Spider Identification Guide

What are spiders?

Spiders vary in size, shape, and behavior depending on the species. While most everyone can agree that spiders are helpful pests, most everyone agrees that no one wants a home full of these creatures.

Spiders are incredibly beneficial when living outside and away from people by eating, and therefore controlling, populations of nuisance insects, but when they decide to take over our yards and homes, they quickly turn into unwanted pests. Most people do not want to cohabitate with these eight-legged creatures that lurk in the dark corners of our homes.

In our area, the most common spiders we run into in our yards and houses are the black widow spider, brown recluse spider, wolf spider, and house spider.

Are spiders dangerous?

In general, spiders are shy and reclusive and want to stay out of sight. They are mainly nuisance pests because they and their webs aggravate and annoy most people. However, it is important to note that spiders all possess venom.

Most spiders, like wolf spiders and house spiders, are not a threat to people because if a bite were to occur, their venom is not strong enough to pose health risks. Other spiders like black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders are a risk to people because they do have venom that is strong enough to affect our health.

If you ever discover dangerous spiders like black widow spiders or brown recluse spiders on your Central Kansas property, call for professional help.

Why do I have a spider problem?

Spiders feed on insects; therefore, the main reason you'll have spiders living in your yard or home is that there are plenty of insects for them to hunt and eat. If there is a large presence of spiders on your property, it is an indicator that you have an overall pest problem that you need to address.

If there were no food present for the spiders to eat, they would simply move on. Things like dense vegetation, gardens, compost, open trash cans, and recycling bins attract insects to your yard, and that, in turn, attracts spiders.

Where will I find spiders?

Spiders are shy and, when inside your home, like to stay hidden from view. They like to choose quiet spots to hide or build their nests. Wolf spiders are not great climbers and like to hide under furniture or in the bottom of closets or cluttered areas. You'll often see them scurrying on the floor next to walls. House spiders are excellent climbers, and you'll find their webs in the corners of rooms, closets, window sills, or doorways. Both black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders hide in similar areas, including basements, closets, attics, crawlspaces, and spaces under furniture.

How do I get rid of spiders?

Spiders are difficult pests to control and eliminate. If you are experiencing problems with spiders in your Oklahoma, Kansas, or Arkansas business or home, let the professional at BugBros Pest Control help. We take pride in offering the consistent and convenient services needed to eliminate pests and prevent them from returning. We dedicate ourselves to providing our customers with a pest-free environment that can be enjoyed by family and friends. We kill bugs and create #CrazyHappyCustomers!

How can I prevent spiders in the future?

Let the professionals at BugBros in conjunction with our helpful prevention tips help you avoid problems with spiders:

• Give the exterior of your home a thorough inspection and seal any openings into your home.
• Make sure that window and door screens are secure and free of rips or tears.
• Reduce the number of flies and other insects on your property that spiders like to eat. Keeping locking lids on trash cans, recycling bins, and compost bins.
• Outdoor lighting attracts insects that spiders prey upon. Keep outdoor lights off as much as possible and replace traditional white bulbs with LED lightbulbs that are much less attractive to insects.
• Cut back overgrown shrubbery and other landscaping from the exterior of your home.
• Reduce hiding spots in your yard by removing fallen trees, excess woodpiles, and brush piles.
• In your home, as soon as you see a spider web, vacuum it up; the same goes for any wandering spiders you find.

For more information about our spider control services, reach out to BugBros today. We would love to work with you to ensure that your residential or commercial property is free of spiders and other pests!