Spiders serve an important role in the ecosystem, acting as a natural form of pest control that help keep the population of other bugs like mosquitoes, cockroaches, and flies. However, while they make great neighbors for this reason, they make terrible roommates, and spiders in the home are a problem no one wants to deal with.
Spider infestations come with a number of negative side effects to the people and pets they share a living space with. If you want to keep your home and family protected, it’s important to understand the threat spiders in your Modesto home can pose as well as steps you can take to protect yourself.
Common Spiders Around Modesto
While there are a large number of spiders found across California, there are two primary ones found in homes in our area: wolf spiders and black widow spiders.
Wolf spiders are large, hairy brown spiders that typically range in length from about 1/2 inch to 1.5 inches in length. Unlike many types of spiders, wolf spiders do not spin webs. Instead, they use their strong eyesight and powerful legs to ambush prey and catch them by surprise. While wolf spiders are technically venomous, they are not dangerous to humans. However, they can still be quite painful, so these spiders should still be avoided if possible.
While wolf spiders are generally scarier in appearance than anything else, the same cannot be said for black widow spiders. Identifiable by their black coloration and distinctive red hourglass-shaped markings on their abdomens, black widows are among the most dangerous spiders people are likely to encounter in the United States.
While rarely lethal, black widow bites can nevertheless have severe negative health effects on anyone unfortunate enough to come into contact with them, including nausea, spasms, fever, necrosis, and more. If you are bitten by a black widow, seek medical attention immediately.
How Can I Avoid Spider Bites In Modesto?
Luckily, neither wolf spiders nor black widows are particularly aggressive to humans, and they typically only bite when they feel threatened. Unfortunately, as a human, it’s entirely possible to make a spider feel threatened without meaning to simply by being in close proximity to them, and due to their small size, you could easily enter into their territory without even realizing it.
For this reason, the best way to avoid getting bitten is to make your home as unappealing as possible to them so that they’ll stick to the wilderness around your home instead of coming inside. Here are some great tips you should use to lower your risk for spider bites:
Minimize clutter around your home that could serve as hiding places for spiders
Keep your lawn clean and your grass cut short
Clean up any spills or crumbs around your home, and vacuum frequently
Fix any moisture problems around your home
Repair any holes or gaps in your walls and siding that could allow spiders inside
Keep exterior doors and windows closed and fitted with screens
Eliminate any existing pest activity in and around your home
Why Professional Pest Control Is Essential For Spider Prevention
It’s important to remember that while spiders might look scary, they essentially work the same way any other animal does. As they’re always on the hunt for food, the biggest thing that attracts them into Modesto homes is the presence of other pests that they can prey upon.
If you want to protect yourself from black widows, wolf spiders, and other eight-legged invaders, the only solution is to call a professional for help. Spiders can be dangerous to deal with alone, and only a professional will have the tools and knowledge necessary to reliably eliminate the entire infestation.
If spiders are knocking at your door, look no further than Insect IQ for help. Whether it’s an active infestation or putting a plan in place to keep spiders from coming inside in the future, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today for more details and find out why Modesto homeowners trust Insect IQ for all their spider removal needs.