As Opelika property owners, we have enough to worry about besides spiders. There are plenty of disease-ridden roaches and rodents trying to enter our homes, and there might even be a deer or two chewing the grass in the yard. What’s wrong with a spider web here or there? But what if allowing spiders to get a foothold within your home was putting you at risk for a flesh-deteriorating bite?
Brown Recluse Problems
When you’re bitten by a brown recluse spider, it not only stings on the surface for quite a while, but it chews through the layers of skin underneath, sometimes even down to the bone. That’s why, although their bites are rare, they almost always require medical attention. You need to be on the lookout for these spiders at any point during the year, but they are more active in the warmer months. So what should you look for?
Brown recluse spiders are usually light brown in color and will roughly equate to the same size as a quarter with their legs spread out. Their legs are also nearly see-through, which differentiates them from a wolf spider, which is one of the species that resembles a brown recluse the most. Wolf spiders, however, are bigger, hairier, and have dark bands on their legs.
To really distinguish a brown recluse, you need to look at the eyes. They’ll have three pairings of two eyes each, which is a very unique feature. Another distinguishing feature is the dark violin shape on their backs, which leads to one of their nicknames, the “fiddleback” spider. You’re likely to find them in your home in the basement or crawlspaces as they are well-acclimated to going days without water, so they don’t mind being inside.
Wherever they have access to food, they can stay for a while. At night, they’ll actively hunt their prey, dead or alive, so they don’t need to use webs.
Prevention Techniques
As brown recluse spiders invade your property, they’ll be more attracted to your home if you lack home pest control techniques. These include things like:
- Maintaining good cleaning habits. If you keep crumbs off the counters and floors, you’ll be less likely to incur an infestation.
- Trash storage. If you store your trash in the proper containers, you’ll lessen the attraction for pests towards your home.
- Cleaning up the clutter. Brown recluse spiders and other pests love clutter. It makes them feel safe and allows them to move around more quickly and clear, open spaces are intimidating to pests.
- Maintaining good moisture control practices. Pests love dark, damp areas of the home. If you check for leaking pipes regularly and use a dehumidifier in the crawlspaces or basement, you can create a dry environment that wards pests off.
- Sealing up entry points. Pests will find any small entry points possible. Check under the doors for old weather-stripping and around windows for insecure caulking. Examine any screen doors or screened-in porch areas you may have and repair any rips or tears.
With proper pest control, the spider population will dwindle as well. You might also try to sweep away webs as quickly as possible. When spiders try to build webs and come back to them, they’ll be more likely to move on if the webs are being disrupted.
All of these guidelines can help create a pest and spider free environment if you do them right. However, when there are severe health issues on the line, do you really want to leave it to chance? The best method for spider prevention on your property is to contact Prewett Pest Control for more advice or assistance.
Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control services.