Tips And Tricks To Effectively Deter Spiders In Chesapeake

Only one venomous and potentially dangerous type of spider is native to Virginia and the Chesapeake area. It is the black widow spider. In most cases, spiders are not a serious cause for concern, and all-natural pest maintenance is a viable solution. Join us today as we provide five ways to deter common spiders in Chesapeake and share a few facts about black widow spiders that will help to alleviate your concerns. We know some of you have a fear of spiders and we believe that learning general spider facts can ease those fears. It is also good to arm yourself with helpful tips for preventing spiders in your house. You'll get both here. If you want professional spider pest control in Chesapeake, we can help you with that as well. Give us a call or connect with us through our simple contact form. While we specialize in industry-leading mosquito control, our technicians are highly trained pest management professionals. We can guide you in finding solutions to all your pest problems.  

What Kind Of Spiders Might I Encounter In Chesapeake?

Most spiders that get into Chesapeake homes are tiny hairless critters that zip across walls and race across your carpet or hardwood floors. Those tiny spiders are almost entirely harmless. Why are they harmless spiders? Because they have weak venom that won't make you sick. Some of them also have weak fangs that are unable to break through human skin. On top of these two encouraging facts, spiders don't prefer to bite you. When you see one racing across your carpet in your direction, find comfort in knowing that it has no intention of biting you. We are not aware of any spider that intentionally runs after humans to bite them. Spiders run at people for a variety of reasons, none of which are what you might think. They may sense the vibration you're creating on the floor and think they're running away from you when they're actually running toward you. They may notice a movement of dark and light and are coming to investigate. Spiders that have good eyesight (which are few), aren't likely to run at you. They'll freeze when they detect you. Let's quickly break down the "types of spiders" you may encounter.

• Common house spiders are tiny spiders that create webs all over your home. You won't see these spiders most of the time because they hide in voids and tend to several webs at once. If you do see them, you'll likely notice them in between your screens and window panes where insects attempt to get inside. They tend to live in these areas to catch food. If you touch their web, they may investigate.
• Wolf spiders are hairy spiders that don't create webs to catch food. They hunt for food and tend to show up in storage rooms or on bathroom drains. Wolf spiders have good eyesight and will stop moving when they see you.
• Black widow spiders are tiny, hairless, black spiders with a red hourglass pattern on the bottom of the abdomen. They do not prefer to live indoors and are typically found in wood piles and other exterior organic matter. They may also establish webs inside the voids of man-made objects sitting in your yard. One concern is when they get into the voids of swingsets.
• Garden spiders are big, hairless spiders that make webs outside your home. They have a pinprick bite but do not cause medical symptoms. It is okay to allow them to guard your garden or berry bushes as long as you keep track of where they're living. Vibrations on their webs can lead to an accidental bite.        

In general, spiders are okay to have in your yard in small numbers. They provide some pest management as they capture mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and other harmful pests. But we're often asked about the risk of spiders and spider bites. Let's quickly address this and discuss a few issues that may arise.

Are Most House Spiders Dangerous?

You know the answer to this already. Spiders don't want to bite you, and many spiders have weak venom or fangs. The one spider that can make you sick is the black widow. It is essential to know how to identify widows and to take precautions when you see them. We discuss the black coloration and the red hourglass on the bottom of a black widow spider's abdomen, but it is helpful to know what their webs look like as well. These spiders have strong threads that pluck when you break them. They also have a tangled appearance. When you find strong tangled webbing, take caution. A black widow spider may bite you when it detects a vibration on its web. If it does, there are a few things you should know.

• It is best to seek medical attention for all black widow bites, just in case. 
• While more than a thousand people seek medical attention for black widow spider bites yearly, less than a dozen have life-threatening medical symptoms.
• The last reported death from a black widow spider bite in the United States isn't even in this century. It was reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers in 1983. It is safe to say that you're not in mortal danger.

We hope these facts help to alleviate your fears. Most spiders present little or no threat to you, and the one that does is only a minimal threat. For this reason, we are comfortable suggesting all-natural spider prevention to deter spiders. While not the best way to keep spiders out of your Chesapeake home, it is a viable option considering the threat level.

Five Ways To Deter Spiders In Chesapeake

Spiders are motivated by available water, food, and hiding places. Addressing these will help you get rid of spiders in Chesapeake and keep them out of your home.

1. Remove Hiding Places

Where do spiders hide? We touched on this. They can hide in yard clutter, wood piles, and other places in your yard. When spiders hide in your yard, the next logical place for them to hide is inside your home. Stay on top of yard work and remove clutter from your yard to deter spiders.

2. Reduce Food

What do spiders eat? Mostly insects and bugs. If you want fewer spiders, reduce general pest populations around your home. There are many ways to naturally deter insects and bugs. You may know many of these.

• Keep trash in scented bags and covered containers. Move trash to the curb weekly and clean your receptacles if they acquire an odor.
• Pick up dog droppings in your yard if you have a dog.
• Replace exterior white lights with yellow, insect-resistant lights.
• Clear gutter clogs and address other factors that can lead to perimeter moisture.
• Trim your landscaping and remove weeds.

Reducing flies, crawling insects, and other bugs will have a big impact on spiders.

3. Reduce Spider Populations

You can directly reduce spider populations by removing webs. Most spiders make webs and some will create egg sacs in their webs. An egg sac can have 300 spider eggs tucked inside. The last thing you need is for those eggs to hatch near your home.

4. Seal Openings

Spiders don't chew on wood or weatherstripping. They get into your home through openings that already exist. While you can't seal spiders out of your home entirely, it helps to try. Every entry point you seal will provide a little more spider prevention for your exterior.

5. Alter Indoor Conducive Conditions

When spiders get into your home and find insects and bugs to eat, they'll stay if they are a species that is prone to living indoors. Your primary way to deter them is to address indoor insects.

• Keep your home as clean as possible.
• Keep trash covered.
• Put pet food down only during meals.
• Consider storing pantry foods in sealed containers.

General maintenance is often enough for Chesapeake spider management. Unfortunately, it is a lot of work and residents often turn to spider control products, which typically stretch out infestations and increase misery. There is no one product that works to control spiders. You need to have a management and treatment strategy that combines several products. For this reason, we recommend professional service for total spider control in Chesapeake. A licensed professional will arrest spider activity in your home and provide options for ongoing exterior spider and pest prevention.

Total Spider Control For Your Home Or Business

Are you in Chesapeake? If so, contact Hawk Mosquito & Pest for help with indoor treatments and ongoing exterior care. We can target spiders if you'd like, or provide services that address the insects and bugs they eat. In both cases, it helps to have professional services because then you won't have to do as much work to keep spiders and other pests out of your home. Want to learn more or request service? Give us a call or drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you.