Whether dangerous or not, most people don’t want spiders around their property. These creepy critters are usually represented as villains, and for good reason. Learning how you can keep spiders of all kinds out and spot dangerous varieties that only professionals can eliminate, will help your property stay spider-free.
Spotting Common Spiders
Most invasive spiders are nuisance pests, not particularly harmful to people. We’ll call this broad category of spiders “house spiders.” Here are some traits shared by all spiders:
- Legs: Spiders are arachnids, with eight legs. A spider’s legs often splay out from their bodies, giving them a larger appearance.
- Size: House spiders come in many shapes and sizes, but are generally smaller than an inch, including leg span.
- Color: Common house spiders can be brown, gray, or black, meaning you’ll mostly need to look out for other common markings on their bodies that might be a clue as to whether they are the dangerous kind or not.
Dangerous Local Spiders
There are two common local spiders considered dangerous – the brown recluse and the black widow. While bites from either are rare, they can bring far worse symptoms than common bug bites. Here’s how to tell these common hazardous spiders apart from harmless ones:
Black Widow
- Color: As their name suggests, black widows are pitch black, save for their noticeable markings on their bellies.
- Pattern: While you’ve probably seen the red hourglass shape of the black widow before, many people don’t know that this marking can appear different in shape and color depending on how young or old a spider is, or whether it’s male or female.
- Behavior: Black widows are nocturnal hunters that stick to dark, woody areas during the day. Their nesting webs are often found under porches or in discarded wood and leaf piles.
Brown Recluse
- Color: Brown recluses are commonly mistaken for other, harmless spiders because they have plain brown coloration and lack the identifiable markings that other venomous spiders have.
- Size: Brown recluses can be told apart from nuisance spiders by their long legs that are uniformly colored. If you see a brown house spider larger than an inch in diameter, it may be a brown recluse.
- Behavior: As their name suggests, brown recluse’s tend to keep to themselves. They are also nocturnal hunters, so they aren’t often spotted during the day.
Signs Of A Dangerous Bite
Typically, when nuisance bugs bite someone, the area of puncture will swell a bit and itch. These types of bites quickly heal and go away, but more dangerous bites come with more dangerous symptoms. If you notice any of the following after experiencing a spider bite, seek medical attention immediately:
- Dizziness or fatigue: The venom from dangerous spiders is more potent than other bug bites, so it affects the human circulatory system differently. Dizziness or blurred vision, as well as general fatigue and lack of balance, are common symptoms.
- Nausea: Another common reaction to potent poison is nausea and vomiting, which are not associated with common bug bites.
- Necrosis: Especially if left untreated, the compound in dangerous spider bites can cause the death of skin cells around the puncture area.
Spider Protection From Romney Pest Control
You probably don’t want to get close enough to a house spider to tell if it’s got the telltale traits of a dangerous spider. Rather than sweat these tiny details, turn instead to your local pest professionals. At Romney Pest Control, we can provide an inspection of your property to determine whether pests like invasive spiders have made it in. If problems are spotted, you can trust our proven solutions to eliminate the problem, not just cover it up.
If you want to stay safe from dangerous spiders, it’s best to keep all kinds of pests out. Turn to Romney for total pest control in San Antonio.
