Pests such as spiders are tiny. It is simple for them to squeeze through even the smallest crack or gap. People who regularly inspect building exteriors and seal up these unintended openings with caulk, weather stripping or other remedies are less likely to see spiders inside.
Still, it can be difficult for the average property owner to identify all such openings, and there may be other characteristics of the property that make it attractive to spiders. One example of this is properties that have another ongoing pest infestation. Imagine a home or office that has ants or termites. Spiders may move in because of the promise of regular meals. Accordingly, hiring a pest management professional to perform regular treatments is an excellent way to keep spider problems in hand.
Property owners who are concerned about large spider populations are encouraged to contact an exterminator without delay. The presence of many spiders suggests that another, and potentially more dangerous, infestation is underway. Fortunately, pest control technicians have access to specialized products that make comprehensive spider control a reality.
WHAT DO SPIDERS LOOK LIKE?
All spiders are arachnids with eight legs. From there, the appearance of these pests can widely vary.
Agrarian sac spiders have overly long forelegs. The cephalothorax is dark while the body is a lighter tan or gray. At a maximum of ten millimeters long, the female agrarian sac spider is a bit larger than the male of the species.
Thanks to an oversized pair of pincers, the broad faced sac spider may look as though it actually has ten legs. While those legs may be red or orange, the abdomen is gray and the head is brown. Members of this species are similar in size to agrarian sac spiders.
Covered in brown, gray and tan chevron-shaped stripes, the common house spider has a distinctive appearance. Another distinguishing characteristic of this species is the dark rings around the ankles. Females, which may grow to be eight millimeters long, have black triangles on their abdomens.
Female grass spiders may measure as much as ten or even up to 20 millimeters in length. Males do not achieve the same size, but they get close. Yellow and brown are common colors for these spiders, but the abdomen tends to be a darker hue than the back. Grass spiders have hard shells that are decorated with a pair of longitudinal stripes.
Long-legged sac spider females may grow to ten millimeters in length. Their black feet are distinctive as most of the rest of the body is brown or ivory. The thorax generally is a darker color.
Wolf spiders grow quite large, with some females reaching 35 millimeters. Covered in thick hair that may be gray or brown, it may be possible to discern a marking on the spider's back that is reminiscent of a Union Jack.
WHERE DO SPIDERS LIVE?
Many spiders are found clinging to the undersides of boards, lumber, fallen trees or rocks. They may conceal themselves among leaf litter or beneath a windowsill. Similarly, spiders are drawn to dark, cluttered, dusty areas when they venture into human habitations. This means that they may be found in disused boxes or hiding behind a row of books on a shelf.
In fact, there are spider species that are almost never found outdoors. These include the common house spider. As their name suggests, this species is perfectly adapted to live inside human dwellings. Their webs are most frequently found on lighting fixtures or in the upper corners of rooms, windows or doors.
Other web-spinning spiders place their webs across the surface of lawns, soil or ground-covering plants. They are less likely to venture indoors.
WHAT DO SPIDERS EAT?
Spiders have a variety of methods for obtaining meals, and these methods vary according to the spider's species. Most people are familiar with the concept of spiders spinning webs in which they hope to trap insects and other arachnids. However, other spiders do not spin webs. They may hide and then pounce on prey that happens by. This method is employed by the wolf spider and the long-legged sac spider. Flies, ants, earwigs, grasshoppers and crickets all are bugs that commonly are consumed by spiders.
The method used by the grass spider is interesting because they do not spin webs in elevated locations. Instead, their webs are spun across the ground's surface in a distinctive funnel shape. These webs are good at catching both flying and walking insects.
WHERE DO SPIDERS LIVE?
As their name suggests, the common house spider actually prefers to live indoors with people in Bensalem. At the other end of the spectrum is the grass spider. Members of this species rarely are seen indoors.
Common house spiders spin webs near light fixtures and windows to which they believe prey will be attracted. They live in these webs, though they may abandon a web and build a new one in a different location.
As they are not web spinners, wolf spiders lurk in dark, dusty, cluttered areas. These spots have many places to hide and wait for prey to come by.
Long-legged sac spiders may be found either indoors or out living in a silken sleep sac. Look up to the seams where walls and ceilings meet to find sleep sacs indoors.
Rocks, leaf litter and yard debris piles are fine homes for agrarian sac spiders and broad faced sac spiders in the summer, but the fall makes them look for indoor shelter.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY SPIDERS
Web-spinning spiders abandon their webs to look for a more favorable location when they are not catching enough prey. Eventually, all of those abandoned webs make the interior of a home or office look run down and neglected.
Although spiders do not cause much in the way of property damage, the fact that many of them have found their way inside suggests that other, more destructive, pests also may be present. Examples of these may include termites and carpenter ants.
ARE SPIDERS AGGRESSIVE?
Spiders like to live under the radar as much as possible. If people do not notice them, then the spiders are free to go about their business without being bothered. Spiders can bite, but such attacks are rare, occurring most frequently when the spider is hiding in a shoe or other garment.
DO SPIDERS CARRY DISEASE?
A person who is bitten by a spider may experience some itching and redness, but serious complications are rare. Certain broad faced sac spiders can put people at risk for secondary infections. These occur when the spider bites a person shortly after eating an arthropod in an advanced state of decay.
HOW TO DETECT SPIDERS
Signs of a spider problem include:
• Several webs found indoors and out • Being forced to walk through webs when entering or exiting a building • A combination of arachnids and insects being found indoors • Seeing spiders inside a building on a regular basis
HOW TO PREVENT SPIDERS
To help avoid spider control issues the following steps should be taken:
• There is little clutter • Few insects and arthropods are present • Regular pest control treatments are conducted • Holes, gaps and fissures in building exteriors are covered • Outdoor light fixtures are equipped with yellow sodium vapor bulbs • Doors and windows are kept closed • All doors and windows are screened
HOW TO TREAT FOR SPIDERS
Proper spider treatment involves the detection and elimination of all webs. If this is not done, spiders are likely to re-infest the structure. Generally, spider infestations should be treated by a pest control professional with the equipment and experience to get the job done safely and effectively.
At Newtown Termite & Pest Control, Inc., we do not take your spider problems lightly. That is 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.
