How To Tell If The Spiders In Your Del Rio Home Are Dangerous

All spiders are not created equal. Del Rio is home to several harmless spiders that cannot bite you, their fangs are too weak. We have several spiders that can bite you, but they won't make you sick or cause you too much harm. A bite from one of these spiders may feel like someone poked you with a needle. The spiders that create concern are dangerous spiders that can cause medical symptoms. These are the ones that could have you running to the hospital. Today, we'll tell you how to identify dangerous spiders, what to expect from dangerous spiders and spider bites, what to do to keep these spiders out of your Del Rio home, and how professional pest control in Del Rio can help.

There are two medically important types of spiders in Texas. They are widow spiders and recluse spiders. Why not say black widows and brown recluse spiders? We're glad you asked. 

• Widow spiders come in two colors. While the black ones are the most notorious, brown widows can present a similar threat. You must know how to identify black and brown widow spiders if you hope to avoid trouble. Adult females have a red or orange hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. You may easily see this marking if she is hanging in her web because she often hangs upside down with this marking facing out.  
• There are thirteen species of recluse spiders in North America—five are found here in the Lone Star state. The brown recluse spider, known scientifically as L. reclusa is the most recognizable recluse spider in Texas, but there are several other species. They are L. devia (Texas recluse), L. blanda (Big Bend recluse), L. apachea (Apache recluse), and L. rufescens (Mediterranean recluse). Brown recluse spiders have a dark violin-shaped marking on the back. Keep in mind that the marking is not nearly as obvious as you might think due to the small size of a recluse spider. A recluse spider with legs stretched out is only slightly larger than a quarter. 

You can likely point out all of these common spiders in a lineup if you're looking at adult females. But the males don't look like the females, and the juveniles can look like some other species altogether. There is no easy way to learn dangerous spider identification. You have to browse pictures and get familiar with them, but now that you know what to look for, that task should be easier. 

The Potential Symptoms Of A Dangerous Spider Bite

Once you determine whether or not you have a dangerous spider in your yard, or worse, inside your home, it is time to consider the threat. How bad is it to have one of these spiders bite you?

Widow Spider Bites: The venom of a black widow or brown widow can be quite potent, but all bites from these spiders are not considered dangerous. A widow spider can cause a dry bite. If you're unfamiliar with this term, a dry bite is when a spider doesn't inject venom into the wound. If you get a dry bite from a widow spider, consider it a warning. She is just letting you know that you've entered her area. A widow spider typically envenomates a bite only when she is startled or defending her babies. If you avoid getting too close, you shouldn't have any problems with a black widow or brown widow. 

Recluse Spider Bites: The venom of a recluse spider can cause necrosis. While a bite from a recluse is unpleasant, the necrotic spread can go undetected. The necrosis damages nerve endings and disrupts sensory neurons that allow you to feel pain. Your physician is aware of this and will monitor your wound closely for spreading necrosis under the skin. The good news is that most bites don't result in more than an ulcer with a rash around it. If a bite worsens, you'll have medical symptoms such as fever, body aches, and chills to let you know something is wrong.

Dangerous spiders are dangerous; there is no getting around it. But you don't need to fear these spiders. Both are reclusive by nature and won't bite unless provoked. If you know these spiders' preferred habitats and can identify their webs, you can prevent bites even further. Look for widow and recluse webs near the ground or floor, under stacked wood, and in dark voids. These webs will be a tangled mess. These spiders don't make pretty webs because they're looking for prey that would easily break those pretty webs.    

How And Why Dangerous Spiders Find Their Way Into Your Home

When a black widow or brown widow spider creates a web near your home, the spider may accidentally get into your home. It is most likely to access entry points low to the ground, such as:

• Gaps around plumbing and wire conduits
• Rotted holes in wood
• Gaps between wood members
• Unprotected gaps underneath exterior doors
• Gaps in weatherstripping around exterior doors
• Gaps around door or window frames
• Cracks in your foundation wall
• Gaps in screens and wood holes created by rodents
• Unprotected vents

Once inside your home, a black widow or brown widow isn't likely to stay long unless it can find food, water, and hiding places. These spiders prefer dusty, dirty, and clutters spaces. If you have a crawl space under your home or your home sits on a cellar, you'll have more trouble with widow spiders.

Recluse spiders can get into your home in one of two ways. They can come in from the outside, in all the ways a widow spider does, or they can hitchhike into your home. Some recluse spiders do well inside structures and can create populations of thousands. If you purchase used furniture, you may get some recluse spiders with your furniture item. These spiders hide inside the voids of stored furniture. You should inspect and look for tangled webs before you bring used furniture into your home.

Once inside your home, recluse spiders will stay in dark voids and undisturbed areas. If you see these spiders in the common areas of your home, it is a warning sign of a severe infestation. Contact Gold Star Exterminators for immediate assistance. We provide industry-leading pest control and management in Del Rio and the surrounding area.   

The Safe And Effective Way To Remove Dangerous Spiders From Your Home

Once you determine a spider is dangerous, you should take appropriate action to guard against venomous bites. Since black widow spiders don't prefer to be in your home, you can successfully drive them out by removing food options, water sources, and hiding places. After giving the spider a few days to leave, turn your attention to the outside of your home. Rake leaves and sticks away from your exterior, remove yard clutter, and trim your landscaping to make it less habitable for widow spiders. If you want black widow spiders out of your home immediately, we can help you with that. We will use a multi-pronged strategy to locate and remove all the spiders from your home.

If you find recluse spiders in your home, we don't recommend attempting to drive them out. These spiders are hard to treat, and you don't want to miss a single spider. Our service team uses a field-tested strategy to locate spider activity, cull spider populations, repel spiders, and monitor spider activity. There is no better way to deal with dangerous spiders in Del Rio.

Is there anything you can do about dangerous spiders in your home or yard? Sure. As you wait for treatment, use these tips to prevent bites:

• Move beds away from the walls.
• Remove skirting from beds.
• Turn your bedding down and perform a quick inspection before sliding in.
• Shake shoes, clothing, towels, and other items before using.
• Always wear something on your feet when walking around at night in the dark.
• Wear gloves when doing yard work.
• Be cautious when flipping objects over in your yard or moving brush piles.
• Keep watch for webbing inside the voids of objects. 

There are many ways to protect yourself from harmful bites, but when it comes to removing dangerous spiders in Del Rio, it is best to get professional assistance. A spider control professional can give you the all-clear when your home is free of spiders, giving you peace of mind.

Are you in Del Rio? If so, you are in our service area. Reach out to Gold Star Exterminators and tell us about your spider concerns. We can guide you toward the best solution for your specific needs. We provide One-Time General Pest Control to arrest spider activity and ongoing service plans that protect you and your family from spiders and other pests all year long. Every home should have a high-quality pest control plan. It is essential protection from accidental injury associated with pests. Connect with us today to learn more. 

Gold Star has been spraying our house for a few years now and I can't express how much it has helped.  I was spraying Demon WD myself and barely made an impact on the scorpions and spiders.  after they started doing it, we have very few sightings now.  Great company.

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