A Helpful Guide To Effective Spider Control For San Mateo Homeowners

What do spiders eat? Why do spiders bite? Dealing with spiders in your San Mateo home is far from pleasant and often comes with plenty of questions.

Here's what San Mateo homeowners should know about identifying some of the most common types of spiders, why some are more dangerous than others, how to prevent spiders, and why pest control in San Mateo is the best choice.

Characteristics Of Common Spiders

Some of the most common types of spiders you may find in your San Mateo home include:

• Orb weaver spider: These spiders get their name from the odd, orb-shaped webs they build to catch their prey.
• Garden spider: Garden spiders, as their name suggests, spend more time catching pest prey in gardens or outdoor spaces than they do in homes.
• House spider: House spiders, which can be identified by the dark stripes on their legs, often wander into homes to catch their prey.
• Wolf spider: Wolf spiders don't build webs. Instead, their large, hairy bodies make it easy for them to hunt prey on foot.

Some other crucial facts to understand about these common spiders include:

• All spiders possess venom and fangs, but only a few species in the United States are capable of causing medical danger to humans: the black widow, the brown widow, and the brown recluse spider.
• Spiders are cold-blooded creatures that typically only enter homes by accident or because they're looking for pest prey.
• Most spiders aren't aggressive and tend to pick secluded hiding spots where they'll have limited interaction with humans.
• Spiders are arachnids, not insects, and are in the same category as scorpions and ticks.

A spider here or there in your home is nothing to be worried about, but if you begin seeing lots of spiders or running into their webs, it's time to take action.

Some Spiders Are More Dangerous Than Others

The two most dangerous spiders you'll find in San Mateo are the black widow spider and the brown widow spider. Of these two, the black widow spider is significantly more dangerous than the brown widow – and is even considered the most venomous spider in the country.

Black widow spiders have black coloring, but their most distinguishable feature is the orange-red hourglass marking on the bottom of their abdomens. As dangerous as they are, black widow bites are also rare. These spiders aren't typically aggressive, so most bites happen by accident – if you step on a black widow or try to grab one, you may get bitten.

Brown widow spiders only have a fraction of the venom that black widow spiders do, and their bites may not always require medical attention. Brown widow spiders tend to have brown to brown-gray coloring with white spots on their abdomen. They rarely infest homes the same way that other spiders do.

Six Eco-Friendly Spider Prevention Tips For Around The House

You may spot the occasional spider in your home from time to time, but full-fledged infestations are more preventable if you take the right steps, such as:

• If there are moisture issues around your home, like leaky pipes or obstructed gutters, address these problems in a timely manner.
• Seal off potential entrances that spiders may use, like cracks and crevices, with expanding foam or caulk.
• Make sure you're storing your food in airtight containers, keeping a lid on your garbage cans, and using trash bags that don't leak. Spiders are not interested in your leftovers but the pest prey they hunt will be.
• Deal with clutter around your home, like piles of clothing, storage boxes, or other places, that spiders may use as hiding spots.
• Regularly check for signs of spider webs in corners and crevices, and use a broom to sweep them away to discourage spiders from sticking around.
• Wash dirty dishes in a timely fashion and clean up any other spills or crumbs around your home to prevent spider prey.

Preventing spiders in the first place is always best. If you find yourself with a spider infestation despite your efforts, it may be time to call the professionals.

Professional Pest Control Is The Best Spider Control

While the first step to good spider control may be using the tips listed above, there's only one effective way to handle an existing infestation: contacting the home pest control pros at Pacific Pest Management. Whether you've got harmless house spiders, scary wolf spiders, or dangerous black widows taking up residence in your house, using a professional is always the safest way to identify and deal with spiders.

If you have discovered a spider infestation in your San Mateo home or even suspect there could be a dangerous species on the property, you should leave it up to the professionals. Contact us today at Pacific Pest Management to learn about the next steps for professional spider control.