Spiders are one of the most common pests that homeowners encounter. They're often lurking in dark corners, making them difficult to spot and even more challenging to eliminate. While some spiders are harmless, others are highly venomous and pose a threat to human health and safety. That's why the team at Little John's wants to discuss how spiders find their way inside, how concerned you should be about them, and what can be done to prevent them! Let's take a closer look!
Spiders are always on the lookout for food, shelter, moisture, and warmth, which makes homes and businesses the perfect places for them to set up shop. Western black widows, wolf spiders, and brown/desert recluse spiders are some of the most common species found indoors in Arizona. They typically enter through small cracks and crevices in windows, doors, and foundation walls. They can also hitchhike into your home on clothing, luggage, or other items that have been outdoors, meaning you could be inviting spiders into your home without even knowing it.
Unfortunately, having spiders invade your indoor space is just part of life. They want to get out of the cold and hazardous outdoors just as much as we do, which is why they try to get inside in the first place. Spiders come indoors for easier hunting and shelter, and they even look for indoor spaces in which to mate where they don't have to compete with other spiders, predators, or other outdoor elements. To put it plainly, spiders are inside your cozy, safe spaces for all the same reasons you are!
While spiders do enjoy all the comforts of the indoors that we do, they don't necessarily want to hang out with humans. Most spiders want nothing to do with people because they recognize us as a threat; as the expression goes, "They are more afraid of us than we are of them!" This is why you typically see spiders building webs in the corners of ceilings and why cobwebs are common in areas that have been undisturbed for a long time.
When we see spiders crawling across the floor or climbing up the wall, they are not in their comfort zone and are likely trying to get back to their web or home. Of course, some common spiders do not build webs as a home or to catch prey, such as wolf spiders and many jumping spiders, but these spiders want to complete their hunting as quickly and safely as possible before hiding once again. Whether you are dealing with spiders that construct intricate webs or spiders that just like to hide under debris, you will most commonly find spiders in the following indoor environments:
While most spider bites are harmless, some species can cause severe health problems if they bite people, including fever, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, or worse. Luckily, spiders do not hunt humans and pets as prey, and it is not in their best interest to bite people or even make their presence in your home known. Spiders will usually only bite if they feel directly threatened by physical touch. It is very important to wear gloves when cleaning areas they have been ignored for long periods of time, and you should always look where you are placing your hands in order to prevent defensive spider bites.
Most common spider bites will result in nothing more than some minor swelling and irritation. There are some spiders, however, that can cause more serious issues if a bite occurs. Thankfully, there are easy ways to identify the most venomous spiders that you are likely to encounter in Arizona. Pay attention to your surroundings, and look out for the following characteristics that can help you avoid a dangerous spider:
Preventing spiders from entering your home or business requires a multifaceted approach. While it is nearly impossible to ensure that no spiders ever make their way into your indoor space, there are steps you can take to drastically reduce the number of spiders in your home or office building. The following tips can help you keep spiders from entering your home, and they will help ensure that you do not give spiders a place to hunt and breed, which will only lead to more spiders.
Use sealants and weather stripping to close off cracks and crevices that spiders can use to enter your home or business. Even the smallest crevice can be more than enough room for spiders to enter at will. Sealing off these openings will require close examination around the perimeter of your home or building, but it is one of the most important steps to take in preventing spiders. Of course, something as simple as keeping doors and windows closed is also an easy way to take away their access!
Regularly vacuum and dust your home or business to eliminate webs and spiders. Webs are used to both house the spiders and trap prey, so eliminating webs helps deter spiders from a particular space. Decluttering storage areas also helps because spiders love having debris and clutter to use as shelter. The cleaner your home or office building is, the less likely it is that you will have a serious spider problem.
Keep your yard maintained, and trim bushes and shrubs away from the exterior of your home or business. Spiders often use the cover of a dense bush as protection, so keeping those bushes trimmed exposes those hidden areas near the building. Overgrown grass is another common area where spiders hide before scurrying into your home. Regular lawn mowing and proper lawn care will go a long way in keeping spiders out!
At Little John's Lawns, we understand the importance of maintaining a pest-free environment for your home or business. Our perimeter pest control services are designed to keep spiders, as well as other common pests, out of your space. Our team of pest control experts uses a controlled-release insecticide around the exterior of your home that works as a chemical barrier that is safe for you but deadly for spiders and pests! Contact us today for more information on our perimeter pest control or to schedule a consultation!
Welcome to Little John’s Lawns! We are a family-owned company that specializes in providing professional lawn maintenance, lawn care, pest control, and irrigation services in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, and Queen Creek, AZ.