What You Should Know About Effective House Spider Control

We enjoy movies because we like to be entertained by romance stories, superheroes saving the world, or by frightening villains. Aliens from outer space, villains with superpowers, lunatics, and overgrown animals and insects are movie characters that cause us to jump and shriek in horror and fear. King Kong and Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Jaws share the limelight as the usual scary animals, but in the insect-like area, spiders reign supreme. (technically, spiders are not insects but are arachnids)

What is it about spiders that make us jump back? Why do some people run to the opposite corner of the room when a spider is present? Perhaps it is the multiple hairy legs, the immovable rows of eyes, and the erratic movements that scare people. Whatever the cause of fear, we don't want spiders in our house! 

If you run into spider webs in the closet or attic or see spiders running next to the baseboards or other areas, you need the best pest control in Plano from All-Safe Pest & Termite. Our technicians have removed spiders from Plano homes since the days of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). As the largest independent company in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, we provide low-toxicity solutions to pest control problems, like spider removal. Spiders are mysterious creatures, so in this article, we answer questions to help you win the war against spiders.

Types Of Spiders Commonly Found Around Plano

There are thousands of spider species worldwide, and these are the most common spiders in the Plano area: 

• House spiders: These spiders have a yellowish-brown color with several angular, dark stripes; female house spiders have a round abdomen on their 3/16 to 5/16 inch body, and males have an extended abdomen on their 1/8 to 3/16 inch body. House spiders build tangled webs in random places throughout the house. 
• Black widow spiders: Easily distinguishable by the bright red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen of their round, shiny black body, these arachnids are 1 1/2 to 1 3/8 inches long, have eight legs, and have eight eyes. Black widow spiders create messy webs near the ground level in dry, dark areas like the garage, basement, and crawl space. 
• Brown recluse: Like black widow spiders, this yellowish-gray to black spider species has a distinguishing imprint; a darker violin-shaped marking on its 1/4 to 1/2 inch round, brown body. Another unique feature of the brown recluse spider is the three pairs of eyes arranged in a semicircle. Brown recluses build irregular webs in warm, dry, secluded storage areas in basements, closets, garages, and attics. 
• Wolf spiders: Compared to house spiders, black widow spiders, and brown recluse spiders, wolf spiders have big, hairy bodies. Wolf spiders have a Union Jack mark or strips on the back of their grey, black, or dark brown 1/4 to 1 3/8-inch body. Unlike spiders previously mentioned, wolf spiders do not build webs but chase down their prey along baseboards in Plano houses. 
• Jumping spiders: Most arachnids are nocturnal and hunt at night, but jumping spiders catch prey during the day. With excellent daytime vision allowing them to detect movement 18 inches away and the ability to jump 25 times the size of their body, these black, short-legged, 1/8 to 3/4-inch hairy spiders with white markings hunt around windows and doors.
• Orb weaver spiders: There are over 180 different orb weaver species in the United States; many species are around Plano, but the characteristic of all orb weavers is large complex round webs. The colors of orb weavers range from grey to brightly colored bodies. Like all arachnids, orb weaver spiders have eight legs and multiple eyes; they can grow to 1 3/16 inches in size.

All-Safe Pest & Termite has the tools and experience to eradicate all spiders in texas from your home. 

How Spiders In The House Could Mean A Bigger Problem

Psychological reasons are one reason we fear spiders with their multiple legs, eyes, and quick and erratic movements. Playing into those fears is the concern that the arachnid may be venomous and bite. Spiders are like snakes, we know many are not harmful, but we are too afraid to take our chances! 

Black widow and brown recluse spiders are the two venomous spiders in texas affecting homeowners. Like all spiders, these arachnids are not aggressive and will bite only as a last resort. The results of a brown recluse bite are a painful blister that may form an ulcer; the venom from this spider eats away tissue underneath the wound area and may penetrate the bone. Fever, restlessness, and difficulty sleeping are other symptoms of a brown recluse bite. Nausea, and increased blood, in addition to fever, are symptoms of a black widow bite. Despite their reputation in horror movies, bites from either spider species are not deadly, except in rare cases where no medical attention was sought or given. All other spider species in Plano are not venomous, but that does not mean they are not problematic for homeowners. 

Spiders enter homes because their favorite food source, insects, are present. Spiders in the house indicate an abundance of ants, butterflies, caterpillars, cockroaches, flies, fleas, mosquitoes, and moths in or near your Plano home. These insects are a nuisance and contaminate food, damage food products, create a foul odor, or spread disease depending on the insect species infesting the house. 

For example, fleas enter the house on wildlife, rodents, and family pets and may spread murine typhus, tularemia, and tapeworm. Cockroaches forage on garbage, rotting food, sewage, and animal feces. As they move through these filthy areas, the spines on their legs attract disease-causing organisms. Later, when they enter a house, the pathogens fall off and contaminate kitchen cabinets, drawers, countertops, and other areas; they also pollute the home through droppings, urine, and saliva. E. coli infection, salmonellosis, typhoid fever, cholera, gastroenteritis, and dysentery are diseases cockroaches transmit to humans. Spiders in your Plano home may indicate an infestation of fleas or cockroaches, which puts your family at risk for disease. 

Spiders on your porch and deck may indicate a mosquito infestation around your house. Mosquitoes are vectors for the West Nile virus, dengue fever, chikungunya virus, encephalitis, and tularemia. Most ants do not spread disease, but pharoah ants spread salmonellosis, staphylococcus, clostridium, and streptococcus. 

While insects like flies, most ants, butterflies, caterpillars, and moths don't spread disease, they contaminate exposed fruits and vegetables and damage food products in paper containers. 

Lots of spiders in the house are a warning sign of something potentially much worse, which is why you should call our team at All-Safe Pest & Termite. Our technicians will determine if the spider problem is indicative of a more dangerous problem from an infestation of disease-spreading, food-contaminating insects. 

Tips To Deter House Spiders In Plano

Because of the potential health effects of venomous black widow and brown recluse spiders, and due to the possibility that spiders infest your home result because of an insect invasion, we recommend the following to keep spiders away: 

• Remove clutter around the house: Spiders and insects hide underneath logs, rocks, leaves, wood piles, and junk. If you use firewood, move the wood at least 20 feet from the house and elevate it to allow for airflow and moisture reduction. 
• Eliminate standing water from the yard: Create proper drainage for ditches and low-lying areas, and remove water-collecting items such as bird baths, child swimming pools, and old tires.
• Seal all cracks in the house's exterior. Cover openings with caulk or other appropriate materials in the foundation, underneath the roofline, between gaps in incoming pipes and wires, and around window and door frames.
• Repair holes in screens: Check doors, windows, and vents for gaps and fix them with screen material. One-quarter-inch wire mesh is best on attic, crawlspace, and chimney openings.
• Prune away shrubs and trees: Bushes and tree branches touching the roof create highways from the lawn to the house enabling access to cracks around windows, vents, and the roofline. 
• Replace outdoor lights: Incandescent light attracts moths, swarming termites, and carpenter ants to your porch and deck, luring spiders. Use bug lightbulbs or LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs. 
• Declutter the garage, basement, and attic: Spiders and insects search for dark nesting locations in houses, old boxes, piles of clothing, and magazines and provide the perfect nesting areas. 
• Dehumidify the home: Damp areas attract cockroaches, and moist areas of standing water around the house lure mosquitoes, which then attract spiders to your Plano home. 

These tips are natural ways to keep spiders, rodents, and insects away from your Plano house. Maintaining a clean, dry environment inside and outside your home will discourage future infestations; however, to stop the current problem, you need help from All-Safe Pest & Termite.

Professional Pest Control Makes For The Best Spider Control

All-Safe Pest & Termite will eliminate spiders in your house. Our pest control technicians will determine your home's attractants, entry points, and hot spots. Because of our decades of experience, we can quickly discern if you have only a spider problem or if the spiders are from an insect infestation. When our highly-trained technicians complete their inspection, they will create a custom treatment strategy and use safe products to remove spiders from your Plano home. Contact us today and get your free estimate.