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Spider infestation signs
In general, spiders can be found in dark, secluded areas, both in your home and garden. When trying to get rid of spiders in your home or business, ensure that you wear appropriate protective clothing - like gloves - to prevent falling victim to a spider bite. Although most species of spider do not pose a health risk, there are some in the western states that Western Exterminator serves that might bite if threatened and some of those can pose health risks.
- Look for spider webs - The size and shape of spider webs vary by species. Some are orb-shaped while others are funnel-shaped. Some species of spider, such as the black widow, do not create geometric webs, but create messy dens that trap insects, in hidden-away areas.
- Some spider species live in burrows rather than webs, while others are free-ranging and take refuge in crevices.
- Some species of spiders are attracted to moist environments. Check your basements, walls, sheds and other damp locations.
- Other species can be found in places such as attics, the junction of a wall and ceiling, closets and storage boxes.
- Spiders feed on other insects and prey on ants, flies, woodlice and other spiders, so where there is a plentiful supply of other insects, spiders will wait to find their next meal.
Causes of a spider infestation
As the temperature drops in autumn, spiders become more active, looking for a mate, and come out of their hiding places. Towards the end of autumn many die off, but some hibernate until the following spring. For the states serviced by Western Exterminator, this usually involves the black widow spider. Most of the time black widows stay hidden and out of site, but in states like Arizona, California and Nevada, when autumn comes around and they start looking to mate, you will see them on walls, screen doors and sometimes indoors. They are not looking to bite, but there is a potential risk.
Spiders are generally looking for food. Humans are not on the menu, which means if there are a lot of spiders in your home or on your property, they might have discovered your property is a great place to catch prey. Therefore a spider infestation might indicate an underlying pest problem a spider control specialist can help out with.
A house infested with spiders
One of the first things you should do if you are concerned you might have a full-on spider infestation in your home is look around outside. Spiders generally prefer to set up their webs outdoors where they are more likely to get insect prey to feast upon.
Look for webs in the bushes. If you have hedges and bushes around your home, one of the first signs you could be looking at a spider infestation is a preponderance of webs in the bushes. This could lead to spiders laying eggs that then hatch and spiderlings looking for another place to set up their own webs which could lead to them inside your home.
Spiders also like to hide, if they can. They are generally shy. They look for a place to build a web where they will be able to catch food, but also hidden away from potential predators. They will hide their webs in crawl spaces, basements and attics. They will look for corners either up high or down low.
Spider eggs
Spider eggs are laid into a silken sac, on average about 100 eggs in each sac, which may be fixed to a surface, hidden in the web or carried by the female. Signs of the sacs fixed indoors indicate that soon there will be more spiders around. Once the eggs hatch, hundreds of those spiderlings can come out, crawling all over the walls and getting into the tiniest spaces and cracks. Given the spider’s cannibalistic nature, they try to spread out and away from each other and might end up all over your home and inside.
Western Exterminator's treatment for spider infestations
At Western Exterminator, we offer expert identification of your invading spider species and provide a professional service to control larger infestations. Western Exterminator specialists will get into the places where spiders and their webs are found, remove them and offer advice on how to prevent a return.
For professional help with a spider infestation, call us today at 800-937-8398 or contact us online.
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