Common Spiders in Billings and When to Call Best Pest Control

If you’ve lived in Billings for any length of time, you’ve probably had a run-in with a spider or two. Maybe it was a big, hairy wolf spider racing across your basement floor. Or perhaps you spotted a web tucked into the corner of your garage and wondered what was lurking inside. Either way, spiders are a fact of life here in Montana, and while most of them are harmless, some can be cause for real concern.

At Best Pest Control Billings, we get calls about spiders year-round, but especially when temperatures start to drop in the fall. That’s when these eight-legged visitors start looking for warm places to spend the winter, and your home looks pretty inviting. We’ve put together this guide to help you identify the most common spiders in Billings, understand when they’re just a nuisance versus a genuine threat, and know when it’s time to call in the professionals.

Why Spiders Are Common in Billings Homes

Billings sits in an interesting spot. We’ve got the Yellowstone River valley, plenty of open rangeland, and a mix of urban and rural environments that create the perfect conditions for spider populations to thrive. Our relatively dry climate means spiders often come indoors looking for moisture, especially during summer droughts. And when fall rolls around, they’re seeking warmth and shelter from Montana’s harsh winters.

But here’s the thing most people don’t realize: spiders follow their food. If you’ve got insects in or around your home, spiders will show up to hunt them. Common household pests like flies, ants, and moths are basically a buffet invitation for spiders. So if you’re seeing a lot of webs, there’s a good chance you’ve got an insect problem too.

Spiders typically enter homes through:

• Gaps around doors and windows
• Cracks in the foundation
• Openings around utility lines and pipes
• Vents and chimneys
• Firewood brought indoors

Hobo spiders are especially active in Billings homes from August through November. This is their mating season, and males wander extensively looking for females. That’s why you’ll often see them out in the open during this time, rather than hiding in their webs.

Identifying Common Spider Species in the Billings Area

Not all spiders are created equal, and knowing what you’re dealing with can help you decide how urgently you need to act. Here’s a breakdown of the spiders we encounter most often in Billings homes.

Wolf Spiders

These are the ones that really get people’s hearts racing. Wolf spiders are big, sometimes reaching up to two inches across including their legs. They’re brown and hairy, with stout bodies built for chasing down prey rather than spinning webs. You’ll often spot them in basements, garages, and ground-level areas of your home.

The good news? Wolf spiders aren’t aggressive toward humans. They’re actually beneficial because they eat a lot of pest insects. But we understand that “beneficial” doesn’t make it any easier to sleep when you know one’s prowling around your bedroom. These spiders are fast runners, which makes encounters with them particularly startling.

Hobo Spiders

Hobo spiders are sometimes called “aggressive house spiders,” though that name is a bit misleading. They’re not actually aggressive toward people. The name comes from their tendency to charge toward things in their path, including your feet, rather than running away. They’re just not great at seeing where they’re going.

These spiders are light brown with a chevron pattern on their abdomen and measure about half an inch in body length. They build funnel-shaped webs in dark, undisturbed areas like basement corners, window wells, and behind furniture. Hobo spiders are one of the most common spider species we deal with in Billings, particularly from late summer through fall.

Black Widow Spiders

This is the one you need to take seriously. Black widow spiders are present in the Billings area, and their venom is medically significant. Females are the ones to watch for. They’re glossy black with that distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of their abdomen, and they’re about the size of a paper clip.

Black widows are reclusive by nature. They prefer dark, undisturbed spots like woodpiles, sheds, outdoor furniture, and storage areas. Bites are rare and usually happen when someone accidentally disturbs a spider. If you’re bitten by a black widow, seek medical attention immediately. The venom affects the nervous system and can cause serious symptoms, especially in children and older adults.

We always recommend wearing gloves when moving firewood, stored boxes, or working in sheds and crawl spaces where black widows might be hiding.

House Spiders and Cellar Spiders

These are your everyday, run-of-the-mill spiders that most Billings residents are used to seeing. Common house spiders are small, usually around a quarter inch, and they’re the ones responsible for those cobwebs in your corners and basements. Cellar spiders (sometimes called daddy longlegs spiders) have small bodies with extremely long, thin legs. They hang upside down in loose, messy webs.

Neither of these spider types poses any real threat to humans. They’re not aggressive, and their fangs aren’t strong enough to cause significant harm even if they did bite. Most people consider them more of a nuisance than anything else. That said, heavy populations of cobweb spiders can make your home look unkempt, and nobody wants that.

Signs of a Spider Infestation in Your Home

A spider or two isn’t unusual, but how do you know when you’ve crossed the line from “normal” to “infestation”? Here are the signs we tell our customers to watch for:

Multiple webs appearing regularly. If you’re cleaning webs out of the same corners every week and they keep coming back, you’ve got an established spider population.

Live spiders spotted frequently. Seeing a spider once in a while is expected. Seeing several per week, or finding them in multiple rooms, suggests a bigger problem.

Egg sacs. Spider egg sacs look like small, silky balls or pouches, often attached to webs or hidden in crevices. Each sac can contain dozens to hundreds of eggs. Finding these means you could soon have many more spiders than you do now.

Spiders in unusual places. When spiders start showing up in your shower, kitchen, or bedroom instead of just the basement or garage, their population may be pushing them into new territory.

Seasonal spikes. A sudden increase in spider activity, especially in late summer and fall, often indicates that spiders are migrating into your home in numbers.

We also recommend checking less-visible areas like attics, crawl spaces, and the areas behind appliances. Spiders love quiet spots where they won’t be disturbed.

DIY Spider Prevention Tips for Montana Homeowners

Before you call in professional help, there are several steps you can take to make your home less appealing to spiders. These won’t solve a serious infestation, but they’re good habits for ongoing prevention.

Seal entry points. Inspect your home’s exterior for gaps around doors, windows, utility lines, and the foundation. Caulk cracks and install door sweeps. Remember, if a pencil can fit through a gap, so can most spiders.

Reduce clutter. Spiders love hiding spots. Cluttered basements, garages, and storage areas are prime real estate for them. Keep boxes off the floor when possible and organize stored items so you can see what’s behind them.

Vacuum regularly. This removes not just spiders but also their webs and egg sacs. Pay special attention to corners, baseboards, and the areas behind furniture. A vacuum is one of the most effective spider control tools you own.

Trim vegetation away from your home. Shrubs, bushes, and tree branches that touch your house create highways for spiders to get inside. Keep plants at least a foot away from exterior walls.

Address moisture issues. Many spider species are drawn to damp areas. Fix leaky pipes, improve ventilation in basements and crawl spaces, and use dehumidifiers if needed.

Control outdoor lighting. Lights attract insects, and insects attract spiders. Consider switching to yellow “bug light” bulbs for exterior fixtures, or keep porch lights off when they’re not needed.

Move firewood away from the house. Woodpiles are spider magnets, especially for black widows. Store firewood at least 20 feet from your home and inspect any wood before bringing it inside.

When to Call a Professional Pest Control Service

DIY methods work well for prevention and minor spider problems, but there are situations where professional help is the smarter choice.

You’ve found venomous spiders. If you’ve identified black widows in or around your home, we strongly recommend having a professional handle the situation. These spiders often hide in hard-to-reach places, and the risk of being bitten during amateur removal isn’t worth it.

DIY methods aren’t working. If you’ve been vacuuming, sealing entry points, and keeping things clean but spiders keep appearing, there may be an underlying issue that requires professional treatment. Sometimes the source of the problem is in a crawl space, attic, or wall void that’s difficult to access.

You’re seeing large numbers of spiders. A true infestation requires more than just cleaning and prevention. Professional treatments create barriers that prevent spiders from entering and target the insects that spiders feed on.

You have health concerns. Some people have severe reactions to spider bites, and children and elderly family members may be more vulnerable. If anyone in your household is at higher risk, it’s worth having a professional assess and treat your spider problem.

At Best Pest Control Billings, we check all the places spiders love to hide, including attics, crawl spaces, and even wood piles around your property. We’ll find where they’re coming from and eliminate them at the source.

What to Expect During a Professional Spider Treatment

If you’ve never had professional pest control before, you might be wondering what the process looks like. Here’s what typically happens when you schedule a spider treatment.

Inspection first. A thorough inspection is the foundation of effective pest control. We’ll examine both the interior and exterior of your home, looking for spider activity, entry points, harborage areas, and conditions that might be attracting spiders. This helps us understand the scope of the problem and tailor our treatment accordingly.

Targeted treatment. Based on our findings, we’ll apply appropriate treatments to areas where spiders are active or likely to enter. This usually includes perimeter treatments around the foundation, treatment of window and door frames, and targeted application in basements, garages, crawl spaces, and other problem areas.

Web and egg sac removal. We’ll remove existing webs and egg sacs during treatment. This is important because egg sacs can contain hundreds of spiderlings that would otherwise hatch later.

Recommendations for prevention. We’ll point out any conditions that might be contributing to your spider problem, like entry points that need sealing or moisture issues that should be addressed. Our goal is to solve your current problem and help prevent future ones.

Follow-up visits. Depending on the severity of your infestation and the species involved, we may recommend follow-up treatments. We can also set up an ongoing treatment plan to keep spiders and other pests from returning. Many of our customers in Billings find that regular preventive treatments give them peace of mind year-round.

One thing worth mentioning: we offer chemical-free pest control options for customers who prefer them. Just let us know your preferences and we’ll discuss the best approach for your situation.

Conclusion

Spiders in Billings are part of living in Montana, and most of them are nothing to worry about. But when wolf spiders are racing through your living room, or you’ve spotted a black widow near your back door, it’s natural to want them gone.

The key is knowing what you’re dealing with and understanding when a problem has moved beyond DIY solutions. A few cobwebs in the basement? Grab the vacuum. Black widows in the woodpile or spiders multiplying faster than you can keep up with? That’s when professional treatment makes sense.

If you’re dealing with common spiders in Billings or anywhere else in Montana, Best Pest Control Billings is ready to help. We’ll inspect your property, identify what’s causing the problem, and put together a plan to get rid of them for good. Whether it’s a one-time treatment or ongoing prevention, we’re here to make sure your home stays spider-free.

Give us a call or contact us today. If it creeps or crawls, we’ll take care of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common spiders in Billings, Montana?

The most common spiders in Billings include wolf spiders, hobo spiders, black widow spiders, house spiders, and cellar spiders. Wolf spiders and hobo spiders are frequently found indoors, especially during late summer and fall when they seek shelter from cooling temperatures.

Are hobo spiders dangerous to humans?

Hobo spiders are not considered dangerous to humans. Despite being called “aggressive house spiders,” they’re not actually aggressive toward people. They may charge toward objects in their path due to poor eyesight, but they don’t pose a significant medical threat like black widows do.

When should I call pest control for spiders in my home?

Call a professional pest control service if you’ve found venomous spiders like black widows, DIY methods aren’t reducing spider activity, you’re seeing large numbers of spiders regularly, or household members have health concerns. Professional treatment is especially important for infestations in hard-to-reach areas.

Why do spiders come into Billings homes during fall?

Spiders enter Billings homes in fall seeking warmth and shelter from Montana’s harsh winters. Hobo spiders are especially active from August through November during mating season. Additionally, spiders follow their food source—if your home has insects, spiders will likely show up to hunt them.

How can I prevent spiders from entering my house?

Seal gaps around doors, windows, and foundations. Reduce indoor clutter, vacuum regularly to remove webs and egg sacs, trim vegetation away from exterior walls, fix moisture issues, and store firewood at least 20 feet from your home. Controlling outdoor lighting also reduces the insects that attract spiders.

What does a spider infestation look like?

Signs of a spider infestation include multiple webs appearing regularly in the same spots, frequent live spider sightings across different rooms, discovering egg sacs in webs or crevices, and sudden seasonal spikes in activity. Finding spiders in unusual places like kitchens or bedrooms also indicates population growth.