It's safe to say that spiders don't exactly have the same reputation as butterflies do. People usually view spiders as creepy, crawling pests that would look much better outside minding their own business. Unfortunately, these pesky insects often find ways into your home, which can come across as an extreme annoyance. Although most common household spiders are harmless, the National Pest Management Association said there are two species that can harm you if disturbed, those being the black widow and brown recluse.
To identify these two species correctly, it's important to know the main differences of characteristics between the harmful and harmless spiders that are crawling around your home. Here's your guide to identifying common household spiders.
If you find a spider web that replicates the kind you'd associate with Halloween, you've found the nesting grounds of an American House Spider. According to Insect Identification, this spider has long, skinny legs and comb-like hairs on their back ankles, or tarsi, and their bodies are shaped like an oval. The source said this spider rarely bothers humans, so you don't have to worry about it causing you any harm.
Long-bodied cellar spiders, also known as Daddy Long Legs spiders, get their nickname from their very long, thin legs, according to Pest World. Daddy Long Legs spiders are usually found in dark places with higher humidity, such as basements, cellars and crawl spaces. Their weak mouthparts and lack of strength make it impossible to inject venom into humans, so these spiders are harmless.
Jumping spiders have small, black compact bodies with short legs and often have pale markings, according to the NPMA. These spiders create "web retreats" both indoors and outdoors. Inside, you can find the retreats in window and door corners, because insects this spider hunts usually gather in sunlit areas such as those. Outside, you can find the spider under stones, boards, bushes, fences and on decks and tree bark. If provoked, the Jumping Spider may bite to defend itself, but it's not poisonous.
This eight-legged insect is usually dark brown and often has pale stripes or markings along its body. It has long, spiny legs and often tends to be big and hairy, which usually alarms people. Inside, you can find them near the floor level, along the walls and around furniture. Outside, they tend to be under firewood, leaves and stones. It's uncommon for wolf spiders to bite if they're not provoked, so just let them be.
According to Do-It-Yourself Pest Control, you can easily identify the female black widow because of its shiny, black, globe-shaped body with two yellow or red markings that look like an hourglass. As for the males, they have smaller bodies, are lighter in color and have light streaks along their body instead of triangle. If you see a female black widow, don't aggravate it - it will bite, and it's poisonous. The bite will produce a sharp pain and then will turn into muscle cramps within 15 minutes. Though it's not common that the bites are fatal, you should still seek medical attention as soon as possible.
The NPMA said that Brown Recluse spiders can be light to dark brown with a "characteristic dark brown violin marking on their back." These spiders often live outdoors, usually in piles of wood and debris. If the spiders make their way indoors, they can be found under furniture and in storage spaces. Most common indoor hiding places for these spiders are inside dark spaces such as closets, attics and crawl spaces. If provoked, this spider will bite. Bites often leave an open, painful sore that requires immediate medical treatment. If bitten, you may suffer cases of restlessness, difficulty sleeping and fevers.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
