ABOUT SPIDERS
The industrious spider performs helpful pest control in gardens, but when they move indoors in great numbers, it may be a sign of a major insect problem.
Species such as the broad-faced sac spider, common house spider, grass spider and wolf spider can make any Bristol homeowner uneasy. Moreover, they cause a mess, making extra work that takes time away from other things.
With the threat of an underlying pest infestation, it only makes sense to immediately contact an exterminator for an inspection.
APPEARANCE
Spiders are not insects but arachnids. This means that they are related to scorpions and ticks, and that they have eight legs and two body segments.
The broad-faced sac spider female may grow to be as long as 12 mm, though males typically are smaller. Their brown bodies are decorated with a darker dorsal stripe. One of their more distinctive features is their slender rear legs, which are smaller than their front legs.
At just eight millimeters, the common house spider is quite small. Their legs are striped, and their bodies have chevron markings in gray and brown.
The brown grass spider is much larger at a maximum of 20 millimeters. With their longitudinal stripes, they are easy to spot in the yard.
Wolf spiders are among the largest species in the region, with some females reaching 35 millimeters. Covered with hair, their coloration may range from brown to black.
DIET
Spiders consume a variety of insects and arachnids. This means that they may help to control other pests.
HABITATS
Many spiders are web spinners. However, they do not demonstrate the same location preferences. Some species place their webs along the ground where they can catch walking insects. Others prefer elevated spots where insects may fly into their web.
Still other spiders do not spin webs. They live in underground burrows which were abandoned by a small mammal.
Accordingly, most spiders in and around human habitations are found in webs that may be suspended from light fixtures or in the corners of doors and windows. These locations provide light, which attracts prey. Non-web-spinners lurk in dark, cluttered locations where they can pounce on prey.
PROBLEMS WITH SPIDERS
Web-spinning spiders may make any room or exterior surface appear unkempt with their incessant activity. Many spiders create multiple webs as they search for the most advantageous location. This forces people to clean up the abandoned webs.
Additionally, a large spider population is one clue that another pest problem may be occurring. The other pests may be termites, carpenter ants, wasps, yellow jackets or another potentially dangerous and destructive species.
It is not uncommon for people to have a strong, visceral reaction to having spiders in the home or office. As discomfort runs high, it becomes difficult to get things done and lead a normal life.
BEHAVIOR
Spiders may be active at any time of the day or night. Most species lie in wait on their webs, awaiting the vibrations that tell them they have captured prey. They spring into action, ensuring that the prey cannot escape.
Spiders may be particularly active at dusk and throughout the night as insects cluster around light fixtures. While they are aggressive with insects, they are shy when encountering people. They may try to hide, which can make it more difficult to eliminate spiders from building interiors.
Some species, such as wolf spiders, are not web spinners. Instead, they hide in dark places from which they pounce on prey. This habit of hiding may lead these spiders to conceal themselves in shoes and clothing, resulting in a painful bite to a human victim as the person tries to put on the clothing.
HEALTH ISSUES
Fortunately, most spiders in the Bristol area do not cause health problems. Nonetheless, some people do experience an extreme reaction to a spider bite that may require medical attention.
Most of these reactions are caused by exposure to the venom that some spiders transmit with their bite. The agrarian sac spider and the wolf spider are the species that are most likely to cause such a reaction. While some people experience few, if any, symptoms, others suffer from a rash, blisters, nausea, cramping and fever. People who have these symptoms and believe that they are the result of a spider bite may need to seek medical help.
It also is worth noting that many people feel psychological distress when they know that a spider infestation is underway. An extreme fear of these pests may make it difficult to sleep or even relax. Clearly, this has an adverse effect on the quality of life, highlighting the need for the services of an exterminator.
SIGNS OF A SPIDER INFESTATION
Indications of a spider problem include:
• Seeing many spiders indoors
• Discovering webs in rooms on a regular basis
• Finding egg sacs on building exteriors and interiors
• Spider bites being reported on the property
PREVENTION TIPS
SafeGuard Pest Control recommends the following spider prevention methods:
• Hire a pest management company to perform regular treatments
• Regularly inspect the property for spider webs, knocking down any that touch buildings
• Do not allow plants and trees to touch buildings
• Power wash building exteriors at least once or twice per year
• Inspect building exteriors and foundations for cracks and holes that should be sealed
• Eliminate clutter in and around buildings
• Keep lawns trimmed
• Keep rooms clean with regular dusting and vacuuming
SPIDER CONTROL
Having the occasional spider in the garden is a beneficial thing as these arachnids provide important natural pest control. Similarly, discovering a single spider inside the house is not necessarily a cause for alarm. The creature may simply be seeking shelter from the colder conditions outdoors.
However, when the owner feels that their garden and their house are being overrun by spiders, the situation changes. Feeding all of those spiders requires a large insect population. Because these other pests may be dangerous to human health or pose a threat to the structural stability of any buildings, it is imperative that the services of a pest management company be sought.
DIY pest control methods rarely are recommended. Many such measures are ineffective. At their worst, they pose a hazard to health and safety when they are incorrectly utilized.
To keep a home’s spider population under control, a pest control company should be called.
Safeguard Pest Control uses a variety of treatments and specialized products to eliminate spiders in your Yardley home or office.
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