Most spiders can be considered to be "buddy bugs", beneficial insects that should not be killed indiscriminately.

All spiders are venomous. That is, they all use poison to kill their prey, but very few are dangerous to people or pets. Spiders are shy, and will always try to escape rather than bite.

Outside, most spiders should be left unbothered to rid our yards of problem insects, and to decorate our gardens with beautiful webs. And, there are a lot of spiders out there to do the job. An average acre of meadow can be expected to contain over 64,000 spiders and 14,000 are probably in an acre of forest. Don't expect to be able to recognize many of those thousands though, because there are at least 30,000 different species just in the United States.

Some people have an allergic reaction to spider venom, so it is best to use a broom or a piece of paper to shoo or carry a spider out of the house or away from a garden path. There are some spiders which should be removed from households and yards. These are the brown recluse and black widow. Spiders usually stay in the same area for long periods of time. If someone has been bitten by a spider, capture any which may be in the area (smashed ones as well). These will be helpful in determining the appropriate treatment for the patient. Black widow bites can be life-threatening. Neglected brown spider bites can result in scarring and possible kidney failure.

Rather than using insecticides, which are usually ineffective with brown spiders and black widows, squash the spider with a fly swatter or a stick. Housecleaning and yard clean-up with attention paid to dark corners, dead wood, and flower-pots should help keep those few undesirable species under control.