Spider Identification & Prevention

Spiders are predatory arachnids that get their food by injecting prey with venom and then liquefying its insides to suck them out. There are over 35,000 species of spiders in the world, and we have more than 3,000 right here in the United States. The good news is, despite the admittedly horrifying way they feed themselves, most of the spiders you will run across in your home are going to be harmless.

Most common household spiders you will find in Georgia are not a threat. It's true that all spiders are venomous, but most of the spiders in our area do not possess venom that is potent enough to put people or even pets in any real danger.

The two exceptions to this rule in our home state are the black widow and the brown recluse. Both of these spider species can be dangerous, though they are not often deadly. Their venom is potent enough to require medical intervention, which is why it is important to keep all spiders out of your house. Black widows are very distinct-looking, but brown recluses are difficult to distinguish from any other brown spider, so you don't always know whether a spider is harmless.

Unlike many other pests, spiders do not have any real reason to come into our homes. They don't eat our food, and they don't need our shelter. The only real reason for you to wind up with a spider infestation is that you have another infestation of prey drawing them in. If your home is full of cockroaches, flies, or other things spiders love to eat, then the spiders will come running.

Where you find spiders can often depend on the spider species you encounter. Different kinds of spiders like different hiding spots. For instance, you may find common house spiders weaving webs in the corners of your home near the ceiling. Big, hairy wolf spiders love to hide beneath things like appliances, wood piles, and other clutter. Brown recluses can be found in similar places. Meanwhile, black widows prefer dark and damp areas, like crawl spaces and utility boxes.

Getting rid of spiders can be a difficult process because of the way they reproduce. Once you have an infestation going, each female spider of any species can lay an egg sac of hundreds or even thousands of little spiderlings. This means you can wind up with a house full of spiders in short order.

For this reason, it's best to call the professionals here at American Pest Control for home pest control or commercial pest control if you already have an established spider infestation. Our trained professionals know how to inspect and treat your home for local spiders to ensure we eliminate the entire infestation, not just a few individuals.