Spiders: the good news and bad news

Spiders are one of the most widely known pests in the world. Their appearance evokes fear and interest in most that come across these eight-legged creatures. Spiders have their benefits but typically, their reputation and appearance outweigh the positives and it’s often why people want to keep them off of their property.

The relationship between humans and spiders is quite interesting and it uncovers why so many people fear them. We gathered interesting facts about spiders to help you better understand spiders and how we interact with them. We also have resources to help you remove spiders from your property.

If your property has a problem with too many spiders, then contact your local Western Exterminator office today.

Important spider facts

• It has been recorded that there are over 27,000 species of spiders in the world. Some of these spiders are as small as a pinhead while others have been noted to be as big as a dinner plate!
• In the Dark Ages, spiders were considered a source of contamination. Because of this concern, spiders were originally blamed for the Bubonic Plague but science proved that rats and fleas were the true causes. Although science debunked this myth, the fear passed on from generation to generation, which is one reason why humanity’s fear of spiders is so primal.
• The most deadly spiders are black widows, funnel web and brown recluse spiders. The tarantula has weaker venom than the three spiders just listed.
• Spider bites affect everyone differently. The amount of venom and the age and size of the person bit will largely depend on how the venom affects that person. Young children and the elderly are most susceptible to complications due to spider venom.
• A female spider can lay up to 3,000 eggs.
• To give you perspective on how strong spider web silk is, for its light weight, spider web silk is stronger and tougher than steel.

Why spider control is necessary

Although spiders have their benefits, there are legitimate reasons why people want spiders removed from their property.

• Almost all spiders carry venom – While a spider’s main purpose for using its venom is to stunt its prey, they occasionally bite humans. Brown recluse spiders are notorious for their bite, as well as black widows.
• Spider webs – Another reason why someone would want spiders removed from their property is due to the webs they weave! The webs are harmless to humans, but aren’t pleasant to look at, especially if you have multiple spiders on your property.
• Arachnophobia – The fear of spiders is a classified, legitimate phobia that many people suffer from. It can be debilitating and partnering with a professional pest control company to control spider infestations on the property puts those who suffer from the condition at ease.

The benefits of spiders

Spiders are not entirely bad. Spiders hunt for agricultural pests, like aphids, moths and beetles, which helps property owners reduce the use of chemical pesticides. Spiders have also been known to prey on cockroaches, earwigs, mosquitoes and flies. As great as this sounds, it’s important to check spider webs to see if the spiders on your property are catching your household pests.

But, if you believe the spiders on your property have become more of a nuisance than a benefit, it’s best to call your local professional pest control expert to remove the spider infestation from your property.

Western Exterminator can get rid of spiders

Your local Western Exterminator specialist can remove spiders from your property, in an eco-friendly way. Western’s Integrated Pest Management program uses a combination of common-sense practices and environmentally-sensitive methods to combat pest infestations.

Our in-house entomologists train our pest control specialists with the latest methods and techniques for pest removal and prevention.

For more information on our professional spider control services, contact your local Western Exterminator office today.