The two most common spider species in Ontario are the Cellar Spider and the House Spider.

Cellar Spiders

Cellar spiders have tiny bodies (0.2 cm- 1cm long)  and long legs (2-5 cm long). They are gray or brown, and can also be recognized from the bandings or chevron-like markings on their bodies.

Cellar spiders grow into adults in around 1 year. They usually have an adult life span of around 2 years. Females lay about 20-30 eggs at a time and wrap them in sacs of silk webbing. 

Cellar spiders build their webs in damp and dark parts of homes and basements. They can also invade warehouses and office buildings. Unlike other spiders, cellar spiders like building webs in close proximity to each other, which makes them a nuisance for homes and businesses. They feed on other small insects.

Domestic House Spiders

Domestic house spiders can be found in different colours (from off-white to nearly black), and usually have two darker stripes along their bodies. Their body lengths range between 0.5 cm - 1 cm, and their legs are around 1 cm long. 


Domestic house spiders usually leave around 50 eggs in sacs, and keep them in their funnel-shaped webs. A female house spider has 1-2 years of life span, and can lay more than 1000 eggs during this period. 

These spiders use their funnel-shaped webs to hunt insects. Unless cellar spiders, they can be found in more visible areas of homes such as around ceiling and window corners, as well as under tables and other pieces of furniture.