Spider-Free Zone: Expert Tips For Effective Spider Prevention For Raleigh Homes

But, we'll share tips to help you tell if spiders are still inside your home and share a few facts about how Go-Forth Home Services helps families maintain spider-free homes. When you need pest control in Raleigh, we're the right choice. You'll get the care and expert service you need.

Spider Behavior: How They Hunt, Feed, And Mate

The secret to spider prevention is understanding how spiders behave. There are different types of spiders in Raleigh. Most spiders make webs for you to see. While unsightly, these webs let you know that spiders are nearby. Some spiders don't make webs. They're harder to track, and they show up in unexpected places, but you don't have to see a web to prevent spider problems. All you need to do is counteract the natural behavior patterns that spiders follow. Let's look at three.

Hunting: Both web-making spiders and non-web-making spiders are predators. They hunt for food. The difference is found in the tools they use for hunting. Web-making spiders set traps for their prey. Non-web-making spiders prowl for food. They have good eyesight and are able to track their prey, jump on them, and subdue them with their venom. When deterring these spiders, you need to consider their hunting patterns. Deter web-making spiders from making webs. You can do this by removing webs and wiping down surfaces. Deter non-web-making spiders by sealing potential entry points.

Feeding: All spiders are looking for food. Web-making spiders create webs near light fixtures to catch insects that are drawn to light or they make webs near trash receptacles to catch flies. If you see webs, you can know for sure that a spider has found a food source. If you address the food source, guess what will happen? Spiders will go away. The same is true of non-web-making spiders. They're looking for food. While they use different methods, you can deter them by addressing the insects and bugs they eat.

Mating: The last thing you need to understand is spider breeding and how it relates to spider prevention. Do you know that you can completely seal your home and still have spiders appearing inside? It is because many spiders don't come into your home from the outside. They hatch indoors. If spiders have found food sources in your home, they can produce spiderlings and keep your infestation going, even after you've applied the highest level of pest-proofing to the outside of your home. You need to address the food to arrest your infestation.  

Do you see the picture forming? Spider prevention and control requires a multi-pronged approach that addresses spider webs, entry points, and food sources—but it isn't easy to address these. You might need a little incentive. Let's look at why it is a good idea to get Raleigh spiders out of your home.

Symptoms Of Spider Bites: What To Expect And How To Treat

The main issue with spiders is that they're gross and creepy. If that is enough incentive for you to want them out of your home, you can move on to the next section. But, having spiders in your home is more than a nuisance. Some spiders bite, and some bites are a cause for concern. We have black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders to contend with in North Carolina. Fortunately, there are few black spiders in NC, so it is usually easy to tell that you have black widows. You won't have many spiders that look like black widows crawling around on your property. You can also look for the red hourglass or red dot on the black spider to tell that it is a black widow. You may find brown recluse spiders harder to identify, only because we have a few brown spiders. But, spiders that look similar to brown recluse spiders are easy to differentiate. Brown recluses are visibly hairless, smaller than a quarter, and have a brown hourglass pattern on the back. Now that you know the two spiders that could harm you, let's look at the symptoms of spider bites, what to expect, and how to treat them.

• Indoor spiders typically cause a bite that is mild and will only cause a red bump that itches. You can treat this bump by washing it with soapy water.
• Outdoor spiders typically have more painful bites. It can feel like you've been stung by a bee. The same treatment is needed. Wash with soapy water. You can also put a cold compress on the wound to keep the swelling down.
• Brown recluse spiders prefer to live indoors and present a unique challenge. They can cause wounds with necrosis. If the necrosis spreads, there is a serious risk. Have a physician track the progression of the wound. Keep in mind that it is rare for brown recluse spiders to bite people. It is also possible to mitigate the threat by shaking shoes, towels, and clothing before wearing these items, or by moving beds away from walls and removing bed skirts.
• Black widow spiders prefer to live outdoors. Keep watch for their webs, which are made of strong strands and constructed to look like a bit of a mess. If bitten, you can have flu-like symptoms that develop into severe symptoms. Go to the hospital as soon as you detect any symptoms. If you don't have symptoms, it is possible that you have a dry bite. Sometimes a female black widow will not inject a wound with venom, and no symptoms occur with these bites.

You are almost a spider expert. Let's take what we've discussed and use these facts, along with a few others, to help you drive spiders out of your home and keep them out. If you don't mind rolling your sleeves up and doing the hard work, these all-natural methods are likely to get the job done.  

Preventing Spiders In Your Home: Tips And Tricks

We've already discussed a few tips that help you reduce the number of spiders, drive them out, and keep them out. Do you remember what they are? Remove webs, wipe down surfaces, address the food source spiders are eating, and pest-proof your home. Here are specific examples of how these work.

Remove Webs: Get a spider web removal tool. Remove the webs with the tool and crush any egg sacs you find.

Wipe Surfaces: Wipe down any dusty or dirty surface to deter spider web building. Pay particular attention to your garage and your exterior windows.

Control Spider Food: Address indoor pests with sanitation. Most pest problems take root because insects or bugs find food debris or gain access to stored foods. Clean your home and store certain food items in sealed containers. Also, consider exterior light sources, particularly the ones near exterior doors. Keep lights off or consider installing bulbs or fixtures that are motion-sensitive. 

Pest-Proof: The tools for this job are expanding foam and a caulking gun. Inspect your exterior and patch any hole you find. Make sure to also repair or replace weather-proofing and patch any damaged screens.

It takes effort to deal with spiders in your home, but the effort you put in will yield results. Constant pressure will drive spiders out, and your pest-proofing will help keep them out.