Some spider species in Ewing are content to spend their entire lives outdoors. Others, like the common house spider, prefer to live indoors.
This means that any residence or commercial building can be overrun with spiders. While it is not so unusual to occasionally see a spider inside, a larger problem may be indicated when people start encountering common house spiders on a regular basis. This is not because this specific species offers a threat. It is mainly because the presence of an inordinately large spider population may signal an additional pest problem. If those additional pests are termites, carpenter ants or another potentially harmful species, quick action needs to be taken.
Seeing a few spiders indoors can become annoying even if their food source is not especially harmful. These spiders spin numerous webs, abandoning an old one when they think they might be able to catch more prey in another location. This constant web spinning leaves behind a mess that no one wants to clean up.
Property owners who are seeing too many spiders indoors or are hearing complaints from people who are tired of running into common house spiders or their webs are encouraged to take action at the earliest opportunity. A licensed pest control company can eliminate both the spiders' food source and the spiders themselves so that people can live and work in a pest-free environment.
WHAT THE COMMON HOUSE SPIDER LOOKS LIKE
Members of this species are relatively easy to identify, though their colors can vary widely. Dark brown and gray-brown are the most commonly seen colors. They have bands on their legs and an abdomen that is shaped like a sphere. The abdomen also features a pattern of beige and brown markings while the thorax and head are decorated with a pair of dark stripes. Common house spiders usually are about one inch long with a leg span that stretches up to two inches. In general, males are smaller than females. Both sexes have eight eyes, each with a single lens.
WHERE DOES THE COMMON HOUSE SPIDER LIVE?
The common house spider is regularly seen in homes, businesses, and outdoor areas. They prefer dark locations, but will spin webs in practically any location. Once a web is removed, a spider may spin a web in the same spot within a few days. Likewise, one spider will spin multiple webs throughout a structure.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY COMMON HOUSE SPIDERS
Beneficial rather than destructive, common house spiders do not cause property damage. Nonetheless, they may be feeding on insects and other pests that do destroy wood and other building materials. An inspection by a pest control professional is essential to identifying and eliminating all of the problem species on the property.
WHAT DO COMMON HOUSE SPIDERS EAT?
In addition to pests like mosquitoes and flies, common house spiders eat cockroaches, ants, fleas, earwigs and moths. This appetite for pests actually makes these arachnids a beneficial species. In fact, some people say that if one spider is found in a building, it might be advisable to just leave it alone to do its work.
That is acceptable on a limited basis, but when a building is infested with a wide variety of insects and arachnids, it is always wise to seek the help of a trained pest control technician. These services can get rid of pest species while also identifying entry points that need to be covered or sealed.
WHERE DO COMMON HOUSE SPIDERS LIVE?
Unlike other spiders that prefer to remain outdoors, the common house spider loves to be indoors where it easily can find shelter. Usually, it will spin a web in a corner or another hard to reach spot. Look up toward light fixtures and ceiling beams for likely places to see a spider lurking in its web.
Members of the species are drawn to musty, dark spaces, so they will be encountered in closets, crawl spaces, basements and attics. The corners of a window also tend to be good places to build nests because the natural light may attract prey to a waiting web.
The webs typically are funnel shaped and have an irregular pattern. In the narrow end, the spider rests and waits. When prey makes contact with the web, vibrations are produced all the way in the spider's lair, signaling that a meal is available.
ARE COMMON HOUSE SPIDERS AGGRESSIVE?
They may be able to move fast, especially when an insect gets caught in their web, but the common house spider in Ewing is not aggressive. In fact, it is more likely to retreat from a person rather than advance.
Still, a house spider that is cornered can react with aggression. They may bite people, but serious complications from these wounds are rare.
DO COMMON HOUSE SPIDERS CARRY DISEASE?
No communicable diseases are spread from common house spiders to people, and the bite of the common house spider generally does not have the same serious side effects as bites from widow or recluse spiders. Members of the common house spider species do have venom in their fangs, but this is mostly active on prey and is unlikely to harm humans.
HOW TO DETECT THE COMMON HOUSE SPIDER
• Seeing spider webs in upper corners of rooms, around light fixtures or in windows • Finding spider egg sacs either within a spider web or in a dark, protected spot • Visual sightings of common house spiders • Cob webs, which are abandoned spider webs, are distributed across the building
HOW TO PREVENT COMMON HOUSE SPIDERS
To help prevent common house spider issues the following steps should be taken:
• Have regular pest control treatments performed to eliminate sources of food • Ensure that the building's exterior is sealed up against entry by pests, including spiders • Make a habit of removing spider webs both indoors and out • Frequently dust and vacuum indoor spaces to get rid of spiders, their webs and their egg sacs • Remove unnecessary clutter from rooms, closets, cabinets and cupboards to eliminate places where spiders may hide • Identify any points of entry in the building exterior and find a way to seal or cover them
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.
