Termite Inspection Orange County Termite Terry Pest Control

Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, South Orange County, Long Beach Area

How To Control Spiders

If you afraid of spiders, you’re certainly not alone. In Western societies, 55% of females and 18% of males are estimated to experience arachnophobia.

Besides being scary, spiders are also very messy and their webs can make even the nicest home look dirty and appear like a “haunted house”.

Why is it that so many home and business owners have such a terrible time controlling spiders? One the main reasons may be that most people don’t understand the basic biology and behavior of spiders. In this article, we’d like to discuss some of these basics so you can keep your home or business spider-free.

   Spiders 101

There are over 35,000 described species of spiders in the world. In the U.S., we have between 400 and 700 different species that one could collect. We have three main species of spiders in Orange County that frequently invade homes and businesses:

  1. Almost everyone knows about the black widow spider and it is probably the most feared type. The female black widow is jet-black, with a red hourglass on its underside. Males are smaller and lighter colored. A female black widow will produce 4-9 white silken egg sacs in a summer and each of those sacs contains 300-400 eggs! Add up those numbers and you’ll easily understand why these pests can be so hard tbrown-widowo control. Body aches are a normal reaction when a person is bitten by a black widow. Their venom may also cause headaches, high blood pressure and nausea.
  2. The brown widow spider is one specie that most people had never seen until it became established in California during the early 2000’s. This spider has a mottling of tan and brown with black accents and you’ll find an orange colored hourglass on its underside. One of the easiest ways to identify this spider is by looking at the egg sacs. You’ll see they are yellowish in color and have numerous “silk spicules”. The venom of a brown widow is as toxic as the Black Widow’s but their bites are minor in comparison.
  3. The “Daddy Long Leg” spider likes to live indoors. These spiders have a small grey, elongated body with eight very long legs. 20-30 eggs are held in a silk net and this is carried with the female as she moves around. This type of spider breeds year round. Their venom is poisonous but their fangs are too short to penetrate skin and that is why they are not considered to be dangerous.

You may have heard of the brown recluse spider. It is one of the most feared spiders because its bite can be very painful and dangerous. There are no populations of brown widow spiders living in California and the odds of you getting bit by one of these spiders is realistically zero.

    How You Can Control Spiders

  1. Spiders only live in areas where there are a lot of bugs. Always start any spider control program by eliminating the other pests, in and around your home or business.
  2. Knock down major cobwebs. This is one of the best ways to control spiders. If there aren’t any webs, these spiders won’t be able to catch anything and this will help encourage them to go elsewhere. This will also improve the appearance of your home.
  3. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove spiders, their egg sacs and webs. For every egg sac you vacuum up, you could in effect be eliminating up to 400 potential new spiders!! This will also reduce the amount of insecticide needed to gain control.
  4. Sanitation and removal of clutter is very important because it eliminates many places for them to live and breed.
  5. Keep plants cut back and away from the exterior of your home or business. This is really important if you want to gain control over spiders. Some homes have plants, shrubs, trees and vines growing against or all over them. If this is the case, there is probably little hope that you’ll ever solve your spider problem.
  6. Boric acid or silica dust can really be effective when applied in attics, subareas, or in cracks and crevices. Remember, very little is needed and if you can see the dust after you have applied it, you have used too much.
  7. Some residual insecticide sprays can be very useful for exterior treatments. We especially recommend using granular formulations on lawn and soil areas located adjacent to the structure because they are longer lasting. Also, they are less likely to wash away when you irrigate or if it rains.

Are you having a problem with spiders and need help? Call our office at (949) 631-7348 and ask for us to schedule a FREE pest audit. You’ll learn all of the different ways you can help solve your problem. By the way, our regular monthly or bi-monthly pest control services include removal of major cob webs and wasp nest so your home or business will always look its best.