Ok, who isn’t afraid of spiders, really!?
Summertime brings on a slew of our eight legged “friends”, one more intimidating then the next. Now snopes busted the myth about us eating spiders in our sleep, but even still, staring up at one of these fuzzy little beasts on your bedroom ceiling while trying to drift off to sleep does not make for heavy eyelids.
Despite our arachnid fears, we must admit that some of these species really are beneficial to our home environment, others, not so much.
The Cellar Spider for instance, commonly known as a Daddy Longlegs , cause no harm to people, and are actually predators of many other pests in the home, eating flies, mosquitoes, beetles and other spiders! The webs they spin in the corner of the home can be a nuisance, and build up more rapidly than other spiders. Typically you will see them hanging upside down from their webs.
Garden Spiders are large spiders with a body up to one inch long or larger and a leg span of up to three inches. Their color varies, but the most common species is black and yellow. Garden spiders spin very large, flat, orb-shaped webs across open spaces between tree and shrub branches. The webs will be located along natural flight paths for flying insects. This spider sits in the center of the web, head facing downward, waiting for an unwary insect to fly into its web. The spider then hurries to the insect, bites it to subdue it, wraps it tightly in silk, and carries it like a prize to a more protected area of the web to feed on it later. The garden spider begins repairing the web immediately to prepare for its next flying prey. They usually live in fields and forests, but occasionally will be found next to homes or in yards. These spiders are beneficial to our environment and are not dangerous, despite their large size. Garden spiders should not be killed, but should be relocated to another part of the yard where they will be out of the way of human traffic.
Dangerous spider bites that warrant a doctor’s office visit can come from several California species.
Black widows are named for the female’s occasional cannibalistic practice towards her mate. Females are easier to identify, and sometimes males aren’t even recognized as black widows. Males are smaller, and lighter in color. However, females are the only sex able to inflict the painful bite. Females are dark colored, around ½” long, with a bulbous abdomen. Luckily they have a red hourglass on their underside, which is made visible by the female’s habit of hanging upside down from her web. They prefer to make their webs in dark, dry, undisturbed places. They are common underneath houses, in garages, or outside in woodpiles. Black widow webs are very irregular in design, not looking like the traditional bulls eye shape. Females can get defensive around their webs and bite, especially when there are egg sacs present. The venomous bite from one of these spiders causes pain rather quickly. If you think you have been bitten by a black widow, look for the two small teeth marks on the swollen area. Although 99% of people survive the bites, it is still a good idea to contact your doctor – especially if a young child, or older person is involved. Watch out for signs like nausea, tremors, and sweating if bitten. First aid such as washing the area and applying ice can provide minor relief. To keep from getting bitten wear gloves when working in areas that could have spiders, and pay attention. Look for irregular webs, egg sacs, and spiders. Removing webs, and crushing spiders and egg sacs is helpful in controlling overall black widow populations. Fogging for black widow spiders is particularly effective for knockdown, because they spend most of their time on their web. Residual sprays have to contact them directly, since they may not crawl through them.
The Brown Recluse is also sometimes called the violin spider, or the fiddleback. It gets its common names from its solitary behavior, and markings that sometimes resemble a violin. Their coloration can be various shades of brown or tan. These spiders are under ½” long, and both males and females can bite. The recluse likes to live in similar places as the black widow; undisturbed areas like crawl spaces, attics, or in storage containers. But can also be found in household items like clothes, shoes, or cabinets that have gone undisturbed for a while. Similar to the black widow is their irregularly shaped web, but the recluse uses their web for a home rather than catching prey. To catch another insect for food, the recluse comes out of its web at night and roams around until it finds one. This behavior leads to a higher risk of finding them in beds or other areas where people are likely to run into them. Brown Recluses’ have a nasty bite, which isn’t always felt right away. If you suspect one has bitten you, contact a doctor. Recluse venom causes swelling, lesions, and flesh deterioration that can take a long time to heal. Other physical symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and joint pain. In areas where recluses are present, it’s a good idea to keep beds in the open, with no ruffle touching the floor. Clothing and shoes should also be kept off the floor, and shaken out before wearing
Less dangerous are Wolf spider bites. They may cause swelling and itching although it is uncommon for them to bite. They are named for the way that they sometimes chase down prey when hunting and also for their wolf-like appearance. They are relatively large and have hairy bodies. They range in size from ¼” up to 1″ or more in length. It is primarily an outdoor dweller that lives under rocks or builds burrows in the ground. These spiders do make it into the house sometimes, and can be fairly intimidating. They move very quickly, and are sometimes confused with the recluse but they don’t have the telltale fiddle marking, and aren’t poisonous.
If you are worried about a particular eight-legged uninvited guests identity, give us a call so we can help you identify whether it is friend or foe.