Protect Your Home From Black Widow Spiders

How to prevent black widow spiders in Las Vegas.Very few people welcome the sight of a spider in or near their home, and it can be a frightening experience for many! While most spiders are typically harmless and actually beneficial to the environment, there are a few in the Las Vegas area to be wary of. Along with the desert brown spider, black widows are not only one of the most common spiders in Southern Nevada but also the most dangerous. Although they only bite when threatened, there are a number of ways you can prevent these poisonous spiders from getting in or near your home.

What Attracts Black Widows to Your Property?

Just as with any type of spider, black widows typically enter homes for survival-based reasons. They are solitary creatures and, for the most part, prefer to stay away from humans and remain in their outdoor environment. Some of the things black widows may be attracted to in your home include:

  1. Food: Spiders are drawn indoors to prey on the other insects that may be inside your home. When you leave out food, insects will feed on that food, and spiders eventually make their way indoors to feed on those insects!
  2. Debris: If you have piles of clothes, garbage, or debris scattered around, you may unknowingly be creating a haven for spiders.
  3. Warmth: Similarly to any pest, black widows may make their way inside to escape dropping temperatures at night or during the winter.

Preventing Black Widows in Las Vegas

Properly protecting your home from black widows entails the same methods that apply to many types of insects and pests. The best method of spider control is prevention, and there are a number of things you can do to keep spiders out of your property:

  • To prevent black widows from getting inside, make sure to inspect any boxes or pieces of furniture for egg sacs or live spiders before bringing items into the home.
  • Locate and seal off any potential entry points around the perimeter of your home, including windows and doors.
  • Always wear gloves when handling or sorting through boxes in attics or basements.
  • Trim back plants and trees from the foundation of the home and keep a tidy yard free of hiding spots.

Professional Spider Control Services

If you’ve implemented preventative measures to protect your home from black widows and still notice them in or near your home, it’s time to call in the professionals! Black widows have a very dangerous bite and quick, reliable action needs to be taken if they are on your property. At Rentokil, we know how terrifying these spiders can be—call us today to learn more about our spider control services!

How to Prevent Spiders from Getting Inside Your Home

Spiders may be drawn to your home for a number of reasons. Most people loathe or dread the idea of spiders in their home, even though they are typically harmless.Black widows in the Las Vegas valley. Western Exterminator That said, the Las Vegas area harbors several dangerous spiders that you definitely don’t want hanging out in your home, including the black widow, desert brown recluse, and wolf spider. By being aware of what spiders to look out for in your house as well as implementing prevention tactics, you can effectively reduce the amount of spiders that find their way inside.

Dangerous Spiders in Your Home

While most house spiders are harmless and even help eliminate other insects in the home, there are several particularly aggressive types that should be avoided. When these do make their way inside, it’s important to call a professional who can remove them for you. The three types of spiders you should be wary of are:

  1. Black widow: This species is easily identified by their shiny black bodies and signature red hourglass marks on the abdomen. Western Exterminator protects Las Vegas valley residents from desert brown spiders.They are especially aggressive when they are defending their eggs, which is typically when a bite may occur.
  2. Desert brown spider: Cousin to the well-known and feared brown recluse spider, desert brown spiders prefer quiet, undisturbed locations in warmer climates. They are only aggressive if they are threatened, in which case they may bite.
  3. Wolf Spider: These fast-moving spiders have a unique Union Jack impression on their backs. Although less venomous than black widows and desert brown spiders, they are known to give painful bites when provoked.

Preventing Spiders from Coming Inside

If a spider’s outdoor environment simply isn’t doing it for them anymore, they are likely to seek out a new environment for food, shelter, or even mating reasons. Western Exterminator protects Las Vegas valley residents from wolf spiders.Taking preventative measures to ensure your home is not suitable for spiders is the best method of avoiding and controlling dangerous spiders infestations. Some spider prevention tips include:

  • Inspect the areas around your property for existing populations of spiders.
  • Identify any holes, cracks, or crevices on the exterior of your home and seal them.
  • Cut back bushes, trees, shrubs, and any other landscaping that is too close to the foundation of your home.
  • When cleaning inside your home, sweep every corner and remove cobwebs from ceilings.
  • Tightly seal food and keep a tidy environment inside to avoid insects spiders prey on.
  • Caulk the gaps in doors and windows, or install secure screens.
  • Keep attics, garages, and basements organized and free of clutter.
  • Thoroughly inspect or shake out boxes or other items from outdoors or the garage before bringing them inside.

Professional Spider Prevention and Control Services

If you’ve followed all the above prevention tips and still have spiders in your home, it may be time to call in a professional. Any dangerous spiders should also be taken care of by an expert, who can help keep spiders out of your home for good. At Western Exterminator, our technicians can be trusted to professionally and reliably eliminate spider infestations. Call us today for more information!

Why Fall Pest Control is Important

When the long days of summer draw to a close and the cooler weather of fall approaches, so do fall invading pests. At Western Exterminator we realize that we all have some kind of bug that plagues us, and to understand why fall pest control is so important, you first have to look at the problem. And it’s not pretty.

Mice and rats can get into your walls, chew on wires, and nibble on sheet rock. So, besides being disease carriers that can run through your garage, pantry and food drawers, they can also create problems with your electric, phone, internet, and television wiring. Rodent control discourages and eliminates mice and rats from your home.

Fall invaders also bring viruses and disease.  Cockroaches can passively transport microbes on their body surfaces including pathogens that are potentially dangerous to humans. Cockroaches have many negative consequences for human health because certain proteins (called allergens) found in cockroach feces, saliva and body parts can cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma symptoms, especially in children.

Cockroaches will eat almost any organic matter no matter how rancid. Once inside the home, they will seek out food scraps, unsealed food containers, sugar and grease deposits, pet food, rancid meat, glue and even bookbindings. If you see a clump of pepper-like specs in your kitchen cupboards, it is likely cockroach feces marking their courtship and nearby nesting territory.  Cockroach control can rid your home of these disease producing pests.

In fall, bugs and rodents are looking for a place to hibernate or overwinter and that’s why fall pest control is so important. A pest professional can treat your property and set up devices that watch for harmful insects, like cockroaches, scorpions and spiders. Monitoring insect activity can help to prevent many bugs from entering your home.

Fall Pest Prevention Tips:

  • Screen attic vents and openings to chimneys, and any other areas where homes may be open to the outdoors, like mail slots and animal doors.
  • Keep basements, attics and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry. Pests are attracted to areas of moisture, something they need to survive. Using dehumidifiers in basements and garages will help keep these areas dry.
  • Seal cracks and crevices on the outside of the home using caulk and steel wool. Pay close attention to where utility pipes enter the structure. Some rodents can fit through a hole the size of a dime.
  • Keep kitchen counters clean, store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly in sealed receptacles. Crumbs and a buildup of garbage are attractive to pests scrounging for food. It is recommended to clean up after each meal and to properly close garbage cans when they are stored in the home or garage.
  • Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around the foundation and windows. These are easy ways to keep not only pests, but also cold air out of the house.
  • Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and keep shrubbery well trimmed. Removing areas where pests can hide near your home can reduce the chance of them finding a way inside.
  • Install door sweeps and repair damaged screens. Torn window screens and cracks under doors are an ideal entry point for household pests. When you open the window, you could be letting in more than just fresh air.
  • Inspect items such as boxes of decorations, package deliveries, and grocery bags before bringing them indoors. Pests can find creative ways to get inside a home. Shake out or inspect anything that has been left or stored outside.
  • Avoid leaving pets’ food dishes out for long periods of time. Pests don’t discriminate between people food and cat food. Pet dishes that have been left sitting out are enticing for all kinds of insects and rodents.
  • Have a proper outdoor drainage system. Installing gutters or repairing an existing system will help draw water and moisture away from your home, preventing any leaks or build up that might attract pests.

 

If you live in Las Vegas or Henderson, you don’t have to live in fear of bugs and rodents. Proper fall maintenance can keep your home and your family safe, and bug free. Don’t make the common mistake of stopping pest services during this time of year, a mistake that could easily lead to more serious pest problems. To learn more about protecting your home and family from pests year round, contact us today at 702-385-1269.

 

Where Do Black Widows Go In Winter?

Black widow spider with her egg sac.
Black widow spider with egg sac.

The black widow spider is perhaps the most feared spider in southern Nevada due to the potency of its venom, which is reported to be 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake. If its aggressiveness matched the potency of its venom, humans would be at far greater risk living in the Las Vegas and Henderson area. Fortunately, black widows are shy and will usually only bite humans when their web is disturbed. The black widow loves warmer climates and she’s right at home in our desert, but where does she go in winter?

Habitat

Black widow spiders stay outdoors, for the most part. Widows build irregular erratic looking webs and live in crevices or recesses within rock piles, block walls, sprinkler valve boxes, and undersides of patio furniture. Garages, outdoor sheds and playground equipment are also popular spots to find black widows.

Winter Survival

Black widow spiders go into a state known as overwintering in cold locations. As the weather gets cooler, widow spiders look for warmer locations to hunker down for the season. Once the black widow spider enters a storage shed, garage or home, she may find a suitable place where she can overwinter just like a hibernating bear. The spider’s metabolic rate slows to conserve energy.  Winters don’t harm black widows because they are adapted to live through cold months in a low-energy state. They tuck in their legs and become dormant.

Prevention Tips

Black widow spiders emerge in spring when mating occurs through early summer. Young spiderlings continue to grow into adults during the spring and summer and mature by mid to late summer. Adult widows are most prevalent during late summer and fall. Here are a few tips to prevent an infestation:

  1. Keep your home free of clutter and seal possible entry points.
  2. Install screens and weather stripping to keep spiders and other pests from entering your home.
  3. Always using gloves, remove old boxes and other unwanted items from dark corners of outdoor sheds and garages, reducing the number of places for the spiders to hide.

If you suspect a spider infestation, contact a black widow control specialist immediately. This is the safest way to get rid of black widow spiders in the home.