Spiders are frightening, but is there good reason to be scared of them? They're always made out to be the bad guy in every story and their looks alone are enough to scare anyone away. And while most spiders in Los Angeles truly are harmless or only bite when provoked, they are not a welcome sight in any home.
Spiders enter our homes in search of basically one thing: food, and the food that spiders eat is other pests. This means that if homeowners have a spider issue, then they most likely have an infestation of some other pest as well. It also means that if you have other pests, you may very likely either have or develop a spider issue.
Spider Species In Los Angeles County
In the Los Angeles County area, homeowners can expect to encounter these following types of spiders:
Black widow spiders: Black widow spiders are one of the only species found in our area that are venomous to humans. Black and shiny in their coloring, they seek dry and dark areas such as hollow tree stumps and wood piles. While black widow spiders are not known for biting frequently or being aggressive, that can bite if they feel threatened or trapped. If bitten, people may expect to have significant pain, increased blood pressure, or a fever.
House spiders: House spiders are most easily spotted by their large abdomen and, as the name states, they prefer to live in homes. These spiders typically hide underneath furniture and inside closets, but when they stay outside, they prefer to live in barns and sheds where they hope to catch prey. While they pose little health risk to humans, they might bite if threatened.
Jumping spiders: Jumping spiders could be considered cute or adorable by the standards of today’s children, with their doll-like appearances, big eyes and incredibly furry bodies. They have the best vision of any other spider and tend to do their hunting around windows and doors.
Long-bodied cellar spiders: These spiders do just as the name states—they live in cellars or places likecellars. They may also hide in windows, inside closets, and inside bath traps. Long-bodied cellar spiders are actually the spiders that most people call daddy-long-legs and they prefer to stay in places of high humidity and moisture such as cellars and basements.
Helpful Tips For Spider Prevention
In order to prevent spiders in your Los Angeles home, you must also deal with other nuisance pests, as spiders typically enter homes in search of food, which are their prey. Here are a few ways that you can mitigate the presence of both pests andspiders:
Since most pests enter the home in search of food, be sure to store food and trash properly. This means using glass or plastic storage containers with airtight lids and making sure that your trash bins are not overflowing or left open, and that you take out the trash on a consistent and frequent basis.
Many pests are also in search of excess moisture, as this is a reliable spot to lay their eggs. Checking leaky faucets, still water, and irrigation systems regularly and amending any issues that are noted is a keen way to keep pests like mosquitoes and cockroaches at bay.
Perhaps the most common way that pests find their way into your home is through weak entry points in your home's foundation. This may mean literal cracks in the foundation or it may mean gaps around doors, broken window screens, or worn weather stripping. Be on the lookout for issues like these and when noted, be sure to repair them fully.
Remove any and all spider webs. This may seem obvious, but it will help keep spiders from settling into your home.
The best way to deal with pests, and therefore spiders, in the home is with ongoing Los Angeles pest control services from HomeShield Pest Control. Call our team today for protection from spiders and other pests.
If you're dealing with spider problems and would like to get set up with a year-round home pest control plan that includes coverage for spiders, we can help! Get in touch with us for spider control and web removal services today and get started on the path to a spider-free home.