Aug 24, 2021 | Pest Control
Creepy and crawly, spiders can easily sneak into homes without you noticing. Most spiders that homeowners come across are harmless; but if you don’t take precautions, you can find them infesting your home. Below are some easy, do-it-yourself tips for spider prevention.
Clean Up Clutter
Spiders tend to look for dark, secluded areas to inhabit. You can often find them in rooms that have clutter, such as basements and attics. To keep these pests from infesting, keep garages, sheds, attics, basements, and other areas that aren’t utilized very often clean and clear of clutter.
In your regularly used rooms, be mindful of leaving clothes or clutter around the house. Try to avoid leaving clothes and shoes on the floor and instead, consider storing them in plastic bins. Shake out any clothing left on the floor and in the hamper.
Repair and Seal
The smallest gap or hole can allow spiders right into your home. Look around the inside and outside of your home and search for any open holes or gaps. Inspect your window screens, doors, and siding, as these are places that can provide openings leading inside.
If you find openings, seal them as soon as possible to eliminate the chance of these pests from entering. Make sure to inspect your house seasonally and provide any repairs.
Check Before Entering
Packages, secondhand furniture, and even groceries provide a perfect gateway inside homes for spiders. These pests will often hitch a ride on these items without you noticing. Make sure to inspect all packages delivered to your porch or steps, groceries as you unload them, boxes of decorations brought in from storage, and used appliances and furniture bought secondhand.
Spotting spiders can be difficult, but once you see them or suspect that you have a problem, it’s best to call your local pest control company to help eliminate and prevent them. A service professional will inspect the exterior and interior of the home to identify and provide you with the best plan of action to treat them.
Jul 9, 2021 | Pest Control
Daddy long legs, also known as harvestmen, belong to the arachnid family but they aren’t, in fact, spiders. They are cousins of spiders, mites, and scorpions. There are several differences between harvestmen and spiders. One of the most prominent is that harvestmen have one pair of eyes while spiders have 8 pairs of eyes. Harvestmen also cannot spin silk to make webs, so they can’t capture their food like spiders do. They have to ambush their prey instead.
Daddy long legs are omnivores and mostly eat spiders, earthworms, and other insects. When their food supply is limited, however, they will scavenge for whatever they can find like dead insects, insect eggs, and even decaying plants. In fact, these creatures are considered beneficial to have around your house and garden because they eat both garden and household pests.
Harvestmen prefer dark, moist environments so they are most often found in basements, crawlspaces, and garages. They have a unique ability to escape their predators by two different means: they can detach their legs (which will continue to twitch for up to an hour after they fall off) to trick their predators and escape; and they can also secrete a foul-smelling, bad-tasting chemical to deter their attackers.
Now you’ve found a daddy long legs inside your house. Should you be worried? Are these pests poisonous? It is important to distinguish the difference between poisonous and venomous. Poisonous pests cause harm when they are touched or ingested. Venomous pests cause harm by injecting venom through a bite. Although harvestmen do have fangs (also called chelicerae), they are primarily used to grasp and chew food. These arachnids are not known to bite humans and are not considered dangerous to either the health or structure of your home.
Because harvestmen are considered beneficial pests, it’s ok to leave them be if you find them lurking around your house. If you just can’t stomach the thought of sharing your personal space with them, the best way to get rid of them is to sweep or vacuum them up. If you have a problem with any other pests, contact a professional pest control company for a thorough evaluation and pest control plan.
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Aug 26, 2020 | Pest Control
When we see a spider, many of us will run away or immediately call the local pest control company to remove them! Certainly spiders are not the most popular of pests, but some are beneficial to us. While we can agree that we don’t want these pests inside our home, it’s important to know the impact they can have on our environment. Here are some spiders that are actually beneficial to have around!
Crevice Spiders
Light to dark brown in color, these spiders are often mistaken for the brown recluse spider. The difference, however, is that the crevice spider does not have the signature violin shape marking that the brown recluse has. These spiders can be found in corners and crevices (where they get their name), especially in areas like ceiling corners, baseboards, and window frames. While these spiders are not venomous, they will bite if they feel threatened. This is very rare, though. The crevice spider is beneficial to humans as they will typically eat common household pests like flies, roaches, beetles, and wasps. This spider can be considered a “free” exterminator!
Yellow Garden Spider
The yellow garden spider likes to be outdoors in sunny areas. They will spin large circular webs and anchor them to plants. Females are black with bright yellow patches on their abdomens while the males are much smaller with less yellow on their abdomen. These spiders don’t pose a threat to humans; they do, however, produce venom that is harmless to humans. The venom they produce helps them to immobilize prey such as flies, bees, and other flying insects. These spiders are perfect for helping keep these flying pest populations from getting into your home!
Lynx Spider
Like a plant leaf, this spider has bright green coloring and can sometimes have orange and black dots on their legs. The lynx spider is known for its quick movements, often jumping large distances to capture their prey. These spiders are found in open fields, especially those with tall grass. While they bite only for defensive purposes, they don’t pose a threat to humans. These spiders are extremely useful in agricultural management as they will eat crop-destroying pests like nectarine insects, helping protect crops from destruction.
While it’s nice to have some helpful spiders outside of the house, that doesn’t mean we want them on the inside. If you notice one of these spiders frequenting your home, reach out to your local pest control company who can safely eliminate them and recommend a prevention plan.
May 22, 2020 | Pest Control
The granddaddy long legs is legendary – with claims of being the “most poisonous spider in the world but their mouths are too small to bite.” Like most legends, these claims are exaggerated and aren’t based on facts. So what is the truth about these creatures? Here’s everything you need to know about the granddaddy long legs.
Is the Granddaddy Long Legs a Spider?
No. The granddaddy long legs, AKA the daddy long legs, harvest spider, and harvestman, is actually an arthropod and closer genetically to the scorpion than a spider. While they do have 8 legs like spiders, the resemblance ends there. Spiders have spinnerets that spin silk for their webs; granddaddy long legs don’t. Spiders also have 2 body sections connected by a small, narrow waist. Granddaddy long legs have 1 body section containing their head, abdomen, and body combined. Spiders can have fangs and produce venom. Granddaddy long legs don’t have fangs and don’t produce venom. Spiders live on a liquid diet while granddaddy long legs have chelicerae (tiny claws used to hold and tear things) so they can eat small pieces of solid food. Granddaddy long legs can also self amputate their legs as a defense mechanism against predators. Unfortunately, once they lose a leg they cannot grow it back.
What Attracts Granddaddy Long Legs?
Granddaddy long legs are omnivores and eat a wide variety of things. They are known to eat dead and live insects, spiders, aphids, worms, snails, fungus, and even bird droppings.
What Are Granddaddy Long Legs Good For?
Granddaddy long legs use their varied diets to keep to keep your gardens and yard free of other pests. They don’t cause damage to structures or landscaping and aren’t dangerous to humans.
How Do You Get Rid of Granddaddy Long Legs?
Because they aren’t harmful to humans and don’t damage any structures or landscaping in your yard or garden, it is best to leave granddaddy long legs alone. Sometimes they are known to congregate in large numbers. If this is the case or if you have an issue with these or other pests, contact your local pest control company who can thoroughly evaluate your home and provide you with the appropriate treatment and prevention plan for your situation.
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Dec 2, 2019 | Pest Control
You’ve managed to fight all the early holiday decorating urges and now it’s time! Before you rush off to start decking the tree and hanging the mistletoe, follow these tips to make sure pests aren’t spending the holidays indoors with you and yours.
Check Your Tree Before Bringing It Home
- Pests like spiders, mites, moths, squirrels, and many others have been known to make trees and wreaths their temporary home. Before bringing these items in your home, inspect for overwintering pests and thoroughly shake them to free any pests residing inside.
Even Your Old Decorations Aren’t Safe
- Although your decorations have been stored away throughout the year, pests flock to attics, basements, and garages. They will crawl into the storage boxes you have put away. When unpacking these boxes, inspect them before bringing them into the main living areas.
Keep Warm Without Pests
- The sudden cold weather may signal the need to utilize your fireplace and snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa. Use caution when bringing firewood indoors, as pests such as spiders, termites, and ants can tag along. Inspect all firewood thoroughly before bringing it indoors and store firewood on a raised platform at least 20 feet from your home.
The holidays really are best enjoyed pest-free. If you find yourself dealing with uninvited holiday guests, call your licensed pest control company to schedule an inspection.
