Spiders In The Bay Area: Too Dangerous To Leave Untreated?

Different people respond in different ways to spiders. Some consider all spiders to be beneficial and will leave spiders untreated because they believe spiders offer natural pest control. While this is certainly true, spiders aren't the best choice for pest control. Let's be honest; spiders lack the professionalism of a human pest control technician. On top of that, they're super creepy. It is best to get rid of spiders and have humans take care of all your pest control needs. On the other side of the spectrum are those who fear spiders. If you fall into that category, we can understand why. But we don't think you would be as afraid of spiders if you knew more about them. That's why we put together this quick article about the dangers of Bay Area spiders and how treatment can help reduce the danger. Let's look at why Bay Area residents are afraid of spiders, how concerned you should be, and how to safely get rid of spiders that are on your property or in your home. If you're thinking, "I want those spiders gone right now," remember that you can jump to our contact page anytime for spider pest control in The Bay Area. You don't have to read an article about spiders to find answers to your spider questions. Our knowledgeable and friendly service technicians are happy to help.

Why Are Some People In The Bay Area Afraid Of Spiders?

All spiders have venom and fangs. These are good reasons to be fearful of them. But you should know that most spiders in the Bay Area are harmless. We only have two medically important spiders. We're sure you know them by name. They are black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders. These two kinds of spiders have venom that can cause serious medical symptoms; they are scary spiders, for sure. Let's look at some spider facts that may make you less fearful of black widows, brown recluses, and other spiders in our area. 

• While all spiders have fangs, not all have fangs that can break human skin. Cellar spiders are good examples of this. If you see a long-legged spider in your home, you don't have to worry about it. Those are harmless spiders.
• While all spiders have venom, not all venom is harmful to humans. Some spiders, like the common house spider or American spider, have venom that will only cause a red bump, rash, and itchiness.
• While venomous spiders have strong venom, they may not envenomate the wound. We call these bites "dry bites." Black widow spiders are known to do this, so a bite from a black widow doesn't necessarily mean you have to rush to the hospital.
• While the venom of a brown recluse spider causes necrosis, it may stay isolated to the center of the wound. You may only have a blister or ulcer. More than 80% of recluse bites are minor.   
• While most spiders can bite you, they don't really want to. A spider doesn't have a reason to bite you. They don't eat blood, like mosquitoes or ticks. When a spider bites, it is usually in self-defense.
• While a spider bite is sometimes worse than a bee sting, and there are medical symptoms to consider, many spiders have a bite so minor that you won't wake up when bitten.

Spiders are definitely creepy, but they're not nearly as dangerous as you might think. When you consider how unlikely it is for a spider to bite you and make you sick and that you can reduce the threat with effective pest control service around your home, it is easy to see why you don't need to fear spiders. But it is helpful to recognize black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders so that you can take precautions, just in case.

Types Of Dangerous Spiders & What They Look Like

Black widow spiders can cause flu-like symptoms. Brown recluse spiders have the potential to cause a disfiguring wound. While they are different types of spiders, both are dangerous. It is essential to know what these spiders and their webs look like so that you can deal with these spiders before an accidental encounter. 

Black Widow Spiders: These arachnids are entirely black and have a red hourglass marking on the bottom of the abdomen. When a widow hangs in her web, she hangs upside down and reveals this mark. It is difficult to see this marking when a black widow crawls because it is on the underside. Fortunately, widow spiders have a somewhat unique shape. They are small, with thick legs and a bulbous body.  

Brown Recluse Spiders: These arachnids are brown and have a violin-shaped marking. The marking is dark brown on the light-colored body but hard to see since the body of a recluse spider is smaller than a dime. If you add the length of its legs, it is slightly larger than a quarter.

Webs: The webs created by these spiders look like a tangled mess, and you'll find them near the floor or ground. The strands of a black widow spider web are strong and make a plucking noise when broken.

Contact Bay Pest for assistance when you find either of these spiders or their webs. We can help you find the best solution to get control of your spider problem. Now, let's take a moment to talk about the elephant in the room.  

Are Spiders Dangerous Enough To Kill People?

It may seem like we dodged around this question, somewhat. We pointed out that you can get a dry bite, that necrosis rarely spreads, and that black widows and recluse spiders aren't looking to bite you. But these spiders are certainly not harmless. Both are spiders that can kill humans. The good news is that they are not deadly in the United States. Why? Because we have a robust medical infrastructure and the ability to treat spider bites and exposure to venom. If a black widow spider or brown recluse spider bites you in the Bay Area, you're likely to get appropriate treatment before you are in any danger of death. Let's put this in perspective. The last known death from a black widow spider bite reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers was in 1983. The last known death from a recluse was in 2004.   

How To Safely Get Rid Of Dangerous Spiders On Your Bay Area Property

Now that you have a proper perspective of how dangerous spiders are in the Bay Area, let's return to the topic of our heading. Should you leave them untreated? The answer for black widows and recluse spiders is definitely no. What about all the other spiders? Should you get treatments for harmless cellar spiders or almost-but-not-quite-harmless American house spiders? While these spiders won't harm you much, it is best not to have them in your home. Spiders are food for other pests and may draw these other pests into your home. If you're in the Bay Area, consider contacting Bay Pest for residential pest control. We provide coverage for spiders along with a long list of other common pests in our area, using layers of protection to keep these pests out of your home.

• During service visits, we perform an inspection and look for spider activity. If you have black widow spiders or brown recluse spiders, we'll let you know and help you deal with them fast.
• We directly address general spider populations around your home by removing spider webs and spider egg sacs. A spider egg sac can have up to 300 eggs in it—that's a lot of spiders! Web removal is an all-natural method for spider reduction and it works to deter spiders from creating more webs.
• Our web-removal service includes your garage. The garage is a critical zone because spiders can start in the garage and end up in the house.
• Around your home we spot treat your yard and landscaping to reduce insect and bug activity. Insects and other bugs are food for spiders, so reducing them will reduce spider activity.
• We seal small holes in your exterior that spiders may use to get inside. These exclusions have a long-lasting impact and are all-natural.
• On top of exclusion work, we apply a liquid crack and crevice treatment around the exterior of your home, adding even more protection against spiders and general pest entry.

The services we provide are comprehensive, layered, and effective. We are not aware of a better way to keep spiders out of Bay Area homes. If there were a better way, we'd be using it.  

Don't let spiders handle your pest control needs. Get rid of spiders and all of the other pests that are pestering you. Reach out to Bay Pest today to schedule your initial service visit and find out how easy it is to get on top of pest problems. 

We look forward to helping you find the best solution for spider control on your Bay Area property and assisting you with all of your pest concerns!