Spiders are never a fun creature to have infesting the inside of your home. Spiders are along a wide spectrum from harmless to harmful and sometimes it can be difficult to understand where the spider you see falls along that scale. When in doubt, contact a professional that is well-conditioned to dealing with spiders. While many types of spiders are common in Florida, we identified seven of them you may be dealing with, then follow with best practices to get rid of them.
How to Get Rid of Spiny Orb-Weaver Spiders
These crabby-looking creatures get their name from the wheel-shaped webs they produce and the spines that protrude from their bodies. Although these can be beneficial on your landscaping and are not dangerous, they are not so beneficial if they manage to get inside your home. Before thinking about killing a spiny orb-weaver, find and clear out all of the webs. Also consider switching exterior lights to a yellow color that are less likely to attract insects.
How to Get Rid of Wolf Spiders
These creepy looking critters probably got their name because they are brown with tan markings, and they look furry. They are stout and quick; and, like a wolf, these spiders chase down their prey instead of catching it in webs like other spiders. Not a spider you want lurking in the corners of your home, especially since they can bite and cause uncomfortable symptoms. Sealing cracks in your home and cutting down vegetation outside the home so they can’t get in in the first place is recommended. Most pesticides specifically labeled for spiders will most likely due the trick on wolf spiders, but this might be one you want to leave to the professionals. Read our wolf spiders identification guide!
How to Get Rid of Daddy Long Leg Spiders
These yellow or light brown spiders are probably the least scary spider of all. They have a tiny little body and, like their name suggests, very long legs. They don't move very fast, they don't bite, and they don't tend to infest homes. So, typically they do not pose much of a problem for homeowners, but if you are averse to spiders, there are ways to keep them at bay. Vacuuming is the easiest way to remove daddy long legs. Removing moisture is also recommended since they are attracted to dark, wet areas.
How to Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders
Last, but certainly not least, this venomous, potentially deadly spider spins irregularly shaped webs to rest in, not to catch prey. As their name suggests, they are brown, and they are reclusive which means you won't typically see them if they are in your home. If you are concerned about the brown recluse lurking in your home, the best course of action is to have your home inspected by a professional pest control specialist who knows how to identify the signs of brown recluse spiders.
How to Get Rid of Jumping Spiders
This 8-eyed, quick-moving, fuzzy-looking creature is not something you want to encounter in a dark basement--or anywhere else for that matter. They, like the wolf spider, do not capture prey with webs; but instead, they crouch down and pounce. They may not have deadly venom, but they could cause a poor unsuspecting human to die of a heart attack (so to speak).
How to Get Rid of Yellow Garden Spiders
Argiope spiders are sometimes referred to as yellow garden spiders. These yellow and black spiders build fascinating webs. They are round and flat and have a zigzag pattern in the center for stability. These webs can be very beautiful. The argiope spider is quite pretty as well, if you're into the beauty of spiders, that is. But no matter how pretty a spider is, you probably would rather not have it inside your home. These spiders are mostly active in gardens during the day, but if they make their way into your home, use sticky traps or spray cracks and crevices in your home to attempt to rid them.
How to Get Rid of Golden Silk Spiders
These spiders produce very sticky large gold-colored webs. The golden females are much larger than the males, which are dark brown/ black with green or yellow markings. Although harmless to humans, they are still a nuisance to have around.
How do I get rid of all these spiders? We're glad you asked.
Spiders are versatile creatures. The only way to safely and effectively get rid of them is with professional pest control. If you're tired of dealing with spiders in your home, the experts here at Hoffer Pest Solutions get those pests out and create a barrier spiders cannot get past. Give us a call at (954) 590-0477 and find out how easy it is to get started.
Top 5 General Tips to Get Rid of Spiders
We also want to give you some general tips on how to get rid of spiders as a whole. Even by abiding by all of these tips, you may see some spiders in your home. The goal is to create an environment where they cannot thrive and multiply. Here are our five tips:
1. Keep the Outdoors Clean
Fewer spiders in your yard mean fewer spiders trying to get into your home. There are some things you can do to make your yard less attractive. Cut your grass regularly. Make sure you don't have construction materials stacked near your exterior walls. Remove any items that give spiders harborage, such as toys, old tires, cinder blocks, etc.
2. Seal Trash Cans
Make sure your exterior trash cans are sealed. Flies love trash, and spiders love flies. They think flies are delectable. So, if you want fewer spiders, you need to take measures to have fewer of the insects around that spiders eat.
3. Consider Lighting by Windows
Lights will draw spiders close to your home. It may be your exterior lighting or it may be the light leaking out of your windows at night. It isn't that spiders are especially attracted to light. Their focus, as you may have already guessed, is on catching the insects that are trying to get at that light and this is why you'll often find webs on windows. Those spiders know that flies can't resist the light. So, they put their webs in the perfect place to catch their food source. Consider closing your drapes at night to keep the light in, and replace outside light bulbs with yellow insect-resistant bulbs.
4. Keep Food Sources Closed Off
When spiders breach your walls it is important that they don't find what they're looking for inside your home. Some of the ways you can make your home less attractive to spiders is to keep fruit in the fridge, keep counters clean, put your dirty dishes in a sink full of water, don't leave dirty dishes around the house, clean your floors and your rugs regularly, keep inside trash sealed, keep pantry foods and cabinet foods sealed, and keep crumbs cleaned up under the toaster. Any way that you can prevent insects from finding food sources in your home will reduce spider populations.
5. Contact a Professional Pest Control Company
The fastest and most effective way to get rid of spiders in your home is to have a professional take care of the issue. Spiders can feed on insects you don't even know exist in your home. And these creatures travel in places you can't get to, such as wall voids and some attic spaces.
If you live in Southern Florida, and you'd like to have a spider-free home, Hoffer Pest Solutions has a year-round program perfect for you. We don't just get rid of spiders, we keep them out. You don't have to do any work, or risk the health of your family by having these pests in or around your home. There is simply no better way to get rid of spiders in Florida.