The story comes from Australian man Jake Gray, who shared that a huntsman spider lived inside his home for more than a year instead of being removed.

 

The story comes from Australian man Jake Gray, who shared that a huntsman spider lived inside his home for more than a year instead of being removed.

Despite their intimidating size, huntsman spiders are not considered dangerous to humans. Their venom is mild, and they usually flee rather than bite unless they are trapped or handled.

Jake left the spider alone because it acted as free pest control. Huntsman spiders are active hunters that don't build webs to catch prey.

Instead, they roam walls and ceilings at night, feeding on cockroaches, flies, moths, crickets, and other household insects.

Many Australians tolerate huntsman spiders indoors for this reason. Although their appearance can be startling, they often help reduce pest populations without damaging the home.

The giant size shown in many viral images is usually exaggerated through forced perspective or editing.

Even the largest huntsman spiders have leg spans of around 30 centimeters (12 inches), making them among the world's biggest spiders by leg span.