Minnesota Pest Control – Spiders Control and Spider Removal

Minnesota Pest Control – Spider Problem

Most people are well aware how beneficial spiders are because they eat insects, still there is much confusion and unwarranted fear of the potential harm spiders might do to people. Spiders rank just behind bees and wasps as the most feared arthropod. It is common for any unexplained skin irritation to be called a “spider bite.

If you have an insect or pest problem, it is not uncommon to also have a Spider problem. Spiders feed upon insects, so it is natural for them to infest areas where large amounts of pests are present.

Spider Bite Cycle

Spider Bites

Research has shown that over 80% of suspected “spider bites” are caused by other arthropods, such as insects and ticks, or other disease states. Of the more than 3,000 kinds of spiders in the United States, about 60 species have been implicated as causing medically significant bites to people. Many spiders are not capable of breaking the skin with their fangs while other species contain venom that causes no reaction. Spiders are usually very timid and will only bite in self-defense if mishandled, cornered, or injured. Even when they bite, spiders do not always inject venom. The severity of the reaction to a spider bite will differ among individuals. Most spider bites are less painful than a bee sting.

Actual spider bites show two puncture marks although the wound is not always obvious. A rather typical reaction may involve localized reddening and various degrees of swelling, itching, and pain. Within a few hours a small red, blue, or black discoloration can develop around the bite site. The area may remain tender for a few days, and eventually a small sore can develop that soon begins healing. Accurate identification of any spider bite can only be made if the spider causing the bite is captured and identified.

Outdoor Control

1. If it is necessary to reduce the number of spiders in and around your home, start with nonchemical methods including sanitation to prevent spiders from entering from the outside.
2. Remove piles of bricks, firewood, and other debris that may serve as suitable homes for spiders or move them further from your home.
3. Keep grassy or weedy areas near buildings cut short.
4. Trim back shrubs and other plants that directly contact your home.
5. Knock webs down with a broom or a hard spray of water.
6. Remove and destroy any egg sacs or spiders that are found.
7. Caulk or seal obvious cracks or spaces around the foundation, doors, and ground level windows.
8. Check to be sure screens fit tightly. Replace any screens that fit poorly or are damaged.
9. Change outside lights to reduce insect prey that can encourage spiders. Yellow lights are less attractive to insects than mercury or sodium vapor lights.

Indoor Control

Regular housecleaning is very important in the control of spiders indoors. Large, persistent spider populations indoors indicate the presence of a significant insect population that serves as their food.

1. Remove papers, boxes, bags, and other clutter to minimize favorable sites for spiders.
2. Remove webbing with a broom or vacuum, and destroy any egg sacs and spiders that are found. Look especially around windows, in corners and other relatively quiet places.
3. Eliminate insects that serve as a food supply, especially when large numbers exist. Check particularly in and under webs to see what insects have been captured.

You can supplement your sanitation efforts with an insecticide treatment. Treat especially behind base-boards, in cracks and crevices, and other places where spiders may hide. General treatments on surfaces and fogs are not effective. Most insecticides labeled for ants and cockroaches are also labeled for spiders. These products are commonly found in aerosol ready-to-use cans.

CAUTION: Read all label directions carefully before buying insecticides and again before using them. The label is the final authority on how you may legally use any pesticide.

Spiders are a lot like snakes. They’re misunderstood, and mostly harmless — even quite beneficial. But you don’t have to be Little Miss Muffet to get a little squeamish at the idea of sharing your tuffet with them or your home. If your home has more cobwebs than a haunted house, what’s the solution? How do you send Charlotte and her web packing?

Usually, successful pest management requires a combination or blend of methods. Each situation may require a different combination of management strategies. Calling a Minnesota Pest Control Expert includes an inspection, interior and exterior, cob web removal, egg sac removal, and a spider focused interior and exterior treatment. This process controls about 90-95% of spiders in your home.