Aug 19, 2022 | Florida Pest Control
Bonita Springs Pest Control: Spider Identification & Prevention
Creepy, crawly, and usually unwanted in our homes, spiders will often infest, looking for a nice place to inhabit. Most spiders that homeowners come across are harmless, but it’s always a good idea to stay on top of the spiders in your area to help prevent them. Check out our list of the top 3 common spiders you can find in Bonita Springs.
Black Widows
Black widows are one of the most venomous spiders in North America. These spiders are shiny black, with the female displaying a red hourglass-shaped mark on the underside of the abdomen. You can find black widow spiders outdoors under rocks, boards, or even in or around old buildings. These spiders tend to hunt by day and hide at night in their web. Luckily, they are not aggressive, and their bites only occur because of accidental contact. If bitten, common symptoms include redness, swelling at the site of the bite, nausea, and sometimes paralysis.
Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders are fairly large and hairy with a pattern of black, gray, and brown coloring. While they often frighten people with their looks, they are non-venomous and will only bite if provoked. These creatures do not spin webs to catch their prey but instead, hunt at night or wait to ambush while hiding under debris or burrowing. You can usually find these spiders on the ground, where they can camouflage their hairy bodies under leaf litter, rocks, and logs. If they find their way indoors, they like to stay close to the floor and are active in dim light.
Brown Widow
One of the main types of venomous spiders in Bonita Springs is the brown widow. These spiders are slightly smaller than the black widow, grey to brown in color, and have a yellow hourglass marking under the abdomen. Brown widows are often found under rocks and logs but can adapt to human environments too. If they find their way inside, you can often find them in empty containers, entryway corners, under eaves, in cluttered storage closets, or any area that has been undisturbed for a long period. These spiders bite in self-defense, causing symptoms including swelling, nausea, vomiting, and high blood pressure.
To avoid these spiders entering your home, implement the following spider prevention tips:
- Keep your storage areas, garages, and basements clutter-free
- Avoid leaving your clothes and shoes on the floor; spiders will often hide inside them
- Seal any open gaps or holes leading inside the home
- Call your local Bonita Springs pest control company to perform an inspection and provide you with a treatment and prevention plan
Jul 29, 2022 | Pest Control
Orb weaver spiders, or orb weavers, are a group of spiders named for their ability to produce round, orb-like webs. They make up the family Araneidae, one of the most diverse groups of arachnids in terms of both size and appearance. Despite their differences, they all have one thing in common: their ability to create large, majestic webs. These webs are circular in shape with grids similar to the spokes of a wheel. Some webs can even measure up to 3 feet in diameter. Let’s take an in depth look to learn all you need to know about orb weavers.
Appearance
Orb weavers have body types similar to other spiders with 8 legs; 2 body parts (a cephalothorax and abdomen), and chelicera (mouthparts that look like fangs). They range in size from 1.5 to 3 cm. Some are brightly colored, while others are brown or gray. They have large abdomens and hairy legs.
Behavior
Orb weavers are typically nocturnal and will often build or repair their webs at night. They do not hunt or wander for their food. Instead, they utilize their expansive web making skills to catch their prey. They will usually sit in their webs after they are built waiting for prey to become ensnared. Sometimes they will hide nearby and leave a trigger line of silk connected to the web. The vibrations from the prey run down the line and alert them. They will then bite and paralyze their prey and wrap it in silk to save for dinner later. Orb weavers are most commonly seen in late summer and early fall.
Diet
An orb weaver’s diet usually consists of small insects like moths, wasps, beetles, flies, and mosquitoes. Larger spiders will also eat small frogs and hummingbirds.
Habitat
Orb weavers will take up residence where there is an abundance of prey for them to eat. They can often be found around outdoor lights, tall grass, weeds, fences, bushes, and walls. They can be found in any environment including gardens, grasslands, and cities. Orb weavers are found on every continent except Antarctica and in the Arctic. There are 2800 species worldwide and 180 species in North America.
Prevention is not necessary with orb weavers unless their web is constructed in an inconvenient area or an area with high human traffic. In fact, they can be beneficial to have around as they help keep other pests under control around your home. They don’t cause structural damage and they rarely bite (only if threatened and they cannot escape). Their bite has been compared to a bee sting. You can reduce the chances of having orb weavers around by:
- Eliminating their food sources by keeping other pest populations under control around your home
- Sealing any cracks, gaps, and crevices in the exterior of your home
- Removing ground litter
- Keeping grass and bushes trimmed
If you have a problem with orb weavers or any other pests, contact your local pest control company for an evaluation and treatment plan.
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Jul 13, 2022 | Pest Control
Encountering spiders isn’t on everyone’s list of daily things to do. The good news is that the chance of encountering a spider that is harmful to you is slim, but it’s still possible. A common one that you want to avoid is the brown recluse spider. How can you identify the brown recluse compared to other, less harmful varieties of brown spiders? Read below to learn more about these feared spiders and how you can prevent them!
Identifying a Brown Recluse
The brown recluse is ¼” to ¾” in size and some can grow larger in size. They are typically light to medium brown and have markings on their backs, with a black violin-like shape pointing to the rear of the spider.
Where Can a Brown Recluse be Found?
The brown recluse is known as a recluse for a reason; they don’t tend to make it known they are nearby. These spiders will typically seek out environments that are warm, dark, and dry.
This can include an array of places, such as:
- Cellars
- Attics
- Basements
- Inside inner tubes
- Under or around rocks
- Under tree bark
- Utility boxes
- Underneath or behind furniture
Why are They Feared?
Although not aggressive, they will bite when they feel trapped. Most people are bitten by a recluse when they unknowingly reach inside a shoe, piece of clothing, or a box. They will bite if they feel provoked, but their bite is the biggest reason why brown recluse spiders are so feared.
If you are bitten, it can take a few hours to notice its effects. When a brown recluse bites, it injects its venom, causing necrosis and an ulcerating sore. Once the venom takes effect, you may experience restlessness, insomnia, and fever. The sore can leave an open ulcer, even exposing the muscles or bone. If you think you have been bitten by a brown recluse, you should seek medical attention immediately.
If you encounter a brown recluse on your property, call your local pest control company to seek professional assistance. If you see one, it could mean an infestation is occurring.
Jun 23, 2022 | Pest Control
Spiders are considered year-round pests, but they seem to come out in full force during the summer months. Some common spiders you may encounter this summer include wolf spiders, orb weavers, garden spiders, house spiders, brown recluse spiders, and black widow spiders. While most of these are harmless, brown recluses and black widows can be dangerous to humans with their venomous bites.
The spiders you see in the summer most likely aren’t just now making their way into your home; there’s a good chance they’ve already been hiding out inside for a while. They will commonly emerge in large numbers in the summer for two main reasons:
- It’s mating season for male spiders
- It’s peak season for most of their food sources (mosquitoes, flies, ants)
Seeing a spider here and there inside your home is usually nothing to worry about; they can sneak in through open windows, doors, etc. Seeing them in large numbers, however, can indicate a much bigger problem. Spider infestations can be the result of:
- Weather. Summer weather is ideal for spiders with warm temperatures, adequate shelter, etc. If the weather gets too hot, spiders will seek relief, often inside your home. The same thing applies if the summer is overly dry or overly wet. Your home provides the perfect place to hide out until conditions outdoors improve.
- Food. If food sources outdoors become scarce (due to weather or consistent pest control around your home), spiders may make their way indoors on their search for nutrition. Conversely, if you have an infestation of other household pests that spiders like to eat, they will also come inside to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffet.
- Water. Spiders must have water to survive. If outdoor water sources dry up (due to drought, etc.), they will go in search of hydration indoors.
Having a spider infestation in your home can leave you with webs everywhere, the risk of spider bites that can be painful and potentially dangerous, and the possibility of other pest infestations, as well. You can keep spiders out by:
- Eliminating Entry Points. Spiders can access your home through the smallest cracks and crevices. Use weatherstripping around doors and windows and make sure it is kept in good repair. Caulk or seal any gaps, holes, and openings. Use screens on doors and windows and make sure they stay in good repair, as well.
- Eliminating Hiding Places. Spiders prefer dark, undisturbed places to hide out (corners, cabinets, closets, storage containers, piles of paper or cardboard, and cluttered areas). Declutter your home and get rid of any old papers, magazines, newspapers, and boxes. Shake out anything you haven’t used in a while before using it. Vacuum and dust regularly, especially rooms and areas that you don’t use often. Outside, trim overgrown bushes, hedges, and trees. Keep grass mowed short and mow regularly. Get rid of trash and debris in your yard that spiders can use for shelter. Store firewood and lumber away from your home.
- Eliminating Food Sources. Spiders eat other pests. Maintain routine pest control in and around your home with a professional pest control company. Eliminating other pests mean spiders will look for food elsewhere.
If you have a problem with spiders, contact your local pest control company for a thorough inspection and treatment plan.
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Apr 19, 2022 | Pest Control
Although spiders are considered a year-round pest, they become more visible and active in the spring. Overwintering pests like spiders emerge as the weather warms up to lay eggs for the approaching season. Spiders are predators, preying on smaller insects for food. They are usually not a huge threat to humans with only a few venomous species in our area. In fact, they can be quite beneficial to have around your home, working as a form of natural pest control by eating other insects you may have around.
If the thought of sharing your home with spiders creeps you out, don’t fret! Here are some spider prevention tips you can use this spring to help keep these pests out.
- Keep your outdoor lights off at night. Many bugs are attracted to light at night, providing a feast for spiders who are hanging around.
- Keep vegetation trimmed and your lawn mowed. Overgrown bushes, grass, and other debris give spiders the ideal place to hide.
- Don’t stack wood or install mulch to close to the sides of your home. Spiders will not only hide out in these places but will also use them as a bridge to crawl into your house.
- Make sure trees, shrubs, and other landscaping aren’t touching your home. Spiders will also use these to get indoors.
- Clean up food and crumbs immediately, both indoors and outdoors.
- Get rid of stacks of old newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Dust frequently and vacuum weekly.
- Make sure windows and door screens are intact. Spiders will use holes and tears to get inside.
- Get rid of cobwebs both indoors and outdoors. Spiders will use these to store food once they catch their prey.
- Apply diatomaceous earth to your yard. This is a nontoxic option for outdoor pest control that is harmless to humans.
- Consider natural remedies to prevent spiders. Some common methods include the use of mint, citrus, and vinegar.
- Contact a professional. Spiders can be difficult to get rid of on your own. A professional pest control company can help identify the type of spider you are dealing with; where they may be hiding, nesting, or getting inside; and the most effective way to treat them in your home.
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