WHAT KIND OF SPIDER IS THIS IN MY AIKEN HOME?

Aiken spiders can appear in many unexpected places. You can see one clinging to your wall while you're watching television (just asking to be squished). You can find a big hairy one in a box that you grabbed out of storage. You can notice one zipping across your floor at full spider-speed while you're entertaining guests. You can see one in a web between the screen and glass of your sliding glass door as you're heading outside. No matter how or where they show up, they aren't a welcome sight. Spiders are gross. But you can take comfort (though not much) in knowing that most spiders in Aiken are harmless. There are a few that can cause painful bites but they tend to stay outside. And there are only two that can cause a bite that could be a medical concern. Two out of hundreds. Those are some pretty good odds. Here are some tips to help you with spider identification.

Can you guess which two spiders are a medical concern?

If you live in Aiken South Carolina, you are familiar with the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider. Both of these spiders can get into your home, but it is rare for black widow spiders to get in and stay in. This is good news because black widow spiders can deliver a painful bite that can lead to serious symptoms. Brown recluse spiders commonly get inside and can live quite well inside Aiken homes. Fortunately, it is rare for these spiders to bite people. They are extremely reclusive, as their name implies.

Widow Spider Identification

In our Aiken service area, we have black widows and brown widows. A black widow is jet black and it may have a bright red hourglass shape on the underside of its bulbous abdomen. A brown widow is brown, white, and tan, with spots. On the underside of its abdomen, a brown widow spider may have an orange hourglass marking.

Brown Recluse Spider Identification

The brown recluse spider is easy to identify if you can look at one up close. This visibly hairless, tannish-brown spider has a dark brown violin shape on its back. The violin-shaped marking has the stem pointing toward the abdomen. Unfortunately, as distinct as this marking is, it is hard to see because a brown recluse spider isn't much bigger than a quarter. And brown recluse spiderlings are even smaller.

Other House Spiders

There are a variety of spiders in our Aiken service area. Most of them prefer to be outside:

• The most common interior spider is aptly called the common house spider. It is also referred to as the American house spider. These spiders can be as small as ⅛ of an inch in length. Its coloration is a dirty brown and yellow mixture. This is the spider you're likely to see in your windows and doors, between the glass panes and the screens.
• Wolf spiders are hunter spiders that don't make webs to catch their prey. You'll find these spiders getting into exterior storage rooms, sheds, and your garage. This is the hairy spider you're likely to find in a box you pulled out of storage. You may also find it sitting in a pool of water on your garage floor or bathroom drain.

What To Do About Aiken Spiders

Spider prevention is straightforward. If you eliminate spiders' food, water, and harborage resources, you can make your home less of a target for spiders. If you also take the time to seal potential entry points that a spider might use to get into your home, you can reduce spider sightings to a tolerable level. But one spider sighting is one too many. It is necessary to use control products. These are best administered by a licensed professional. This is where we can help. The team at Aiken Pest Control can give your exterior what it needs to reduce insects that spiders feed on and help to keep spiders from living near your home.

If you have questions, or you'd like to request service, reach out to us anytime. We're here to help you with all your pest control needs.