What does a spider cocoon look like

If you’re anything like my aunt Susan, you spend your afternoons swatting at spider webs in the corners of the room with a straw broom. But what happens when you stumble upon a little ball of babies? Finding spider eggs in your home can be unsettling, but if it happens to you, there’s no need to freak out just yet.

While they might make you cringe, rest assured that having some of these eight-legged critters in your house can actually be a good thing, says Rod Crawford, curator of arachnids at the University of Washington Burke Museum. “There is a whole long list of indoor pests—moths, beetles, cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas—all of those are eaten by spiders,” he explains.

Plus, spider bites aren’t as common as you might think. “People wake up with some sort of skin infection or lesion, which could have 50 causes, and they say ‘I have a spider bite,’” Crawford says. “I challenge even one to produce a spider that actually bit them.”

Nancy Miorelli, an entomologist who runs bug spotting tours in Ecuador, agrees that spiders “are excellent at pest control.” But if that doesn’t put you at ease (and you don’t want a spider and its offspring as roommates), here are a few things to know about how to identify spider eggs and what you can do to get rid of them.

First, where do spiders live? And where do they lay eggs in houses?

Miorelli says you’re likely to find spiders in dark, unvisited corners of your house (think: closets, attics, and furnace rooms), as well as humid areas like the basement or bathroom. “Spiders like the humidity,” she explains. “Arthropods have holes alongside their body, and if the atmospheric humidity is high enough they can get all the moisture they need form the atmosphere.”

When do spiders lay eggs?

Since spiders are in your house, they benefit from the same environmental factors that humans do, like consistent temperature throughout the year. This likely has an effect on the egg laying times of many species, meaning “they probably lay their eggs year-round,” says Miorelli.

What do spider eggs look and feel like?

While all species create different eggs—and different-looking eggs—you might have to look hard to see them. Most often, the eggs are not out in the open, but rather in a silky egg sac. “It’s a little round ball. They can be different colors but they’re usually white. Often ball bearing sized or smaller,” says Miorelli. Textures can also vary: Some will be smooth while others are fluffy.

Another thing to look out for: the mama. “Spiders are actually really good mothers, they take care of their babies,” says Miorelli. Because of this, you’re likely to find a spider near its eggs. Many species will put their eggs in their web, while some carry them on their backs or even drag them along on a line of silk.

How long do spider eggs take to hatch?

“It really depends on the species. A couple weeks is a good estimate for hatching, and then you get little babies,” says Miorelli. “Depending on the species, they may hang in the web for a little bit before they disperse.”

The method of dispersal can have an effect on how far they travel. “Most spiders, especially web builders, they’ll set up a little piece of silk and wind or free-floating static electricity will pick them up and spread them,” Miorelli explains. “From the spider perspective, you want the kids to go away, you don’t want them to compete with your resources. That’s why we send our kids to college—spider moms feel the same way, and siblings too. In a basement you can’t disperse as much so you may have clusters of webs.”

How to get rid of spider eggs

If you’re trying to get rid of spider eggs, you can do so with only a few steps—and you don’t need to kill the spider to do it successfully (unless they really creep you out). “Use a cup or shot glass—any small container will work—and a piece of paper,” Miorelli suggests. “Put the sac in the cup and cover it with the paper. Usually the mother is close by, so if you touch the web the mother might come over to the egg sac and you’ll take both.” Then, dispose of them outdoors or wherever you prefer.

If that’s too close for comfort, our guide on how to get rid of spiders in your home offers a few more tips—say, simply using a vacuum will also do the trick!

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