The Solution To Spiders In Missouri City
Spiders are one of the most feared pests in the world. It's likely that their eight legs, hairy bodies, and many sets of eyes contribute to people's dislike, but do spiders really deserve their bad reputation? The truth is that misconceptions about spiders abound. However, one thing is true: spiders do not belong in your home. If you have spiders in your house, you need spider control in Missouri City to deliver the solutions you need for a spider-free home.
Common Types Of Spiders In Missouri City
There are over 50,000 different species of spiders in the world. That is a lot of spiders, but thankfully, not all of them live in Missouri City. Here in Texas, there are around 900 spider species present, but even then, you shouldn't have to worry about all of those species getting into your home. In fact, of all the different species of Texas spiders in our area, there are just a handful commonly found in Missouri City homes. Learn more about them below.
House Spiders
House spiders are the spiders you probably have had the most contact with due to their preference for living in and around homes. These yellowish-brown pests are quite small, growing to about a quarter of an inch in length at most. They have eight long, thin legs.
Female house spiders can produce over a dozen egg sacs in their lifetime, with each egg sac containing up to 250 eggs. The eggs hatch in about a week's time. The lifespan of a house spider is about one year.
Like most spiders in Missouri City, house spiders eat insects. They build webs that are designed to catch their prey. If a web is unsuccessful in catching food, a house spider will abandon it to build another web in a new location. You are likely to find these webs in the corners of your ceiling, under furniture, in basements or attics, or in outdoor locations, such as under eaves and around windows.
Jumping Spiders
Jumping spiders are not a singular species but a group of spiders sharing common characteristics. While many people are afraid of spiders for a variety of reasons, jumping spiders may be the most fearsome kind of spiders because they can jump. The last thing you want or expect when you try to get rid of a spider is for it to jump at you.
Jumping spiders are usually black in color with pale markings. They have hairy bodies with front legs that are slightly longer than their other legs. These spiders prefer to live outdoors, but they occasionally come indoors while looking for food. The reason they jump is to catch their prey. They like to eat various types of worms and insects.
If jumping spiders get into your house, you're most likely to find them around windows or light sources that insects will be attracted to. However, because they also like to retreat to out-of-the-way locations, you may also find them under furniture, in cracks in the floor, in the folds of your curtains, and in other somewhat hidden locations.
Wolf Spiders
When it comes to intimidating spiders, wolf spiders rank among the greatest in the Missouri City area. Their name alone makes them sound dangerous, and when you see a wolf spider, the first thing you'll notice is its size. Wolf spiders are big. When you take their legs into account, they are quite a bit larger than a quarter. These spiders have long bodies with dark and light vertical stripes down their heads and backs.
The reason they have the name they do actually has nothing to do with being intimidating. Instead, it is due to how they catch their prey. Like wolves, they hunt and chase down their food. Wolf spiders are agile and fast runners. Because of how they catch their food, wolf spiders are a species of spiders that do not build webs.
Orb Weaver Spiders
When you picture a spider web, you're likely picturing the web of an orb weaver spider. Orb weaver spiders create large, round webs that have a wheel-like appearance and are quite beautiful and intricate when you take the time to look at them. The famous word-writing spider in Charlotte's Web was likely an orb weaver spider.
Orb weaver spiders can grow over an inch around when you include their legs, so they are fairly large, but they pose no serious concerns for humans. In fact, when outdoors, orb weaver spiders can be beneficial because of all of the insects their webs catch. When they get inside, you're likely to find them hanging out near lights, while their webs are likely to be in more cluttered areas.
Crab Spiders
As you might imagine, crab spiders get their name from their crab-like appearance and the way they often walk sideways and backward. They are typically gray or brown in color and grow to about half an inch long.
Like wolf spiders, crab spiders do not build webs. Unlike wolf spiders, they do not track down and chase after their prey. Instead, they hide, often in plain sight, waiting for their prey to come to them. Crab spiders have the ability to change colors over several days to blend in with their surroundings. They are often called flower crab spiders because they like to sit on flowers and will turn the color of the flowers on which they sit.
Crab spiders eat insects. They are able to catch some insects that are quite a bit larger than themselves.
Black Widow Spiders
Everyone has heard of black widow spiders, and most people are rather afraid of them as a result of what they've heard. It's true that black widow spiders are one of two spider species in Missouri City that are dangerous, but these solitary spiders are just as afraid of you as you are of them.
Black widow spiders have shiny black bodies with a distinctive red hourglass shape on their underside. They can grow up to an inch and a half long, including their legs, so they're one of the larger species of spiders. As reclusive spiders, they prefer to live in dark, dry locations, so you might find them in your basement if they get into your house. Another sign of their presence is the messy, irregular webs they build, usually in areas close to the ground.
Brown Recluse Spiders
Along with black widow spiders, brown recluse spiders are the other dangerous venomous spider species in Missouri City. These spiders are brown with a darker brown violin-shaped marking on their backs. They have long, thin legs and are much smaller than black widow spiders, growing to only about half an inch long.
As their name indicates, brown recluse spiders are reclusive. They prefer to live in undisturbed areas, where they'll build webs that they use as a retreat but not as a means of catching food. If they get into your house, you might find them anywhere where there is not a lot of action.
Spiders In Missouri City: Myth Vs. Fact
There are a lot of things that people hear about spiders that are just not true. Being able to tell the truth from fiction isn't always easy, especially these days when information can spread so quickly without being verified for accuracy. The following myths are all things you may have heard about spiders that just aren't true. By clearing up the following myths, you'll learn some interesting facts about spiders, and you may find yourself breathing a sigh of relief that some of the stories you've heard aren't true.
Myth: Spiders Are Insects
You probably already know that this isn't true. Spiders often get grouped in with insects because they all fall under the more general category of bugs. However, spiders are not insects but arachnids.
Arachnids are a class of animals that all share specific characteristics. Arachnids all:
- Have eight legs.
- Do not have antennae.
- Have two body segments.
Spiders are not the only arachnids. Other common arachnids you're probably familiar with include ticks, mites, and scorpions.
Myth: Spiders Are Poisonous
This myth is mostly just a misuse of words. Spiders are not poisonous; they are venomous. The main difference between these two words is how the toxin is transmitted. Something is poisonous if the toxin is inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. Something is venomous if the toxin is injected into the skin.
Someone might poison your drink because they are putting the toxin into something that you will then ingest by drinking it. On the other hand, a spider is venomous because it will bite you and inject the toxin into your skin through its bite.
Although the difference between being venomous and poisonous might not bring much comfort when you think about being bitten by a venomous spider, there is good news. The vast majority of spiders in Missouri City will not cause serious harm with their venomous bites. Most spider venom is not potent enough or delivered in a large enough dose to harm you. Although spider bites can hurt, most will clear up within a few days.
However, if you get bitten by a black widow spider or a brown recluse spider, you should seek medical care. Although neither of these spider bites usually results in death, they can have serious medical implications. Black widow spider bites cause fever, increased blood pressure, and nausea. Brown recluse spider bites usually result in dead tissue around the site of the bite. If you have severe symptoms from any spider bite, even if it's not a black widow or brown recluse, it's wise to see a doctor.
Myth: The Creepiest Spiders Are The Most Dangerous
If you're afraid of spiders, it's likely that you think all of them are creepy. However, we usually think of some spiders as creepier than others. Big, hairy spiders, like tarantulas, are feared by many and are often thought of as the creepiest spiders, but most of these spiders are actually harmless.
When you think about the two spider species in Missouri City that are truly dangerous, they are far from the creepiest. Black widows are fairly large, but they are shiny and somewhat interesting to look at when you consider their bright red markings. Brown recluse spiders are rather unassuming, and their small size can trick many people into thinking they're nothing to worry about.
Myth: All Spiders Build Webs
Although finding webs in your house is a sure sign that spiders are present, an absence of webs doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have spiders in your house. Most people think that spiders and webs go hand-in-hand, but not all spiders build webs. Two of the most common spiders in Missouri City, wolf spiders and crab spiders, don't build webs at all.
Myth: Spiders Are Aggressive
Although there are some spider species that are aggressive, those spiders are not ones that you need to worry about here in Missouri City. The vast majority of spiders are actually the very opposite of aggressive. Most spiders keep to themselves and want to be left alone.
This myth may have developed for a couple of reasons. One is that most spiders will defend themselves if they feel threatened. If you accidentally disturb a spider that is minding its own business, it will more than likely try to defend itself by biting you. Another reason this myth may have developed is because of jumping spiders. Any insect that jumps around can look aggressive, even if it isn't.
Myth: People Swallow Several Spiders Every Year While Sleeping
You'll be happy to know that the story circulated around the internet for years that you swallow up to eight spiders a year in your sleep is actually a myth. This urban legend has no basis in fact and no evidence to back it up.
While it is theoretically possible that you could swallow a spider in your sleep, it's highly unlikely. As we've already established, spiders don't want to spend their time around people, so first crawling onto a person whose chest is moving up and down and may be moving around in their sleep, and then crawling into that person's wet, open mouth that is probably making a fair amount of noise as they breathe, simply makes no sense.
Tips To Keep Your Missouri City Home Spider-Free
To prevent spiders in your home, you need to get rid of all of the things that might attract spiders. These things typically fall into three main categories:
Food
Spiders follow their food. Most spiders eat insects, and they won't stay in your house if it doesn't have a steady food supply. By making sure you keep your house free of insects, you can make sure that you keep your house free of spiders.
It's also important to keep insect populations low around the exterior of your house. This can be accomplished by installing outdoor lights that don't attract insects, keeping moisture levels low, and removing debris from your yard.
Water
Spiders need water to survive, and many also prefer to spend their time in humid locations. Make sure your house doesn't have any water leaks or drippy faucets. Keep humidity levels low, especially in areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.
Outside, make sure your house has proper drainage, remove items that collect water, and cut back foliage where excess moisture tends to gather.
Shelter
Sometimes, spiders get into your house to get out of the elements. If your house offers the type of shelter they like, they may stick around. Most spiders prefer to live in dark, secluded areas. Remove clutter from your house to reduce these areas.
Outside, store firewood away from your house. Keep your grass trimmed and clear yard debris regularly. Also, seal cracks and crevices and fix gaps and holes around windows and doors to prevent spiders from getting into your house.
The Best Way To Handle Spider Activity Around Your Home
If you've been finding a lot of spiders around your home, it might be time to bring in the professionals from Modern Pest Control. The best way to get rid of spiders in the house isn't to simply kill the ones you see. Usually, where there is one spider, there are others, so getting rid of one won't take care of the full problem.
Furthermore, if you have spiders in your house, it may indicate another problem with insects in your house. That's why it makes the most sense to have Modern Pest Control take a look at your house. We can determine what, if any, pests are in your house and provide the services you need to get rid of them.
Local home pest control from Modern Pest Control provides you with services backed by over 70 years of pest control experience. Our experience and commitment to delivering quality treatments that deliver the results you need ensure your satisfaction as we solve your spider problems. If you have a spider control issue in your Missouri City home, contact Modern Pest Control today.