We all know the feeling of walking through a spider web on your property. It's unnerving, the web sticks to your skin, and, worst of all, you never really know what kind of spider made the web (or where the spider ended up). But when it comes to pest control, we typically put spiders on the back burner. We accept spider webs as a sad fact of life, even though there's probably a lot more we could do about it. While most spiders may not be dangerous to humans, they're still a nuisance worth keeping out. After all, if you could prevent spiders easily, why wouldn't you want to?
Common Indianapolis Spiders
Did you know that there are nearly 400 different kinds of spiders in the state of Indiana? You can find most of these on any Indianapolis property, from jumping spiders to garden spiders and more. Almost all of these species are harmless to humans except for two. The black widow spider, with its black body and dark red hourglass marking, will hang out in the low-traffic areas of your yard and home. Watch out for them in the corners of basements and underneath rocks in the yard. Black widows may be poisonous, but bites may not always require medical attention depending on the health of the victim.
On the other hand, the brown recluse spider ranges from tan to brown, with the distinctive violin marking on its back. That's the best way to differentiate it from the very common wolf spider (plus all of the excess hair that wolf spiders feature). The brown recluse will seek out the dry areas of your property where they won't be disturbed, like a shed, barn, or under a deck. If a brown recluse bites you, you'll want to seek medical attention as their poison can eat away at the layers of your skin if left unchecked. Fortunately, neither of these two dangerous species are very aggressive, but you still want to avoid encouraging their presence on your property.
Prevention
Even though there are only two dangerous species of spiders in the area, spider prevention is still essential for comfort and peace of mind. If you find spider webs annoying and unsightly, then prevention needs to be a priority. The best way to keep spiders at bay is to limit their food sources, which mainly includes other pests.
General practices for limiting pests and spiders around your property include:
- Proper food and trash storage: Make sure everything is thrown away promptly and sealed up tightly.
- Regular cleaning, vacuuming, and tidying up the clutter: All pests love to hide out amidst clutter and look for crumbs on the ground.
- Maintaining ideal moisture conditions: Start by checking for leaking pipes and excess humidity in crawl spaces. Pay close attention to under the sinks, in the basement, and around the AC units.
- Get rid of any spider webs you notice around your home and yard: If spiders make a web only to have it knocked down again and again, they'll move on to another property.
- Sealing up entry points around windows, doors, and screens: Most pests can get in through very small spaces, so you have to be really thorough with this one. Door sweeps under the doors are essential.
While these practices are effective for pest prevention, it can be hard to control the spider population around your property completely. Plus, DIY methods for spider control, like scare devices and sprays, are typically ineffective. For the very best way to keep your home free from spiders, unsightly webs, and other pests, contact Action Pest Control today for our professional home pest control in Indianapolis.