Get out of my house!

The Sticky Subject of Spiders and Night Vision: Can Spiders See You in the Dark?

12 December 2017 by Devon Perez

Spiders are more active at night. That means that while you are sleeping—or raiding the fridge for a midnight snack—the spiders in your vicinity are hunting for a twilight breakfast treat. If you were to take a torch and shine it into your garden at night, you might well see the eight eyes of a nearby spider glowing bright green in the darkness. But can those eight eyes see you?

Let's find out.

Jumping Spiders Can See the Moon

According to a gathering of astronomers who were recently fascinated by a Twitter video of jumping spiders chasing the green light of a laser pen, jumping spiders can see the moon.

This is because their eyes are built like telescopes, and are especially sensitive to green light. But don't worry. In darkness, jumping spiders are virtually blind, which means they won't be watching you while you sleep!

Net-Casting Spiders Can See in the Dark

The secondary eyes of net-casting spiders are 2000 times more sensitive than human eyes. This helps them to catch their prey while hanging out at night. Fortunately, Australian spiders of this species, such as the common net-casting spider, are found in gardens—not homes—and their venom is not dangerous to humans.

Wolf Spiders Need Night Vision

The only spider that might actually be able to see you at night is the wolf spider. Because this species hunts its prey by actively searching for it at night, its night vision is better than that of most other species.

Wolf spiders have been known to invade homes that are cluttered due to the abundance of hiding places. Keep your home clutter free if you don't like the thought of wolf spiders watching you while you sleep.

Most Spiders Have Poor Night Vision

Fortunately for arachnophobes, most species of spider cannot see in the dark. Instead, they rely on their sense of smell and touch to seek out their prey during the night. So if you have ever wondered whether spiders can actively seek you out in order to annoy you or scare you at night, you can rest assured that they cannot.

Australia is home to some of the world's deadliest spiders, such as the red-back and the notorious black widow spider. If you believe that your home or the surrounding area is infested, call a pest control service to eradicate the threat. While they won't be watching you at night, they can catch you by surprise when they show up in your laundry. 

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