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Most spiders are harmless and are even beneficial, but all of them are creepy, can and will bite if disturbed, and their webs make the house look like a haunted mansion-not the decor most people prefer.
Here in West Palm Beach, we have our share of harmless spiders, but we also have a few species of venomous spiders that you should watch out for.
So let's take a quick look at common spiders in Florida and learn how to identify the dangerous ones and good options for pest control in West Palm Beach if you need help getting your house spider free.
How To Tell If The Spider In Your Home Is Dangerous
Any spider will bite when threatened, but most spiders in Florida are not venomous. Two venomous species you should watch out for are the brown recluse and the black widow.
The brown recluse is an aggressive spider responsible for more bites than any other. Brown recluse spiders measure 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch and are light to dark brown, with a violin-shaped mark on the back of their thorax.
When bitten by a brown recluse, you'll see a blister filled with venom on the bite site, followed by the localized death of tissue.
Black widow spiders can be up to an inch in size with shiny black (brown in the case of brown widows) bodies and a bright red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen.
Black widows are solitary, nocturnal creatures that stay away from people and each other but will bite if provoked.
Black widow spiders in Florida have four subspecies:
- Southern black widow
- Northern black widow
- Brown widow
- Red widow
All species of widow spiders in Florida are venomous. A bite leaves two fang marks on your skin and injects neurotoxic venom that is 15 times stronger than the venom of a rattlesnake. If you've been bitten, you'll start experiencing muscle cramps, then nausea followed by shock. Black widow bites are extremely dangerous and can result in death if not treated immediately.
The Problems Spiders Can Create In Your Home
Most common household spiders are beneficial to your home, keeping the population of other spiders and insects in check. Problems arise when the non-venomous spider population grows out of control or when venomous varieties decide to make your house their home.
While most spider bites are not venomous, they can result in an allergic reaction, and frankly, the sight of a bunch of spiders crawling all over the place justifiably creeps most people out. Venomous spiders making a home in your woodpile or a stack of boxes in a garage can result in an extremely painful bite and pose a threat to your health.
Where You Might Find Spiders On Your Property
Spiders are pretty shy and reclusive by nature and prefer hanging out in places that offer a degree of protection and camouflage. You're likely to run into a spider in the following locations:
- Near a water source like a drain or a plumbing pipe
- In a stack of cardboard boxes
- In a woodpile
- On door or window frames
- In barns, sheds, garages, and other outside structures.
- Inside closets
- In gutters
- In a fireplace or chimney
If you're seeing spiders all over your property, it's time to contact a pest control professional to get this problem under control.
Total Spider Control For Your Home
An experienced West Palm Beach home pest control professional will determine what kind of spiders you are dealing with and develop an approach to rid your house of them based on species-specific habits and behaviors.
If you're dealing with a spider problem, give Empire Pest Defense a call today to get started and learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in West Palm Beach.