There are several species of poisonous spiders in the U.S. and Canada, such as the black widow, brown recluse, and the hobo spider of the Pacific Northwest. Scientists say most "spider bites" are misdiagnosed. However, if a person does experience a spider bite, there are ways to treat these bites naturally.

Identifying poisonous spidersPossibly the most important thing to know when trying to identify a potentially poisonous spider is that house spiders almost always stay indoors, and outdoor spiders almost always stay outside. Spiders are "cold blooded," and go dormant in the winter.

According to experts at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, there are 137 species of outdoor spiders in the Washington area, 25 species of indoor spiders, and only eight kinds of spiders that go in and out of homes and other buildings. The ratios are similar in other areas of the United States.