SPIDERS

Two Venomous Spiders

Did you know there are more than 45,000 spider species living all over the world? Those are just the ones we know about. There are jumping spiders, cannibal spiders, tiny spiders, and giant spiders. The Goliath Birdeater is a tarantula that can be as long as a foot when he stretches his legs out. Luckily, this spider lives in the forests of South America, so we don’t need to worry about him crawling across our pillow as we sleep.

While there are more than 45,000 spider species living all over the world, we only have about 3,400 living here in North America. The six most common spiders found in our homes here are the American House Spider, Long-Bodied Cellar Spider, Jumping Spider, Wolf Spider, Black Widow, and the Brown Recluse.  Of those six most commonly found spiders, there are only two species that we really need to worry about because their bites do inflict harm.

Black Widow

• Black and shiny
• Red hourglass shape on the underside of the abdomen (the color can be yellow-orange on males)
• Round
• 3/4” (males are smaller than females)
• Two rows of 4 eyes

Brown Recluse

• Light to dark brown
• Sometimes gray
• Dark brown violin shape on its back
• Oval
• 5/8”
• 3 pairs of eyes

Where Can You Find Spiders?

Spiders live all around us. Just have a seat out on your lawn and observe the critters that come crawling by.  Chances are, you’ll see several different spiders of different colors and sizes. Some spiders love to live on fences. Some spiders live on your woodpile. Some spiders like to live in the grass. Some spiders like to live in dark, dry areas. Some spiders like a wet environment.  These places are ok for spiders to live. Spiders help us by eating other pesky bugs. But what about when they get into our homes? Some spiders take up residence in our windows. Take a look now. Do you see any spider webs? I bet you do. Some spiders like to live under our furniture. Some spiders like to live in the corners of our home. Some spiders prefer our closets or even out in our garage. While we don’t like spiders around us at all, let’s look at the two we need to beware of their presence.

                Black Widow

• Around woodpiles
• Under eaves
• In sheds
• In garages
• In basements
• Under porch furniture
• Any undisturbed area
• Web
  • Irregular shape
  • Between objects
  • Under rocks or logs
  • Close to the ground
  • In dark, undisturbed areas
  • Used to catch prey

Brown Recluse

• Around woodpiles
• Under furniture
• Inside storage containers
• In closets
• In attics
• In garages
• In dark recesses of your windows and baseboards
• Inside your garden shoes
• Web
  • Irregular shape
  • Loosely constructed
  • In dark, undisturbed areas
  • Used as a home, not to catch prey

Spiders Find Entry Into Homes And Businesses

You have spiders in your home, and you don’t like it one little bit. Spiders aren’t welcome.  Professionals will tell you that spiders are good for the environment.  Spiders eat other bad bugs. Leave spiders alone and they won’t hurt you. Well, the truth is, none of us like spiders in our homes. Spiders are creepy. Spiders are scary. We worry that our little children will get bitten by one of those nasty spiders. So, we have resolved to getting rid of all spiders from our home. Before we can eradicate the spiders, we need to know how they got there in the first place. Spiders can enter a home through a tiny crack in an unsealed door or window. Spiders can enter through an open garage. You might bring spiders in with that stack of firewood you’re going to need later to keep your home nice and toasty. Basically, if you’re outside and bring something inside, a spider can hitch a ride into your home. Yes, a spider could even cross the threshold of your once protected home on your own pants leg or shoe. Before you go all out and fumigate or blow up your home because you saw a spider, you should consider the threat that spider poses.

Can Spiders Cause Damage?

Not all spiders are dangerous. As you’ve learned already, there are about 3,400 spider species in North America and only two pose a serious threat inside our homes. Some spiders do bite if threatened, but spiders are mostly harmless. There is always the chance that you are allergic to a specific bite of a specific spider, but that is rare. Let’s look at the two most dangerous spiders to possibly invade your home.

                Black Widow

• Poisonous (only the female will bite)
• Usually, non-life threatening when proper medical attention is given in a timely manner
• Bites in self-defense
• Symptoms
  • The bite will show two puncture marks
  • The bite will develop a red ring around a pale center
  • Severe cramping
  • Weakness
  • Sweating
  • Itching
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Raised blood pressure

Brown Recluse

• Poisonous
• Usually, non-life threatening when proper medical attention is given in a timely manner
• Bites in self-defense
• Symptoms
  • Bites often go unnoticed at first
  • Reddening
  • Swelling
  • Blister
  • Fever
  • Itching
  • Nausea
  • Muscle pain
  • Convulsions
  • Necrosis

Controlling Spiders

Ok, so you have spiders. You don’t see any fiddles or hourglasses, so you know your body isn’t in physical danger. Still, you don’t want any spider in your home. It is important to you to know your family is safe. It is important to you to get rid of any spider in your home. You’ve searched high and low. You’ve gone spelunking with a flashlight in your garage, attic, and/or basement at night. You’ve cleaned under all your furniture, even the patio furniture your friends sat on for that cookout you had last weekend. What you have found has you in tremors. There are literally spiders everywhere. You thought you only had that one that skittered across the floor last night. What can you do? 

Prevention And Control Of Spiders

It is important to know what you are dealing with when you find a spider. You search the interwebs and there is so much information that you just can’t figure out what to do. What kind of spider is it? You have no idea. The best solution is to call a spider control professional to identify the spider. Don’t clean up the spider webs or any spider droppings you may find. Let the spider control professional see everything you see. If you absolutely have to clean, then take a picture first. What you need to remember is that prevention isn’t a one-time occurrence. Your spider control professional will outline a treatment plan to fully eradicate every spider from your home. It is as important to your spider control professional as it is to you that your family is safe from any spider that may pose a threat to you in your home.