What kind of spider did i just kill....?

Question

There was a spider on my wall...it was about the size of...maybe a quarter...had a red head and a greyish blueish torso body thing..and yellow brown legs...it was a strange looking thing...

Answer 1

What country and state do you live in?  

Answer 2

Firstly - Learn to ID  it with the help of these sites and even if you do not find what you are looking for you will be able to ID any bug in the future -

http://bugguide.net/node/view/1954

http://www.arachnology.be/pages/Pictures...

http://www.spideridentification.org/

Instead of killing use this tool to catch spiders -

Spider and Insect Catch and Release Tool

http://www.smarthome.com/61181.html

You can remove a spider from inside your house by putting a jar over it. Then slip a piece of paper under the jar so that the opening is sealed, pick up the jar, and take the spider outside.

A broom is also a useful tool for moving a spider outside.

Chemicals Are Ineffective

Using a pesticide is not a good solution to spider problems. "Insecticides will not provide long-term control" of spiders, according to the University of California, "and should not generally be used against spiders outdoors." Inside, "control by spraying is only temporary unless accompanied by housekeeping."

Washington State University Extension has a similar perspective: "Most spider problems can be solved without the use of chemicals." -

Preventing Spider Problems

There are many ways to make your home less appealing to spiders. If there are cracks in your foundation or around windows and doors, seal them up.

Check places where water pipes and electrical lines enter your house, and caulk any openings.

Keep woodpiles and debris away from your house.

In storage areas, put boxes up off the floor and away from walls.

Seal boxes with tape to keep spiders from living inside them. In general, cleaning up clutter will mean you have fewer spiders.

Pruning vegetation away from your house and keeping the area next to the foundation clear will also make your house less attractive to spiders.

Outdoor lighting sometimes attracts insects, which in turn attracts spiders. You can move outdoor lighting away from windows and doors if this is a problem around your home. - http://www.pesticide.org/spiders.html