With winter at the forefront of most people’s minds, as the days begin to shorten and the air begins to cool, several pests are now starting to make their way from the outside of our homes to the inside. Spiders are among the pests that tend to get in during the fall, but not for the reason many people believe. Insects such as flies and ladybugs invade homes to escape the winter chill, but spiders invade homes to follow their food sources, which are now moving inside.
The spiders that typically invade homes include both dangerous spiders and nuisance spiders. However, the most commonly seen spiders indoors are house spiders, black widow spiders, and brown recluse spiders.
House Spiders
House spiders prefer to reside indoors even in the warmer seasons—hence the reason for their name—and are often found in areas that are not visited frequently, such as wall voids, unfinished basements, closets, and attics. While a bite from a house spider is not inherently dangerous, house spiders can be a bit of a nuisance in other ways. House spiders reproduce fairly quickly and can infest your home before you even realize you have an issue. Additionally, these spiders leave unsightly webs in corners, doorways, and openings—which can be quite irritating to be constantly running into.
On the other end of the spectrum, some spiders can pose a threat to your health in addition to being a nuisance. Black widows and brown recluse spiders are two of the more commonly found spiders that can be dangerous if you are bitten.
Black Widow Spiders
Black widows are quite easily identified due to their black bodies and the bright red hourglass marking on their abdomens. A bite from this arachnid may require immediate medical attention and can lead to several hours of pain, nausea, difficulty breathing, and paralysis if left untreated. While a black widow bite may be incredibly painful, these bites are rarely fatal.
Brown Recluse Spiders
Brown recluse spiders get their name from their habits of reclusion and their ability to stay out of sight. These small spiders stand out from other spiders because of the distinctive dark violin-shaped markings on their backs. And while they live here in South Carolina, there aren’t very many of them in this area. Medical professionals should be contacted as soon as you are aware you have been bitten, as the venom the brown recluse spider produces can be quite dangerous. Untreated brown recluse bites can lead to fever, restlessness, nerve damage, and even the decay of tissue around the affected area.
If you are aware of a spider problem in your home, the most effective and direct solution is to contact a pest control expert who is knowledgeable about the pest you are facing. At Aiken Pest Control, our professionals are highly trained in all fields of pest control services. With our home pest control plans, we treat homes for all types of pests - including spiders.