Creepy, Venomous Spiders Close U of M Building

If you suffer from 'arachnophobia' this could be a waking nightmare for you.

The venomous Mediterranean recluse spiders were found in the basement of A University of Michigan Library, the Shapiro Undergraduate Library.  The spiders were discovered in late January during a routine building check.  The Library was closed down during treatment for the spiders.

Scary looking spiders found in Michigan

An expert on spiders identified those found to be of the Mediterranean variety, not brown recluses.  It is assumed that the spiders found their into the basement of the building through the tunnels that run under the U of M campus.  These spiders prefer the dark and quiet spaces like tunnels and basements especially where there is very minimal foot traffic.

This spider finding was not an isolated incident.  Spiders have also been identified in other campus buildings in their basements and remote areas.  All of these areas are being treated by pest management.

The University of Michigan community has been told to not worry to much, the spiders are called 'recluse'  for a reason.

The Brown Recluse is not native to Michigan, but as sighting's of this spider around Michigan continue to happen, this spider may be here to stay in Michigan.

pelooyen

The Wolf spider looks a bit to much like a tarantula for me, and it has also been confused with a brown recluse.  The Wolf spider is not an aggressive spider, but if you mess with it, it will bite you in self-defense.  This spider tends to live in basements and crawlspaces.

This is the Jumping spider.  The name alone gives me the creeps.  This spider does not spin a web, instead it lays in wait for its prey and then it jumps out of its hiding spot for the kill.  Some say the Jumping spider is the most common of biting spiders in the United States.