I saw spiders in and around my home — can they hurt me?

Here’s the fascinating thing about spiders: Of the approximately 35,000 different species of spiders that reside across the globe, fewer than ten percent of all spiders can be found in the United States. Even fewer can be found in the Pacific Northwest — just about 500, altogether — and according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, there is just one spider that is considered potentially fatal to humans. 

The culprit? You’ve probably heard of it. It’s the Black Widow spider, which is not only a member of Marvel’s Avengers, but it’s also one of the more distinctly recognized spiders in the world due to its all black body, unmistakable reddish orange hourglass shape on its back, the female’s habit to kill its male counterparts after mating (thus the name), and, of course, it’s potentially fatal threat to humans. 

The good news? Black Widow spiders aren’t commonly found in this part of the Pacific Northwest. Black Widows tend to live in the more arid climates that you’ll find in the eastern sector of our region. 

(It’s important to also note that Washington State’s health department also includes one other potentially fatal spider in our area, the Yellow Sac spider. Like the Black Widow spider, Yellow Sac spiders also live in the eastern portion of the Pacific Northwest.)

No matter where you are, if you happen across these types of spiders, avoid them. Their venom is potentially lethal. According to a Washington Post study, approximately seven people per year die of spider bites. Luckily these spiders tend to prefer more out of the way, secluded places to nest in so they shouldn’t be too difficult to avoid. 

This statistic does not include those who have had allergic reactions to spider bites. Another thing about spiders is that all spiders are venomous, but not all spiders’ venom is powerful enough to hurt or kill a human. There is a potential that it could cause an allergic reaction, the symptoms of which might include fevers, nausea, shortness of breath, swelling, and more. If you or a loved one has been bitten by a spider and are experiencing even mild symptoms like those above, seek medical attention immediately. The symptoms could progress quickly, and it just might save a life!

While this information might be kind of scary, the intent here is to inform you.  Although if you are a little unsettled by these spider statistics, rest assured that you are not alone.

Researchers have found that almost 30% of the US population, about 95 million people, report to have some fear of spiders. A fear of spiders is such a common fear that it has its own special name, which is arachnophobia. This common fear is spread pretty evenly across the sexes, too, with about a quarter of surveyed men and about a third of surveyed women reporting some level of arachnophobia. 

Why would this be? Is it their appearance? The way they move? (Spiders have eight legs, and with six joints per leg, that’s a total of 48 knees altogether!) Or perhaps is it the lore of the spider that’s featured in centuries of stories, media, songs, and other sources, where the spider is cast as a creepy, predatory villain? 

It’s hard to say, but some things can be certain: Many people are scared of spiders. Many people are allergic to spiders. And many of these same people often find spiders in or around their homes. So what should they do? Call Aspen Pest Control, that’s what!

So…why have spiders chosen your home to make webs, lay eggs?

It is very likely your property contains everything they need to thrive, namely food, water, and shelter. Look around outside. Do you notice insects on your property? If you have a problem with spiders, then you no doubt have a number of different insects present there, too. Spiders, which are arachnids, not insects, get most of their nutrients from eating insects. Spiders will seek out insect-rich environments, find safe places within those insect-laden environments, and then start spinning their webs while also finding even safer places to lay their eggs. 

So how do we exterminate spiders? By treating them and the other insects on your property. 

Spiders are a lot like ticks or even scorpions, and will seek out flies, roaches, moths, beetles, and more to feed on. When you choose Aspen Pest Control for your spider control needs, we’ll use child- and pet-friendly pest materials to kill off the aforementioned insects in an effort to remove the spiders’ food supply while also removing their webs so that they don’t have a place to catch food. 

We’ll also examine your property to determine if we can find any instances of standing water. Standing water is a big attractor to all sorts of pests, including insects. If we find any, we’ll show you the location while providing recommendations as to how you can remove it. 

But back to that web removal: Spiders spend a great deal of their time constructing their webs. We’ll brush away any webs we find on the exterior of your home. The brushes we use can reach up to 25 ft or more! Keeping up with web removal signals to the spiders that this is a heavily trafficked area unsuitable for living safely. 

This combination of web removal, insect treatment (removal of the spiders’ food source), and standing water management creates an incredibly effective way of exterminating spiders from your property. Before you know it, your spider issues will be a thing of the past! So call Aspen Pest Control today for your free consultation and quote. We’d love to take care of all your pest control needs.