Marietta's Comprehensive Guide To Spider Species And Prevention

Spiders can seem mysterious when you see them inside your home. How do they get inside? How do they go from room to room? And how do they survive indoors? The answers to these and other questions may actually surprise you. Many of the spiders you see in your home aren't from the outside; they live in your home. They go from room to room by using gaps you don't even realize you have, such as a gap within a ceiling vent, along a baseboard, or at the corner of a door frame. They also go from room to room by going right underneath your doors. As for what they eat to survive, they survive on bugs. That means when you see spiders in your home, you can know for sure that you have other bugs as well. These bugs live inside your walls, floors, and ceilings, just out of sight. They use the same gaps spiders use to go from their hiding places in your structural voids to your interior living spaces. How do you win a battle against a foe that can go in and out of your walls at will? Join us today as we discuss the common types of spiders in Marietta, how to identify them, what they do in your home, and where to apply spider-proofing to keep them out. If you'd like to have a professional take a look, keep us in mind. ProCare Pest Services offers advanced and environmentally friendly spider control in Marietta. We can help you get on top of any spider issue.

Spider Identification: How To Recognize Different Species

All of the spiders in your home and on your property are not the same. Some spiders don't want to live in your home and will only come in for a short time. Others don't get in at all. Then, of course, we have spiders that do very well indoors and stay permanently when they find their way inside. 

Once inside, some spiders make webs and sit in those webs. You'll find webs like this in your garage or the space between your exterior windows and screens. Other spiders make webs but don't sit in them. They tend to have more than one web at a time. Then, there are the spiders that don't make webs at all. These spiders prowl your home in search of food without providing any evidence that they're around – until you see one. Here are a few common spiders you'll likely see in your Marietta home and some important facts about each.

Black Widow Spiders:

These are mostly outdoor spiders. Black widows don't prefer to live indoors because their preferred food is found outdoors. That is good news since black widow spiders have venom that is considered a medical concern for humans. You can tell when these spiders are in your home because they make noticeable webs out of strong fibers. You're also likely to see a black widow sitting in the center of her web upside down. Adult black widow females are the spiders to watch out for because the males are not known to bite. A female black widow is entirely black and has a red hourglass shape on the bottom of her abdomen.

Joro Spiders:

Joro spiders, scientifically known as Trichonephila clavata, are large and visually striking arachnids native to Japan. These formidable orb-weaving spiders are notable for their captivating appearance, featuring vibrant, distinctive colors such as yellow, red, and black, as well as intricate patterns on their abdomens. Adult Joro spiders exhibit a leg span of up to 5 inches, making them one of the larger orb-weaver species. They are proficient in constructing impressive, intricate circular webs, typically placed at eye-catching heights in forests and gardens. Despite their formidable size and striking appearance, Joro spiders are generally non-aggressive towards humans and primarily feed on insects, contributing to natural pest control. Their presence adds an enchanting element to Japan's diverse ecosystem, often fascinating and captivating those who encounter them.

Brown Recluse Spiders:

A brown recluse spider is small, so it can easily get into every space within your home, but that doesn't make it insignificant. These spiders seek out living space indoors and thrive in most homes. Some infestations are recorded as having as many as 5,000 of these spiders. While brown recluse spiders don't create webs to catch prey, you may see their webs lining gaps, cracks, or holes near the floor. Look for these webs in undisturbed locations within your home, as brown recluse spiders are definitely reclusive. If you see a small brown spider with no visible hairs, it is likely you've found a brown recluse. You may also look for the dark brown violin shape on its back. Keep in mind that this mark is very small, considering it is only about ¼ the size of the spider itself.    

These are the spiders you're up against inside your Marietta home. Most do not create webs and are considered hunter-spiders. The spiders you see most often are tiny spiders, as they can get around more easily indoors. If you see larger spiders, it is a warning sign of a large entry point. Now, let's quickly look at what spiders do inside your home.