spider

You have just spotted a spider in your Salt Lake City home and you are not sure if it has spotted you. Maybe it is currently standing between you and a nearby door. Maybe you have left the room and are making sure it doesn’t follow you. Either way, you are probably wondering whether it is dangerous or not. This is a good thing to wonder. Some species of spiders in our area pose a serious risk to human health with their painful bites. To help you understand whether the spider in your Salt Lake City home is dangerous or not, here are some things to consider.

Is it large and black and does it have a red, hourglass-shaped mark?

There are two dangerous spiders that live in our area, the first is by far the easiest to identify. You have probably heard the name black widow before. These large, black spiders have a bulbous abdomen and a unique red hourglass mark on their underside. Known for building irregular webbing in and around homes, the black widow spider poses a serious threat to human health. One bite from this arachnid causes moderate to severe pain and possibly symptoms such as muscle cramping, nausea, and vomiting, breathing difficulties, excessive sweating, swelling, weakness and tremors, and in some cases neurological problems.

Is it small, brown, marked with a violin shape, and does it have six eyes?

There are only a handful of spiders that have six eyes rather than eight, the brown recluse is one of them. This dangerous spider is considered more dangerous than the black widow for a few reasons. They are harder to identify, better at hiding, and smaller. The reason these pests are harder to identify is that they share a similar shape and color with a few different common areas spiders. The only things that set them apart are their six eyes and the dark, backward violin-shaped mark located just behind their head. If you cannot tell if a spider in your home has these features or not, play it safe and avoid contact as much as possible.

How To Prevent Spiders

Spiders are hunters by nature. Some catch their prey in webs, others hunt from the ground, hiding in cluttered areas. Because spiders invade homes to hunt for other area pests, our recommendation to keep these dangerous arachnids out is to also prevent these other invaders. Here are some great general pest-prevention tips to use to do this today.

Repair damage to your home’s exterior foundation using a caulking gun to fill in holes, gaps, and cracks.
Make sure all of your exterior windows and doors are properly sealed, have in-tact screening, and have undamaged weatherstripping and door sweeps.
Knock down webs using a long broom and store that broom outdoors.
Address moisture issues in and around your home.
Store leftovers, pet food, and other accessible snacks in airtight containers.
Keep your living areas clean and tidy.
Make sure your trash cans have tight-fitting lids.

When To Get A Profesional Involved

There is no reason that you should ever take a risk with dangerous spiders. To make sure these pests (and other annoying, harmful, and destructive creatures) stay out of your home, invest in professional pest control, courtesy of Pestmaster® Services. We will inspect your home and property for dangerous insects, arachnids, and arthropods and suggest a control plan that best fits your needs.

Call today to learn more about our comprehensive services or to schedule your Salt Lake City home to be inspected for dangerous pests like spiders.