Spiders are common in Yardley. In fact, it is not unusual to see them hanging around residential and commercial buildings. Most of the spiders found locally are not dangerous to people. Still, a spider infestation may signal a larger pest issue that requires quick action.
In fact, there are spiders that prefer inside living regardless of what conditions are like outdoors. They come into homes and businesses looking for food, shelter, water and safe places to breed. Some property owners make it easier for spiders to take up residence by not covering holes and cracks in the exterior of the building. Additionally, failing to address other pest infestations can make spider problems worse. When there are many insects to eat, spiders will want to move in.
Seeing an occasional spider inside a building may not be a cause for panic, but what about when people feel like spiders have invaded every room, nook and cranny? This may be the sign of a bigger problem that involves numerous pests, many of which can be more destructive than spiders.
A major spider problem calls for a robust response. That is how pest management professionals react when they are called in to deal with arachnids and other pests. By sealing up entrances, carefully distributing specialized treatment products and otherwise ensuring that buildings are made less attractive to spiders, it is possible to end pest problems.
WHAT DO SPIDERS LOOK LIKE?
All spiders are part of the arachnid family, which means that they have eight legs instead of six as insects do. The agrarian sac spider may be identified by its extremely long front legs. While this spider's body is gray or tan, the cephalothorax is darker. Most females measure approximately ten millimeters, but males tend to be smaller.
To some observers, the broad-faced sac spider appears to have ten legs. This is attributed to its extra-long set of pincers. Abdomens on members of this species tend to be gray while the heads are brown, and the legs are orange or red. Like the agrarian sac spider, females of this species measure ten millimeters with males being slightly shorter.
Common house spiders are easy to identify because of their chevron-shaped stripes in colors such as tan, gray and brown. This species is slightly smaller, with females being approximately eight millimeters long. Females also are distinguished by a black triangle on the abdomen.
The brown or yellow grass spider has a lighter colored back and a darker abdomen. Longitudinal stripes may be seen on the spider's hard shell. Some females may grow to 20 millimeters, but males cannot get this large.
Long-legged sac spiders tend to be ivory or brown, though their feet and thorax usually are darker colors. The largest females may achieve a length of ten millimeters.
With thick brown or gray hair covering their bodies, wolf spiders can be a fearsome sight. Identification may be made by observing a marking that is shaped like a Union Jack on the spider's back. The largest females of this species can get to be 35 millimeters long.
WHERE DO SPIDERS LIVE?
The spiders that do not spin webs must find places to secrete themselves. Common hiding places include small openings beneath boards or a stone. Leaf litter also is a good hiding place. Some spiders may be found clinging to the lower edge of a piece of siding or a window frame, while others are more likely to be found in a dark, dusty, cluttered indoor area where people rarely go.
Species like the common house spider actually are adapted to live in human homes. They are most likely to be seen occupying webs that were spun on lighting fixtures, in the upper corners of rooms or in the upper corners of window and door frames.
Other species, such as the grass spider, rarely come into human habitations, preferring to spend their time in the webs that they spread across soil or grass surfaces.
WHAT DO SPIDERS EAT?
Spiders actually can be viewed as a beneficial species thanks to their eating habits. Common pests such as earwigs, crickets, grasshoppers, ants, flies and mosquitoes are on the menu. This is why some people actually may recommend allowing a couple of spiders to live in or around homes and commercial buildings.
While many spiders spin webs that trap prey, others rarely or never spin webs. Instead, they hunt for food. This may involve simply lurking in a dark, cluttered space until a prey item wanders by. They may chase or pounce on the prey, acting quickly to better ensure success.
Webs frequently are spun in high, out-of-the-way places where flying insects will be easier to catch. Other web-spinning spider species lay out their webs across the ground where they may trap a variety of walking and flying bugs.
WHERE DO SPIDERS LIVE?
Agrarian sac spiders and broad-faced sac spiders have similar preferences for living among leaf litter and yard debris or beneath large rocks. These provide ideal living quarters in the summer, but these spiders may look to come indoors as the weather cools.
Common house spiders actually prefer to live indoors, using windows and light fixtures as places to spin webs. These light sources tend to attract prey. These spiders stay in their web, but they will abandon it in favor of a new location if they are not getting enough food.
Grass spiders are almost always found outdoors, living in funnel-shaped webs that may be strung across lawns or soil. Long-legged sac spiders spin a silken sleep sac that may be placed indoors or outside. If they are inside, the sac will probably be at the seam between a wall and the ceiling.
Wolf spiders spend most of their time in places that are dark, cluttered and dusty. This is the ideal habitat for hiding and for finding plenty of food. Garages, sheds, attics, basements and storage rooms are common places to find these arachnids.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY SPIDERS
In general, spiders are not a destructive species. They may leave behind cobwebs that can make any room messy, but no structural damage is caused.
ARE SPIDERS AGGRESSIVE?
Frequently, spiders like to be in quiet, dark and undisturbed areas. This enables them to go about feeding and reproducing without being bothered by predators like people. Although they are capable of biting people, this is a relatively rare occurrence. Most of these situations arise when a spider has unwisely decided to hide in a shoe or a sleeve.
DO SPIDERS CARRY DISEASE?
Spiders in Yardley generally do not spread sickness with a bite. Mild reactions involving redness and itching are common, though some people may be allergic and experience a more severe reaction. Broad-faced sac spiders may pose an additional threat if they feed on a decaying arthropod and then bite a person. This can lead to a secondary infection in the bite victim.
HOW TO DETECT SPIDERS
Signs of a spider infestation include:
• Seeing many webs around the premises • Happening upon a variety of insects and spiders • Walking through spider webs when walking around the building's exterior • Regularly encountering spiders indoors
HOW TO PREVENT SPIDERS
To help prevent spider issues the following steps should be taken:
• Have regular pest control treatments to remove insects • Keep screens on windows and doors • Eliminate holes and cracks in building exteriors • Use yellow sodium vapor bulbs in outdoor light fixtures • Get rid of indoor and outdoor clutter
HOW TO TREAT FOR SPIDERS
Spider treatment will involve the detection and elimination of all webs. If this is not done, the spiders are likely to re-infest the structure. Generally, it is not possible to completely eliminate spiders with do-it-yourself products. As such, successful spider eradication should be left for a pest control professional who has the tools and experience to get the job done safely and effectively.
At Newtown Termite & Pest Control, Inc., we don't take your spider problems lightly. That's why we use a multifaceted process including the treatment of wall voids, attics, and cracks and crevices throughout the premise with gels, dusts, and other specialized products.
