Spiders
Spiders and scorpions (arachnids) are common pests across Texas and they are actually beneficial by making a meal of any insect that they catch! They are often very difficult to control because they normally stay out of sight during the day and they try to avoid people. Nearly all spiders have fangs and venom but very few of them are dangerous to people. All scorpions have stingers, most scorpions common to Central Texas and North Texas have stings which may trigger allergic reactions and need medical attention. There are a dozen varieties of venomous spiders in Texas that can bite people, but all of them are very nervous around us and avoid contact with us. They will very seldom bite unless they feel threatened to do so. Direct physical contact is usually what threatens them. It is a self-defense response. Two basic types of spiders that we commonly find around our homes are web spinners and hunters.
Hunting spiders, most commonly seen are “wolf” spiders. They are often found running around looking for a bug to jump on and eat. They do not use webs to capture their prey and they often have several eyes. The largest hunting spider is the Tarantula, often growing to fist size, and other hunting spiders as small as the head of a pin. Spiders feed on each other and on other bugs that they can capture or overpower.
Web spinners use their spinnerets to create bug traps and to make nests or egg sacs that they spin for their offspring. They are web spinning masters that can create tunnels, trap doors, nets, tents, sacs, and intricate patterned orbs. Some of the webs are sticky, and others can be tough enough to use in gun sights!
When finding spiders in the house it is very seldom a health or safety concern, but the real issues are their unsightly webs and their imposing demeanor. Spider bites usually happen when someone picks up some firewood or moves things around in a shed or garage.
Like most insects and animals, spiders come indoors to get something to eat and to escape inclement weather. It is very common to find spiders indoors right after heavy rain or during either a cold or hot spell. Just remember the main thing that they are after are other bugs (arthropods). Another reason we may see them inside is when a male hunting spider is seeking a female during mating season. We often get calls about large hairy spiders scurrying around the floor during warm weather; these arachnid Lotharios main interest is finding a female to mate with. The female often has larger fangs than the male counterparts. In good news, the male’s fangs are typically too small to puncture human skin.
How to keep them out of the house?
1. Close the screen doors.
2. Make certain that there are no gaps around your doors and windows.
3. Keep the clutter and nesting sites to a minimum.
4. And try to cut back on their food supply (insects).
Pro tip: Regularly, using a vacuum with a hose, vacuuming behind sofas, chairs, chests, and other furniture regularly and occasionally cleaning behind picture frames on the wall. Will control spider issues indoors.
Pro tip: Check your weather stripping around doors and windows to make sure they are in good condition. If water can get in, bugs can too!
With that last point, eliminating the ants is the first step to long term spider management. That’s right, ants! For the early stages of spider development most spiders depend on the ant and occasionally small flying insects. As they develop, with each instar, they graduate to larger bugs. Also spiders will eat each other. If there is not a readily supply of ants, spiders will reduce their own population down to ninety percent or more! A sac spider’s offspring that survives normally does so at the expense of several of its siblings.
Whether you’re having spiders inside your home or outside your home, call today and schedule an appointment!