When to Call an Exterminator for Spiders

Spiders are one type of pest that people tend to either love or hate. Most people can agree that spiders play a beneficial role in our ecosystem by eating bugs everyone detests. Yet, there are also a few types of spiders that can cause serious harm to humans. Deciding to call an exterminator for spiders is a big decision, but it’s easier when you know how to check for a few clear signs of a true infestation.

 

How Do You Know If You Have a Spider Infestation?

A recent study of 50 homes revealed that cobweb spiders existed in 65% of the rooms that were checked. Looking at this information, it’s pretty normal to find a spider or two in your house every now and then. Spider sightings are especially common during times of the year when the arachnids are looking for shelter from bad weather or trying to mate.

Usually, you can tell that the situation has become an infestation when you spot multiple spiders throughout your house. Spiders usually set up their webs in areas that aren’t disturbed very often. You can check for them in the garage, attic, or basement. They may also choose to hang out in the window’s top corner, where a crack could bring them an easy snack.

 

When to Call an Exterminator for Spiders?

In most cases, you can take a single spider outside, provided that you can identify that the spider is safe enough to get close to. However, there are times when you need a professional to help you out with a serious infestation. Watching out for these signs helps you know when to arrange for help with spider control.

Finding Cob Webs and Egg Sacs

Spider webs can be a mild nuisance when you need to clean your house, but seeing a lot of them means that there are probably more than one or two eight-legged creatures hanging around.

Discovering egg sacs is especially troublesome. A Western black widow’s egg sac can contain up to 300 spiderlings. If any sacs seemed to have hatched, then you could have a real problem on your hands.

 

Experiencing Anxiety or Fear

For some people, every kind of spider is enough to generate a sense of fear. Arachnophobia is a real mental health condition that deserves to be taken seriously. If you have trouble sleeping or spending time in a part of your home with a spider, hiring an exterminator can give you better peace of mind.

 

Spotting a Potentially Venomous Spider

Certain types of spiders should strike fear in everyone’s heart. Brown and black widows, brown recluse spiders, and certain types of tarantulas can all cause medically significant damage to humans.

Some venomous spiders are fairly easy to identify by comparing pictures to what you see in your home. However, others might be challenging. Or, you may not want to get that close. If you suspect that you see a venomous spider, then call an exterminator immediately.

 

How Does an Exterminator Deal With Spiders?

The average person can either squash a spider or carry it outside to a more acceptable environment. Exterminators have far more options for spider elimination. When an exterminator comes to your house, they’ll inspect and provide you with the following services.

Identify the Spider Type

Determining whether or not you are dealing with a common house spider or a brown recluse is difficult. Exterminators will begin by checking out where you’ve seen spiders hanging around. Then, they’ll let you know if they are venomous or otherwise harmless before providing you with their treatment recommendations.

 

Determine the Extent of the Infestation

An exterminator knows the tiny places where spiders are most likely to be found. During their inspection, they’ll note whether or not you’ve just got a stray spider or a major problem. They can also determine if you’ve got spiders in the walls or other hard-to-access parts of your home.

 

Apply Pesticides

Professional spider exterminators have several options for treatment available that they’ll choose from based on the types and number of spiders that live in your house. Most pesticides come in a spray form, but they may also use powders to eliminate spiders in spaces where they won’t get disrupted.

 

Treat the Inside of Walls

When you can’t figure out where spiders are coming from, they might live inside your home’s walls, where your typical over-the-counter spray won’t reach. Exterminators can use special techniques to get their pesticide into the walls. While drilling holes is a last resort, they can ensure they treat the problem’s true source.

 

Provide Follow-Up Care

Most small spider infestations clear up after single spraying. But, you could have a more pervasive problem that requires multiple visits. Exterminators will check the progress of the last treatment to determine if you need follow-up spraying. They can also recommend ways to stop spiders from coming inside if the issue seems to be recurring despite regular treatments.

 

Keeping Spiders Out of Your Home

Once you get the spiders out of your house, you’ll want to ensure they stay outside. Following these tips helps you keep a spider-free home that is safer and more comfortable.

Remove Webs and Eggs

Considering that an egg could harbor several hundred potential babies, you’ll want to clear them out. The exterminator’s residual pesticides will help kill any hatching spiders, but this simple step ensures you won’t see them.

 

Eliminate Other Insect Infestations

When an exterminator does a spider inspection, they’ll often find other bugs living in the house. Spiders prefer to live where there is a steady food supply. Making sure to spray for ants, flies, and other small insects helps to prevent spider problems.

 

Clean Up Outside Areas

If you’ve spotted spiders hanging out in the bushes or light fixtures outside your home, then you’ll want to remember that they don’t distinguish between indoor and outdoor areas. Keeping firewood and other spider-friendly materials away from the exterior doors and windows makes it less likely that bugs will make their way inside.

 

Seal Easy Entry Points

Spiders are even better than cockroaches at finding easily accessible entry points to your home due to their small size. Check windows and doors for cracks that you can seal to keep spiders away. If you regularly open your windows, then ensuring that all screens are in good condition is another way to stop spider infestations.

 

Schedule Regular Treatments

If you’re dealing with a spider problem, you might live in an area where they are especially common. This is especially true if you live in a rural area or have a home that backs up to large green spaces such as fields or parks. Arranging for spider spraying at regular intervals throughout the year means you shouldn’t see them in your house again.

Getting rid of spiders gives you your home back, and you can further make your house less hospitable to arachnids by regularly visiting rarely used rooms. Turning on the lights, clearing the clutter, and making your presence known could help spiders decide to go elsewhere.