Spiders are a disgusting pest, and there’s no denying that they can be upsetting to find around your home. Of all the pests in The Villages and the surrounding areas of Florida, spiders often freak people out the most. Many people assume that spiders are dangerous and even deadly, but the fact is that most spiders are relatively harmless.
There are only two species of spiders in the United States that are considered medically significant to humans. These are the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider. While other species can be terrifying to look at, they are mostly just a nuisance.
To help you identify spiders around your home and know if they are dangerous or not, we’ve put together a brief guide to common species in the area.
- Black widow spider: This species is fairly easy to identify because they are dark black with a red hourglass marking on their underbellies.
- Brown recluse spider: This is the only other dangerous species in the area. They can be hard to identify as they look similar to other species, but you can tell them apart by their light brown coloring and the lack of markings on their legs.
- Southern house spider: This harmless species is brown to black in color. The females have more compact bodies while the males are more slender. They are both covered in fine hairs.
- Jumping spider: As the name suggests, these spiders jump to catch their prey. They come in many shapes and colors, but you can recognize them because they have eight eyes in two noticeable rows of four.
Why Are Spiders Attracted To Your Home?
While some pests come inside in search of shelter from cold weather or a place to nest, this isn’t the case with spiders. Instead, spiders enter a dwelling in search of their prey. This means that the main cause of a spider infestation is having underlying pest problems.
If you’re suddenly seeing more spiders around your property, you’re likely to have small insects around that are drawing them in. You might not even realize that you have pest problems, and it can be disturbing to suddenly realize you have multiple species to deal with. However, there are some things you can do to control both spiders and their pest prey in Minneola, Florida.
Simple Spider Prevention Tips
If you’re trying to prevent spiders, you should mainly focus on general pest prevention steps that will reduce and control insect species around the property. By doing so, you can keep both spiders and their prey away from your home.
Here are a few of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent spiders and other pests:
- Trim shrubs, bushes, and trees around the property with a focus on plants close to the exterior of the building.
- Focus on cleanliness as many pests, such as ants, are attracted to food spills. Clean up any crumbs right away and sweep and mop on a regular basis.
- Keep pests out by fixing or replacing broken screens.
- Take out the trash often and get lids for all garbage cans both inside and outside.
- Get help from pest control professionals.
The Best Way To Keep Spiders Away For Good
While taking measures on your own to prevent spiders and their prey is helpful, the most effective way to control these pests throughout the year is with help from the experts at Bertram Pest Solutions.
We have over 20 years of experience providing residential pest control to the Minneola, Florida area, and we are committed to providing friendly service and expert results at affordable prices. Learn more and even request a free inspection by calling us at (352) 608-5010.