s Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice 17(3):220-226. Faundez E, et al (2019). Contribution to the knowledge of Tegenaria domestica (Clerck, 1757) (Araneae: Agelenidae) in Southern Patagonia. Anales Instituto Patagonia (Chile) 47(3):43-47. Gaver-Wainwright MM, Zack RS, Foradori MJ, Lavine LC (2011). Misdiagnosis of Spider Bites: Bacterial Associates, Mechanical Pathogen Transfer, and Hemolytic Potential of Venom From the Hobo Spider, Tegenaria agrestis (Araneae: Agelenidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 48(2):382-388. McKeown N, Vetter RS, Hendrickson RG (2014). Verified spider bites in Oregon (USA) with the intent to assess hobo spider venom toxicity. Toxicon 84:51-55. Moran GJ et al. (2006). Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus Infections among Patients in the Emergency Department. The New England Journal of Medicine 355(7):666-674. Oxford, Geoff (2023). The Identification of Members of the Eratigena atrica group of Large house spiders - E. atrica, E. duellica and E. saeva (Agelenidae). Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society 156: Spider Recording Scheme News 105:1-4. Rayner S, Vitkauskaite A, Healy K, Lyons K, McSharry L, Leonard D, Dunbar J, Dugon M (2022) Worldwide Web: High Venom Potency and Ability to Optimize Venom Usage Make the Globally Invasive Noble False Widow Spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell, 1875) (Theridiidae) Highly Competitive against Native European Spiders Sharing the Same Habitats. Toxins 2022, 14, 587. doi.org/10.3390/toxins14090587 Soe GB (1987). Infection Associated With Joystick Mimicking a Spider Bite. Western Journal of Medicine 14(6):748.

[@a_lethe_ion]

re egg-sacks: do the other oone overwinter? bc if not i could think that the layering would be a way to insulate. the spider can stick the stuff on the silk, then weave another layer, trapping a lot of little air pockets in there which would protect the developing spiderlings from the cold. the outer layer is also ofc a good way to hide the stuff- so maybe its also depending on where the spider lives - spiders who live deep in crevices have less reasons to hide a gleaming white egg sack from all those things that want a lil snacc in the last vid you said that in the usa the species have their babies a bit differently so having comparisons there would be interesting. and maybe comparing the viability of different egg sacks in specific environments patagonai includes argentine- we know that in the beginning of 1900 argentine had european immigration and I think treated european immigration prefarably for a bit. so I would assume hat someone from italy or such brought some spiders without meaning and they maybe didnt get a population high enough to persist until the modern age of globalisation changed that

[@johnschuster1770]

Hey, Travis. I'm glad that this episode touched on MRSA. I'm a Registered Nurse with about 40 years of experience. I also like studying "bugs" in general. There was a time when I worked in a female maximum prison infirmary in the southern part of north-central Illinois. During the 6 years that I worked there, there were a moderate amount of scattered reports of MRSA. The patients called them spiders-bites. After a while, the doctor began diagnosing the cases as "MRSA-induced Spider-Bites". My spidy-senses really didn't believe this. The correction officers would do routine cell inspections for contraband. None of them ever saw a spider. All of their infections would either be on their outer shoulders, upper thighs, butts, or upper arms. I deduced that they were getting infected while leaning on the wall while taking a shower. None of the inmates ever reported seeing a spider or feeling the spider bite. I explained my logic to the doctor and I believe that I changed his mind on the cause of the infections. Which didn't take much. Let me put it this way. You would not want to get sick in prison. I really enjoy your videos. What book would you recommend for identifying spiders? Thanks. John

[@kentworch]

This definitely makes sense. Spiders aren't too common in jail/prison. Germs getting passed around makes a lot more sense. Not gonna lie, I've been bitten by spiders on multiple occasions as I often sleep outside on the ground, but never have I had a serious problem result from it. A slightly painful red bump is the worst I've ever had from a spider bite. Getting stung by a wasp or even a yellow jacket is much worse than any spider bite I've ever had. Anyway my mom used to be a nurse, but I'm actually a machinist by trade. I did learn a lot of medical stuff though growing up, and there are quite a bit of different infections that can cause necrotic wounds and even necrotizing fasciitis. Spiders often get wrongfully blamed for something they didn't do.

[@travismcenery2919]

I use Spiders of North America by Sarah Rose. I have a link in the video description if you're interested. And I do receive a small commission when you use it.

[@KT-99problemsbut]

That's quite interesting. I used to work in prison in the UK. It was also a female prison. At one point, the shower room on one wing had to be closed down for deep cleaning bg professionals due to MRSA cases that were linked to the showers. The cause was looked into, and everyone involved was in agreement that a particular drug addict had brought MRSA into the prison through drug usage wounds on her leg. Timing of the cluster of MRSA cases and this particular lady's arrival on the wing of the prison lined up exactly. It was decided that while showering, she'd inadvertently released the MRSA into the environment and caused a number of other women to contract MRSA. With drug addicts being housed there, the number of people with weekend immune systems, broken skin from previous drug use, and insufficient blood supply to extremities was higher than you'd expect in other similarly aged groups of people, so conditions were ideal for such an outbreak. I'm sure a similar situation could occur in a prison anywhere in the world. Sorry for this having absolutely nothing to do with spiders. I just thought it was interesting in regard to this comment.

[@danielmartin7838]

I recall a story from Australia that originated from aboriginal sources that spoke of allowing ants to crawl on a clean cloth before shaking off the ants and using the cloth to dress a wound. An entomologist in the 90’s found this story to be rather curious and decided to test the ants for anything that may lend credence to this story, and he discovered ants (being social insects) excrete a kind of antibiotic which they rub on their bodies to prevent outbreaks within their colonies

[@chongli297]

I can't imagine how horrifying it must be to safely walk on water all my life and then one day it unceremoniously sucks me down to the bottom!

[@yellowandbrown1864]

@@viewer6152why would anyone watch a show for little girls.

[@armchairgeneralissimo]

Aye, she be a cruel mistress.

[@prettylights482]

​@armchairgeneralissimo this had me laughing out loud for a couple minutes. Thanks!

[@blueyl4219]

You should make a mug with the cheese poking at a spider, and the spider has a thought bubble that says “Stupid cheese.” I would buy it.

[@erinhaury5773]

YES ❤

[@Baiswith]

Maybe a jumping spider for the broader cuteness factor lol

[@ravenm6443]

😂 that would be a great mug! I’m sure the spiders feel some type of way about the cheese annoying them.

[@LisaHoneychan]

I’d buy it for sure!

[@edwardallan197]

Great idea! 😂

[@artemisarrow179]

RIP Gary. Gone but not forgotten.

[@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer]

The Lego realization must have been a massive lightbulb moment. That is genius

[@travismcenery2919]

It sort of was. Lego is universal. Good for so many things. Thanks!

[@Aziracelsus]

sadly our resident hobo (or giant house or barn funnel weaver) spider also passed between last video and this one. never could figure out its species or sex, but before moving on from this mortal coil boris became a beloved member of the household--once i learned what to expect from it, which helps SO much with my arachnophobia. thank you for your videos!

[@travismcenery2919]

Sorry to hear that! But thank you so much for your comment, and I'm glad the videos are helpful!

[@karlkiryu8445]

Glad to say this channel is now my “can’t sleep at 3AM so it’s time to look at some cool ass spiders” channel :)

[@edwardallan197]

Me also......

[@artastic_friend]

I live in Oregon. I had (what I believe to be) a female Hobo spider named Persephone. She was such a precious baby and I loved her dearly. It hurts seeing how much hate spiders like her get.. They don’t deserve this mistreatment :(

[@beta0librae]

babe wake up new spiders are in our house you uploaded this at a perfect time. its a perfect break between studying for finals. i still get to learn, but its less agonizing and stressful! i really like the addition of the legos for scale, the pictures made me giggle and its a nice reference to have. the spiders only being able to run for 40 seconds before slowing down makes me feel a lot better about my stamina as well. thanks for another great spider video!

[@l0rf]

Oh you gotta love that wording of no provocation. "Yeah we prodded this wolverine with a sharp stick for 37 hours straight and then went to pet it and it mauled one of the interns. " A fantastic video and beautifully researched. You made me appreciate the spiders I notice in my house far more.

[@travismcenery2919]

So glad I could help you appreciate them better! And yeah, that was a weird way to say "spider gets angry if you make it angry".

[@DeathMetalDerf]

I'm just so happy you are continuing this very important citizen scientist work. I super look forward to each new one because it gives me something way more interesting to talk about this morning in class than the stats homework from last night!

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much! How do your classmates like the discussion? ;)

[@lorrainemunoa791]

RIP Gary. Hooray for the Hobo Spider Swim Team!

[@Xanatrix]

Hey Travis! Thank you once again for providing so much detailed information on spiders. As an adolescent, I'd always been skeptical of the necrosis reputation that Hobo spiders had, and I remember when it started to go away in academic circles; it's awesome to have someone as relatable and witty (your dry wit is impeccable) as you to explain these things for the common person. On a different note, the one thing your series has consistently surprised me on is the sheer accessibility to arachnologists! I had no idea that arachnologists such as Rick Vetter and Dr. Greta Binford were so open to discussion. My (probably extremely erroneous) view of many scientists in any field is that they're inaccessible due to being busy with research and experimentation. In a side note, "less wronger is more better" is definitely something nuclear engineers need hanging around, especially considering all the panic around that particular science. If you don't mind the comparison, your project here feels like the Kyle Hill of arachonology in spirit.

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much! I've learned a lot about talking to arachnologists. They ARE busy people, so it's important to do your homework first. They won't much appreciate being bothered with questions that are too general, could have been answered with a google search, or that are outside their particular area of study. But if you have a specific question about, say, one of their papers, and you've tried to find the answer and are stuck, they're often pretty happy to respond. But the questions need to be specific to their particular work. You can't email an arachnologist and be like "tell me about x spider". But if your question looks more like "In your 2015 paper on x, you found y thing, but I'm unclear on z bit of methodology - can you tell me how that was done?" then you've got a good chance of a response. Thanks so much for the comment, and I'm glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@danielmartin7838]

My brother in law sustained a bite while “camping” with his alcoholic buddies in some woods right off the main drag of a large city in the PNW, which was attributed to a spider bite. Most likely E. agrestis. The bite left a wound that stretched beneath the dermis just below the knee but above the ankle which required regular cleaning that was not all that dissimilar to cleaning a barrel of a rifle with a rod and gauze. Being a tarantula hobbyist and breeder, at the time, and someone with more experience than anyone should have with doctors, I was skeptical about the official medical determination.

[@silvercoyote8829]

The immediate excitement when I saw the notification that you posted is unparalleled

[@pameladaley955]

Me too!

[@travismcenery2919]

Glad to hear it, and thanks for watching!

[@MBroam]

The lego as metric is just brilliant!

[@travismcenery2919]

Thank you, I figured most everyone knows Lego. And who knows maybe it will become the new standard metric.

[@nicolestanley5825]

I spent the summer of 2022 living in D.C. for an internship. When I moved into the bedroom of my apartment, I was about to open the window when I noticed two webs (containing spiders!) were between the glass pane and the screen. I was still terrified of spiders at this point, so I was already averse to opening the window and letting them in, but I also respected them and didn't want to damage their webs. There was one on either end of the window, facing each other, each with its own little funnel. The window was immediately next to my bed, and so I spent much of my time that summer watching them and getting some close-up pictures. It's only when I started watching your channel that my fear of spiders abated, and I suddenly became fascinated with IDing every spider I came across. I went back to those old pictures and, sure enough, they were barn funnel weavers! The one on the left side of the window was much more active, daring to venture out onto the sort of "lawn" of its funnel much more often than the one on the right, which would sit motionless for hours on end waiting for gnats and such. I once saw the right one catch a gnat, and it was a truly brutal affair, pouncing at it like lightning and mercilessly doing it in. I miss my little window pets, I hope that whoever got that room next didn't disturb them!

[@travismcenery2919]

I'm so glad I've been able to help you with your fears! And yes, for such common, nondescript spiders, the barn funnel weaver can be fascinating to watch. I'm glad you had the opportunity to observe them like that - they're incredibly swift when prey happens across their sheet. Thanks so much for the comment!

[@porygon777]

It's so endearing to watch the spiders up close during the cheese test. I thought the pushing away Stupid Cheese with tiny legs and playing dead were especially cute!

[@orcachick2005]

I need a Hobo Spider Swim Team shirt. Please add this to your merch shop!

[@sociallysatanic]

the way you speak of The Cheese always tickles me. these tests are so ridiculous but enlightening. thank you for making these vids about these spiders in particular, i've been really looking forward to learning more about them.

[@zeeeeroin9981]

you always manage to make spiders cute and interesting......you deserve a show on discovery.....or something like it....

[@travismcenery2919]

Aw, thanks so much! They can be pretty cute close up. I'd love to do a compilation of nothing but spiders cleaning their toes - it's adorable when they do that.

[@Katjaneway]

Thank you so much for this video!! I don't like the GHS any better than before but I do appreciate all the work going into making sure everyone knows it's (and the hobo) are not venomous. That makes me feel a lot better about living around them. I also enjoy your humor, as living with mild arachnophobia isn't easy and it helps me watch your videos!

[@travismcenery2919]

Thank you so much for the support! And I'm so glad to hear I've been able to help ease your fears a little. I think many people would underestimate how much a fear like that can affect your life, since we all run into spiders at times. I'm glad I could be helpful, and again, thank you so much!

[@LetsConquerTheUniverseTogether]

They're venomous, just non-aggressive and medically insignificant.

[@paulmartin2166]

As someone who’s studied some entomology, lived in the PNW for decades, and was living in the area of Idaho Falls when Vest disappeared…I found this FASCINATING. I have heard a dozen versions of the “facts “ and haven’t known what to believe. I will definitely sleep more peacefully now, although I will probably continue to be alarmed by the insane SPEED of the hobos. Thank you so much!

[@soranuareane]

I support two people on Pateron: you and Clickspring. Two people I feel deserve my above-and-beyond support. Both of you do incredible work that regularly expands the domain of human knowledge. Thank you for making these videos and presenting these spiders in such a calm way.

[@jessicawilson1751]

Well, I live in Salem, OR, not too far from Portland. I get to now go to bed thinking about this video and how there are so many spiders around. Thanks for making me less afraid of them! They still gross me out but I'm leaving them be or putting them outside.

[@Locut0s]

W00t another episode of TATSIYH! binge watched all of your content after discovering you channel a while back, really love the dedication to detail you have, the fact that you are not at all sensationalist or showy and showcase the common spiders that don’t get enough attention!

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much, and glad to have you here!

[@crashtestdolphin5884]

This is exceptionally well-researched and presented. The scholastic thoroughness is unexpected but certainly appreciated.

[@travismcenery2919]

Thank you so much! It's what I'm shooting for, so it's good to hear that I'm hitting the mark.

[@crazydane6663]

Hello Travis, your videos have been very helpful and are greatly appreciated, as I have recently started keeping various Funnel-Weaver species. Two of mine, both E. Atrica, laid egg sacs the other day. While they have not done the "layer" technique, they have both covered their sacs with materials from within their enclosures (one with sand, the other with paper confetti). Anecdotally, I have a mature male charcoal spider (T. Ferruginea), and despite consistent pestering and handling on numerous occasions, he has never made a threat display or attempted to bite; except one threat display, accompanied by trying to strike me with his forelegs, when I tried to take back a piece of paper he had mistakenly picked up and tried to eat. It's no cheese test, but it's a fun story. Your videos are incredibly comprehensive and well-researched, and I'm excited for every new upload, even if we don't have a majority of the spiders you discuss over here ✨️

[@TyroneTsan]

Brilliant video Travis, I love your scientific approach to thies beautiful and precious spiders. I live in wicklow Ireland and the hobo and giant house spiders are everywhere here. During mating season in the Fall my house can have a population of 10 to 30 males wandering through at any given time. I have never had a problem with them and sometimes I leave out small water soaked sponges for them as I found they are nearly always thirsty. I have a shed in the garden with plenty of females and when I catch the males that's where I release them. I've always been fascinated with all types of spiders and when I was a child was terrified of them. I knew my fear was irrational so I needed to find out as much as I could about why I was so afraid. The more I learned about spiders in general the more interesting they became. Things like some spider silk is as tough as steel!! Or that they have many different types of silk for different purposes. And also most importantly that they are NOT dangerous. I love your videos, your style of presentation is entertaining and factual and backed up with science and published papers on studies! Keep it up. I love spiders! 🕷️🕸️

[@miniotter]

Now I must print flyers with QR codes that link to this video. It is the only way.

[@automaticman2010]

I love your videos man. I’m a science teacher of 22 years and you do a great job.

[@TheCopyNinja733]

Disciplined spiders who are seemingly aware of the power of the venom they carry, whether that truly be the case for their docility or not, is absolutely fascinating.

[@mattheide2775]

Spiders are beautiful. Having said that, in 1999 while living in Spokane many of us were afraid the Hobo Spider. I just checked the bed before sleep and you just scare them away. They run quickly. I lived in a basement at the time. Spiders are the only thing that keep us safe from the insects😊

[@thepollylama6413]

Tacoma here, Hobo spider misinformation is what made me fall in love with spiders lol.

[@MeDonkin]

Spokane here. Just bought a house loaded with hobos and they Love my room. The ibfo in these videos helps though

[@kentworch]

Thank you Travis for the awesome and highly informative video. Excellent work as always. I've always had facination and love for spiders, and it's always cool to learn more about these amazing creatures. I personally like keeping spiders around the house as they do help eat the pests. Spiders always seem to get a bad reputation that they don't deserve. They are pretty much always welcome guests to me though, and unless a web is built right in the middle of where we gotta walk, they're left alone and get a warm welcome. If they web is right where people gotta walk, I'm usually the one that takes care of it by relocating the spider a few feet (usually less than 3 meters) away. I absolutely love spiders, and definitely try to protect the ones that come around. I really wish more people saw them the way I do, as there would probably be less flies in the neighborhood I live in here in South Carolina. Anyway, thank you Travis for everything you do. I greatly appreciate your work.🤘🤘

[@theboregasms]

I'm so thankful for you and your channel, Travis. Spiders have always been some of my most favorite creatures, and you deliver such intriguing, engaging, and informative content about them. I really appreciate your academic approach that informs in a warm and friendly way, and the way you involve scientists and educators. Keep up the fantastic work, and have a great holiday!

[@lonk2026]

really enjoyed the lego photoshoot, genuinely helpful at displaying size, plus just cute. great video!

[@MyWildBackyard]

Very well done. Setups and payoffs are masterfully done, keeps the pacing strong! Also great dry humor. A+

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks, Spencer! Glad you enjoyed it, looking forward to your next video.

[@canopy9244]

Bored on a work trip and figured I'd see if I missed any of your videos. Started watching only to realize that this only released an *hour ago.* Pretty happy I caught this

[@misscazzybee]

You had me laughing hard. I love the Lego, the nervous looking banana for scale and the dry wit. Will be subscribing and making my way through your videos over the coming weeks. Thanks for these 😊

[@jimmysjamin1]

Travis Im extremely impressed with both episodes, so well done. Im currently housing what I believe are 2 grass spiders pardon my not recognizing their scientific names. It took me forever to learn the scientific names for my Tarantulas, but with time I will get them down. These two are possible Barn funnel weavers too maybe so either grass or barn they are not real big yet but Im offering as much food as they will take, once grown Im sure Identity will become clear. So again, thanks so much. I can't stop watching. Stay blessed, Travis 🙏

[@johnsimon2988]

I appreciate your videos Travis. Spiders, snakes, you name it, I love em. Catching spiders by hand in the house impresses the grandkids.

[@travismcenery2919]

Thank you so much for the support! I appreciate it a lot. And it's great you're showing your grandkids that spiders are not to be feared (generally). Thank you, and Happy New Year to you!

[@watrgrl2]

I grew up in the Puget Sound region and I will never forget the size of the European Giant House spiders we had when I lived in Seattle. One was the size of a tarantula at least as big as my hand and was found low on the bathroom wall. We had two visitors from Europe staying with us at the time and when they saw this thing it even freaked them out. My bedroom was in the basement and I would routinely find them all over. Our home was infested with them but that one in the upstairs bathroom was the largest I had ever seen. Needless to say I went around and vacuumed the dickens out of the house top to bottom and stuffed tissue into any cracks I could find to deter their ingress. To this day I examine all wall and ceiling surfaces of any room I enter and I won’t sleep in a bed that is close to a wall. I now live near Portland Oregon where we seem to have an abundance of yellow sac spiders in addition to the hobo spiders but not as much of the Giant European House spiders. Always there are the spindly long legged cellar spiders and lots of daddy long legs out doors here.

[@curbozerboomer1773]

FYI...I am a fellow Seattle person...Growing up, my bedroom was a "spare room, attached to my parent's garage. I had a few Rock Star-type of posters on the wall...several times, at night, I would hear what I thought was the sound of a spider, creeping over a poster!...IT WAS TRUE!....The body on those spiders frequently could measure just under an inch in length, and a good half inch laterally...those long legs might span 3-4 inches!...and they can really move quickly!...being a young, scared kid, I would shoot them down with rubber bands!...Now, I feel guilty! Turns out, these Giant European spiders originally came to the Seattle area, over 130 years ago, hitching a ride from the ships that held thousands of Swedish/Norwegian immigrants...Seattle had a huge influx of Europeans folks back then, and even to this day, a large section of Seattle has thousands of 3rd-4th generation of Scandinavians. That is fine with me--I like blonde ladies!

[@witiwap86]

I demand that from now on you describe all of your spiders' sizes in relation to lego bump size. Seriously though great video

[@marksando3082]

I love this series. Thank you so much, this is fascinating.

[@leannaerickson9745]

EPIC!!Absolutely wonderful documentation. Loved the Tech Specs. You must have very strong knee joints to endure so much time getting those great close-ups of the spiders. I especially enjoyed Dr. Greta Binford. I'll have to check for more of her work. If these episodes were viewed by more high school students, we'd have more budding arachnologists (as well as other other types of field biologists). "Wild thing(s), you make my heart sing." Thanks to you and everyone on your team.🕷🕸

[@travismcenery2919]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Both Rick and Greta were wonderful to work with, and I'll probably be working with them again in the future. Also, a part of what I try to convey in these videos is how science is actually done. It's really cool to see how one scientist's work builds on that of others, and it's such a collaborative effort. I'm hoping to communicate that, particularly to young people.

[@alexsky9345]

Really been loving these videos! I've watched like three of them straight through. Well earned subscription, I love your work! Thanks for creating it and sharing with us all :)

[@JonnyPsyclo]

Love this channel. Can't deny it's niche but love the approach and detailed and entertaining info!

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

[@KGreens_Art]

Love your videos. I’ve been living in a temperate rainforest so you can’t avoid spiders. If you clear a spider territory another one will soon come claim it. It took maybe two years, but I got over my paranoia about spiders in the house. Its actually less stressful for me to leave them be.

[@perrytaylor5652]

So happy anytime I see a new video from this channel. SO INFORMITIVE! I have learned so much from this channel that has helped me explain to others why they shouldn't fear most spiders and should appreciate their complexity and benefits to nature. Thank you for that!

[@fizzplease6742]

This is maybe a bit silly but I really love your opening jingle.

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks!

[@2horses4U]

I live in Europe and every september the giant housespider males land in my bath and cant climb out anymore (I realy dont know why they think they will find ladies there, maybe the only want to smell nice?) And I always pick them up in my hands and put them where I know the ladies are. Not even once in the 40 + years I do that, one has bitten me, not even a pinch or threath poses. They just dont bite. The real threat for them are the much smaller and delicate looking cellerspider, who adore to live in my bathroom. These little guys often eat the big housies if they come across one! Thanks for these immensely interesting facts about spiders, I subbed since the very first episode and I look out to every new one!

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks for the support and for sticking with me so long! Glad you're enjoying the channel.

[@Napoleonwilson1973]

Agreed the cellar spider is their nemesis the giant house spider is a cool animal one crawled under my pillow this year cheeky bugger had to move him, but he was just chilling there 😂

[@chicken_person]

I'm a photographer, and macro photography is one of my favorite genres, with spiders as my favorite subject. I'm not a master by any means, but I figured I'd try to put in my two cents. I think that using a diffusion material on the light would be good for making the macro video clearer. There are a number of different options, but for macro, I particularly like a type of diffuser which sits on the front of the lens with an elastic band. The biggest potential problem I see there is that you need a somewhat brighter light (and constant video lights are generally dimmer than flashes), and the diffuser adds something potentially awkward and floppy to the front of the lens. However, I find that the lighting tends to be the best with it. Additionally, on top of stopping down the aperture, I would personally shorten the shutter speed by up to a stop. I think it would make it a lot clearer when trying to determine whether it's a bite or just a threat display in slow motion.

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much! I think you're right, some kind of diffused light would be ideal. Alternatively, I've considered mounting a ring light above the cheese - only downside there is that it needs to be plugged into something, so there's a cable management issue but that might be solvable. As for shutter speed, one major drawback of the Pentax K-5ii is that its video capability was very obviously an afterthought. I don't actually have manual control over the shutter speed. I can force the aperture but that's about it, really. The camera does a great job of the still photos, though.

[@chicken_person]

@@travismcenery2919 Ah, I had no idea about the shutter speed. It's a shame, but the smaller aperture also makes things clearer, so once the lighting is sorted out it should hopefully be easier. I'm glad that I was able to be useful - I was a little worried at first that my comment might come across as nitpicky or rude. Please keep it up with these great videos!

[@AndieTartSweet]

I used to have severe arancaphobia, but my cousin and I bred his OBTs only for all the babies to escaped through the air holes. I was then forced to live amongst genuinely dangerous animals. They got in the walls and all over the place, so I’d regularly come face to face with growing OBTs. Wouldn’t you guess not a single one of those tarantulas thought to waste their venom on my tree trunk of a body. Eventually they all died due to improper climate/being eaten by house centipedes. I learned a vaulesble lesson though. You gotta remember you’re the big scary, even the literally most aggressive spiders on the planet aren’t gonna pick on you. Your home is also the bugs home and they have every right to defend their property if you’re feeling egotistical or delusional that the spider has a vendetta against you. Hobo spider has a fitting name just like how humans view homeless people as villian and seen as dangerous scum! We are the terrible species not the spiders! Xoxo

[@blueberry5574]

Your scale method is brilliant.

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks, glad it was helpful!

[@travismcenery2919]

That does sound like some kind of infection - being actual punctures, it can happen. Sorry it happened to you! Glad you're enjoying the channel, and thanks for the comment!

[@bt9565]

Awesome video! Thank you for your amazing research and dedication!

[@aarenmoore4842]

I highly recommend buying acrylic spider terrariums for photographing and videos! They are crystal clear and I have been able to get great photos through them without the worry of spiders escaping!

[@hazeleyes5150]

In February 2017, while living in southern Oregon, I woke up with a bite above my lip. It was a red bump that didn’t itch or sting. It wasn’t sore like a zit. It was more warm than anything. Within 24 hours it started necrosis and my lymph nodes swelled up. It just formed a black crater. When I went to urgent care they diagnosed it as a spider bite and I got a run of antibiotics. I do wish they would find what it is. My first grandchild was born that weekend, so my daughter called it a sign of being a grandmother.

[@gastllyxo]

Babe wake up spider dad just dropped another banger

[@NoFlowerPolicy]

I never used to see any cellar spiders in my home (UK) but a lot of very large giant house spiders, for my whole life until a few years ago when cellar spiders started showing up. The cellar spiders have absolutely decimated the house spiders, the webs regularly have the much larger house spiders wrapped up bodies in them. Makes me a little sad for them TBH. Great video BTW.

[@tomtomlin3408]

Thanks for the channel and these great videos. Keep em coming...

[@ab-du6sw]

You've gone a long way toward changing my attitude about spiders. I've not picked up the 'spider spray' can in quite awhile. I used to think of them as nuisances while appreciating their keeping down the bug population in the house. It's the ones up in the corners of a room (cobweb I think) whose bite itches for 3 days that I dislike mostly. The others aren't a bother. I'm now looking for a 'practical' guide book that will help me identify them and their habits so I don't kill any out of ignorance for their usefulness or 'cause I think they might be a danger to my dogs (Huskies have their nose into everything).. Thanks and keep the info coming.

[@johngoodwin9606]

Just ordered Sarah Rose's spider id book. Looking forward to browsing it. I plan to spend more time photographing spiders - and not just "jumpers" - so I can try to id them. Great video.

[@beothboerboel]

The giant house spiders that we get are much bigger than what you show. I saw one that was so huge I thought I was in Australia. My daughter saw two. I had an infestation of giant house spiders. I captured 17 in 2 weeks time. I have PTSD (truly) of spiders now.

[@travismcenery2919]

Sorry to hear that! But yes, they can get pretty big, bigger than what I had here.

[@spyrofrost9158]

I remember all those years staying over at my grandparents in their beautiful finished basement. They always warned us. Don't leave anything on the floor or the hobo spiders will get you. Thanks, grandparents, for passing on that old misbegotten wisdom and forever scarring me!

[@Eli-el7mr]

Always happy to see your videos! Thanks for putting out such high quality, well researched and entertaining stuff, you have completely converted me from hating spiders to finding their presence almost...friendly? I have no ill will towards them now, and I credit you entirely for that. Thank you again for all that you do, and the assuredly hard work you put into every video! Happy Holidays Travis

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much for this! I'm so happy I've been able to help change your feelings toward these creatures - nobody needs more anxiety in this economy. ;) And they're really fascinating once you start to learn about them. Happy Holidays to you as well!

[@ainselart]

This kind of video is highly helpful for arachnophobic people, thank you a lot !

[@travismcenery2919]

You're most welcome, and thank you so much!

[@dshobe720]

Fantastic as usual. The var keeps getting higher. I have 2 of your mugs they crack me up. Thats excuting you got to verify a species via microscopy. Keep it up brother

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much for your support! I'm glad you're enjoying the channel so much. And yeah, I was excited to confirm that was E. atrica! I should have some more fun merch coming in the new year... ;)

[@LadyKakizaki]

Hey Travis! Watching this a third time and only now did I notice the "technician specs" so now I have an excuse to rewatch all of them! Woo! Man I love your videos so much, I learn something new every time I watch them, and I've been able to apply SO much to my career. Thank you SO much for all the effort you put into these videos! Happy New Year! - Charlotte Edit: I almost called you out at 39:24- I thought the specs of dirt were babies! After rewatching I realised they were dirt.

[@travismcenery2919]

I'm so glad these videos are helpful to you. I recall that you work in pest control, and let me just say that I very much appreciate that you seek to educate and remove fears, rather than playing on them for an excuse to deploy chemicals. Keep up that good work.

[@LadyKakizaki]

@@travismcenery2919 Thank you for saying so! I really strive to minimise chemical usage but every now and then there’s a situation where we just have to, like yellow jackets inside a home, roach infestations, etc. Most of my long-term clients have become much more comfortable with spiders in and around the house since I began working with them and that’s a huge part of why I do what I do. Thanks again for the positive words :)

[@Wynn01]

I don't know what it is about the Giant House Spiders, whether it was spiders themselves, the better focus, or the creepier lighting, but they give me goose bumps, while the other two didn't. Very cool with though.

[@smiller9706]

Hobos are cool spiders. They don't want to mess with you at all. I had one crawl inside my apartment and just chilled on my wall. I got close to it and it didn't tense up or do anything. I pretty much said you can stay but you get in my bed your getting killed or caught and tossed back in the cold. She was a female she was gone after 2 hours. Slowly manadering away. Best roommate ever. Dog barked at it and it was like whatever. Worst roommate was a Brazilian red banded T that escaped out of a neighbors enclosure and took my home as refuge. Called my apartment complex and stayed in my bed with 17 glue traps set around my bed. I slept in my bed with my dog. Good news it died by going out my sliding door by a small gap. And perished on my porch by the cold front hitting them like box of rocks. Bad news it is an endangered species and person who had them was quickly evicted and found to have multiple Ts without the complex managements awareness. They were breeding them to sell.

[@garywilliams5440]

I am a janitor. One of the buildings I clean has predominately cellar spiders. I was trying to wipe them out. Until I saw how good they were at killing small bugs. I only kill the largest of them.

[@edwardallan197]

Leggo fun aside, I love Travis's intellectual skepticism about sloppy science, the cheese test, and many other things.

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!

[@matthillthehatmill8889]

This channel goes so hard, can't wait til you gain some traction

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much!

[@gorgonm3208]

23:57 The game sounds like Kung-Fu Master, which was one of the most popular arcade games at the time and which has two attack buttons and joystick controls.

[@travismcenery2919]

I never played a lot of arcades but my friends did, and that one sounds familiar. Was Street Fighter out by that point? Can't recall.

[@inf0dump13]

I have kept Giant House spiders before, and they also cover their egg sacs in a layer of debris. However, the ones I have observed didn't wrap the debris-covered egg sac in an extra outer layer of silk, so it just looked like a loose clump of debris rather than a silk-wrapped ball of debris.

[@ItIsWhatItIs8120]

She gave cheese a slap or two and then said nah I'm gone😊

[@frogz]

dang, you're really starting to make some good high quality content, i hope your channel grows huge! you're using an authentic cheese test!!! i havnt had many cool spiders lately as it is so cold in IL, only a few orbweavers lately and a yellow sack spider or 2

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much! I do try to keep improving. Now that winter is here, there aren't many spiders around here either.

[@skyeranger]

Thank you for this wonderfull video and trying to right the reputation of these animals. Had to laugh at the idea of these spiders being aggressive since I catched for sure more than a hundred with my bare hands and never was bitten and never really noticed a threatpose with the spiders being contept to sit or walk around on ones hand or arm.

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks so much! And yes, they seem to be pretty chill. Thalia was a little high-strung but I might have been too after the soapy-water incident.

[@elfieblue3175]

I sell cheese for a living and I love my house spiders. Can confirm: cheese does not know when to quit. Occasionally I get a couple of babies descending in the middle of my kitchen from the light fixture, right in front of my face, but I chalk that up to reckless youth. They get transferred to the spider plant in the corner. The cheese, on the other hand, when it falls from the ceiling, it has a lot of explaining to do.

[@terrafirma5327]

Hey Travis, if you haven't seen My Wild Backyard recently did a video on hobo spiders where he had it bite him. A very nice thing for him to do, as I was just frustrated that hobo spider had such a bad rep despite evidence from University of Utah and others.

[@Cobra6Gaming]

My man, you are a legend. Greatly enjoy your videos every time, good subject matter and nice sense of humor, keep it up!

[@travismcenery2919]

Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@ronaldmcdonald8303]

I'm glad you have a passion for spiders 🕷 some people just kill every spider they come across!

[@hemlock40]

This dive into the giant house spiders was very interesting. I moved from Californina to semi rural Portugal and was quite intimidated by the size, movement, and speed after discovering these guys are everywhere here. The webs are wide and sticky, really big. These E. Atrica for sure. I get reminded of the barn scene in the movie Arachnaphobia. They get big too. They are so fast that i have not devised a safe way to catch and release them. In some places like a barn shed there are 50 large webs. I prefer they live their best lives away from my woodshop and house. Peppermint oil?

[@truantverreaux5483]

your videos are always so well researched and its even cool to see that you even talk to scientists about the spiders. i love these videos

[@travismcenery2919]

Thanks! And it was SUPER-kind of Rick and Greta to take the time to talk with me, and let me use clips. Both of them are great people.

[@martinkaleczinski9481]

Some years ago, I wanted to start my own little Tarantula collection. And to get some usage and experience with their speed as spiderlings, I first "trained" by keeping some E. atrica. Thats when I learned how harmless they are. I was never bitten when handling them or even got a threat pose. And here in Germany, our E. atricas get way bigger than the ones you had in the video.

[@fireblow6842]

giant house spiders are pure love for me. I've got some in my basement and I always have to contain myself to not cuddle them

[@y4udodis]

Your video quality is so good

[@travismcenery2919]

Thank you so much!

[@ravenm6443]

As a born US citizen, I apologize we don’t use the metric system. It truly is a conundrum on why our early nation leaders felt the need to be freakin weird 😂 Great video as always!

[@tomaspabon2484]

Okay the Lego shots are weirdly adorable.

[@travismcenery2919]

Glad you liked them! I had fun with it.

[@lynnfern2116]

My husband & I live in very rural mid-west Wales. I have never knowingly received a spider bite, but my husband has frequently woken in the morning with inflamed double bite marks.

[@samvimes5124]

All points taken well.... However,...after watching this video, I did have to give my shoes a bang on the ground before I put them on.

[@travismcenery2919]

Fair enough! Thanks for the comment!

[@chefnerd]

Excellent as always!

[@Moewenfels]

Awww Travis :D Reading the supplementary cam text a little bit i'd just like to say i wish you'd not fuss about imposter syndrome. You are doing wonderful work with a LOT of effort and thought put into it. It's certainly going to be a proccess, but please. The next 20 times you fuss over being an imposter or not, think of me. And no - you did not fool me into thinking youre competent. You clearly are competent and i'd love to see many more videos from YOU on this fascinating topic :)

[@travismcenery2919]

Aw, thanks so much! I'm getting a little more comfortable in this science-y world but it still creeps in here and there. But I appreciate it, and thanks for the comment!

[@MrHavadollar]

Thank you so much for finishing this up. I did feel like some things were left hanging a little bit and I remember you made your intent clear that you had more to say. I'm glad you did the experiment. Here's some advice on the experiment, though. You should wear a mask. Sounds dumb, I know, but our breath has a numbing effect on a lot of susceptible arthropods. I think it might affect the cheese test a little. It just so happens that our looking eyes are pointed the same direction as our breathy mouths, so trying to follow and observe something, we're breathing on it. Who knew? Example of experience in this regard. I kept orb weavers for a long time and when I have the opportunity (and my family doesn't know about it) I still do. Most of the time I let them stay where they are, usually hanging out at porch lights. If I notice a neighbor destroying the web or killing a spider, I tend to rescue them by putting them in a big "critter keeper" where I throw moths and mayflies into their webs to keep them fed. I do this until the neighbors move out (happens a lot in a condo complex). When I do this, the first thing I do to the spider is to breathe on it. They tend to retreat significantly slower than if I simply tap the structural web with a pen. The only spiders I noticed weren't affected were latrodectus black widows. I just simply think they are too hearty to succumb to a human breath weapon like that. I do think a lot of softer ground spiders might still react. Just something to experiment with.

[@katynosework]

Love the Firefly reference 25.33

[@travismcenery2919]

So glad somebody caught that... thanks!

[@ToniosPlaylist]

Yes!! Less wronger is more better!! And I got two of them! Thankies

[@travismcenery2919]

Thank you, andnyhank you for supporting the channel.

[@heathenmomma]

I had a lot of barn funnel weavers at my old apartment. They're fantastic roomies. I also had a brief experience with an adorable Attulus fasciger (Asiatic Wall Jumping Spider), I tried to offer it a mealworm, but it was way too big for her. I managed to get a really great pic of her with my Pixel 5, and I wish I could share it here, words can't do that little cutie any justice. Another great video though, sir! I also need to get one of those mugs... lol

[@travismcenery2919]

Attulus are adorable, yeah! We've got them here, too. And I get along with our barn funnel weavers really well. Thanks!

[@Liccarus]

Mildly harassing spiders with cheese is the content i subscribe for.

[@thatprogramer]

Yay you are back!!!