Spiders of all shapes and sizes are hopeful that they will gain entry into your Houston home while they search for food, water, and shelter. One of the most prominent issues that comes along with having the presence of spiders in your home is that it most certainly means that you have at least one other infestation of some kind, as spiders prey on other pests for food.
Spiders can be harmful to your health and detrimental to your home and property, making them a pest in need of removal. Some spiders that you may encounter in the Houston area are:
Black Widow
Easily identified by their glossy black coloring, female black widows are also stamped with the iconic red hourglass shape while the males are brown in coloring and are typically more reclusive. They seek dry, dark spaces to spin their webs and wait for their prey, so look to attics, basements, and other areas that humans rarely go.
Brown Recluse
Light brown to tan in coloring, the brown recluse is identified by its bulbous abdomen and a violin-shaped marking that can change in intensity as the spider ages. This is easy to misinterpret, so the best way to identify a brown recluse is by looking at their eyes, which there are six of.
Long-Bodied Cellar Spider
Colloquially known as daddy-long-legs, this very long and thin spider feeds off of decomposing organic matter or dead prey and is most commonly found in cellars, as their name suggests. They are generally attracted to your home due to outdoor lights and then find their way inside through cracks in your foundation or gaps around doors. Homeowners should look to areas of high moisture as well for cellar spiders.
Jumping Spider
This chubby, furry spider has keenest eyesight of all spiders, which makes them adept at catching their prey. They tend to circulate around doors and windows, so be sure to address any cracks or crevices that might be letting them in.
House Spider
Commonly found inside the home, this spider crawls around in all of the cozy bits, like underneath your couches or amidst your clothes piles. They range from black to brown in coloring and are not harmful to humans.
Health Hazards Of Spiders:
Did you know that all spiders possess venom and fangs, but only two species in North America are medically dangerous to humans? The black widow spider and brown recluse, both of which are native to the Houston area, pose a threat to humans that is truly unpleasant. A bite from a black widow spider may result in some of the following symptoms:
- Muscle cramps
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Trouble breathing
The brown recluse, which is a cousin to the black widow, is the most misidentified spider in America, which is frightening, considering the damage that they can cause to your health. Their bites tend to be painless, but symptoms can develop anywhere between two and eight hours after the bite occurs, leaving Houston residents unsure of where or how they were bitten. Some of the signs of being bitten by a brown recluse are:
- Itching and stinging pain
- Vomiting
- Blistering
- Discolorations at the bite site
- Sometimes very severe effects like renal failure, coma, or death
If you suspect that you have been bitten by either of these spiders, you should seek professional medical attention immediately. For more advice or spider control assistance, contact the professionals at All-Safe Pest & Termite today. We provide many pest control services in Houston.