Spider Control the Hearts Pest Management Way

Spiders are a nuisance that bring out a fearful reaction in many people.  Hearts Pest Management understands spiders.  Spiders are actually a beneficial organism.  They consume a significant portion of the insects that would otherwise be visible in our environment.  The problem is that spiders need to live in our environment to do their job.

When spiders come into contact with humans, we may often imagine the worst.  This feeling may be exacerbated by what is portrayed about them in popular media.  Spiders play an important role in the environment in general, but you don’t need to have them in your house.  Although the vast majority of spider encounters are harmless, the occasional exception should not be taken for granted.  Spider bites can sometimes be painful and have lasting effects.  Their presence in the home can cause a variety of problems.  From bites to cobwebs to fear, spiders present a challenge to our sense of security and well being.

Spiders can be frustrating to live with and to treat.  Some species are prolific breeders and spread quickly because they compete with each other for food.  They often hide in inconvenient places, only to be turned up when going through old boxes, while cleaning and, occasionally while doing normal activities around the home.  Hearts solution for spiders is comprehensive and effective.  We will inspect your entire property, with the goal of a full targeted treatment of spiders.  Inside your home, we will work with equal precision and care, targeting spiders, without needless pesticide and potential adverse harm to those we love.  Hard to reach or secluded areas are also a concern, and your Hearts Consulting Technician will have you covered.

 

Spider Inspection - the Key to Fast and Lasting Control

Hearts Consulting Technicians are adept at locating your spiders and their nests.  We know that wherever insects can go, spiders will be there.  Our inspection will include a thorough overview of your insect situation, and a comprehensive evaluation of your dwelling in general.  Every aspect of your property and the surrounding properties will be considered.  We’ll find out what’s been causing your spiders and how to control them.  You can talk to your courteous Hearts Consulting Technician and trust that we will listen to your concerns, and be honest when advising you.

 Spider Treatment that Guards Your Family

When it comes to your family, images of spiders near them can be menacing.  Hearts Consulting Technicians will develop a program to eliminate spiders and restore your peace of mind.  Hearts is the only EcoWise Certified company south of the San Francisco Bay area.  For those who are concerned about chemicals in and around their house, Hearts has organic solutions for spiders.

Hearts understands that eliminating the food supply that spiders depend on (mostly insects) is an important step to maintaining control.  We have the knowledge and expertise to effectively reduce or eliminate that food supply.

Spider Prevention is Common Sense

Prevention around the home is a good way to make sure that spiders stay under control.  Your Hearts Consulting Technician is qualified to give advice concerning sanitation, exclusion and other methods to help prevent spiders from coming back.

Vacuuming is a very effective way to help in the reduction of spiders.  By eliminating their nests and, when possible, the spiders themselves, the numbers you may be seeing due to breeding can be decreased.  Whether you do your own vacuuming, or if someone else does, make sure that hard to reach space behind furniture gets vacuumed out regularly.

 

Spider Species in Southern California

Black Widow

Black Widows are fairly common in Southern California because they are successful hunters and breeders and because they are great at hiding during the day.  The female Black Widow has the typical image most people expect when talking about Black Widows.  They may be seen at night .  Most kinds are black and shiny with a red hourglass shaped marking on their bellies.  Some variations may have the two triangular markings that make up the hourglass shape, but they may be separated and somewhat indistinct.  They are up to 1/2 inch long.  The males are about half the size of the female, they are brown and may have yellow or red bands and spots on their backs.  Black Widows build their webs in places that are dark and/or undisturbed, like under shrubs, construction openings, crawl spaces, wood piles, and behind furniture.  They sometimes may build a web in a place exposed to sunlight, but it will have access to a good place to hide.  A good example would be a house or commercial structure with an overhang near the foundation.  Their webs, called tangle webs, have no pattern to recognize and look very random.  Black Widows are a non-aggressive species.  People rarely get bitten by them.  The bite of the female, however, can be quite dangerous.  Typically the symptoms of a black widow bite will increase for the first day, and will persist for the following two days.  If you have been bitten by a Black Widow, you should see a doctor.  Fatalities are rare today and that has a lot to do with medical attention being much more readily available.

For more information within our website regarding the black widow, click here.

For more specific information on black widdows, visit the University of California Davis IPM Website.

Brown Recluse / Desert Recluse

Brown Recluse spiders are not found in Southern California, though there has been a strong fear among the public that they are finding brown recluse spiders.  The Brown Recluse has been found here, but only in identified cases where they have piggy-backed on property moved from other parts of the country.   Nowhere in the west has the brown recluse become established.

Desert Recluse spiders are residents of Southern California, but only east of the Anza- Borrego area.  They are an extremely shy species, as are their cousins, the Brown Recluse.  They are about 1/4 inch long, light brown and have the distinguishing ‘violin’ shape on their backs.  This distinguishing feature is somewhat less noticeable on the Desert Recluse as its entire body is lighter in color, including the fiddle mark.  They can be found in areas that are rarely disturbed such as behind book cases, in attics and basements, and in closets.  They will inhabit clothing, boxes toys and paper and they seem to prefer layered or piled up clutter.  They spin an irregular shaped, off-white web.  Many times a bite will occur when someone accidentally presses a formerly hidden recluse close to the skin by putting on or going through old clothing.  Otherwise, the Desert Recluse will avoid human contact altogether.  The bite of the Desert Recluse reportedly has a lesser effect than the bite of its cousin, the Brown Recluse.  A bite may sting or feel like nothing at all.  Later, a burning sensation may begin, then blistering and possibly, necrosis (tissue death).  Although necrosis is not a guarantee,  anyone bit by a Desert Recluse or Brown Recluse should see a doctor immediately.

For more information on Brown Recluse spiders, visit the University of California, Riverside

Yellow Sac Spider

Yellow Sac Spiders are very common and can be found under rocks, old wood and almost any undisturbed object outside.  Their web is a small tube or sack placed under or behind an object that is rarely moved.  In that sack they retreat to consume their prey and lay their eggs.  They hunt for their prey, moving around at night and hiding during the day.

 

House Spider

House Spiders are found in nearly every home, in every climate, all over the world.  The House Spider is about 3/8 inches long, brown with various darker markings on its back and abdomen.  The number and size of Common House Spiders found in the home will depend on the availability of prey insects for them to eat.  The bite of a Common House Spider should be of little concern to most people.  These spiders are non-aggressive and will shy away from any larger organisms, like people and pets.  The major issue in any house that has this species in abundance will be removal of the insects and other small organisms that they feed on, and the dust collecting webs.  Common House Spiders will build their webs in random places, and then abandon them if they are not producing enough food.  These webs can be located anywhere and will continue to collect dust until removed.

 

Cellar Spider / Daddy Longlegs

Cellar Spiders are most commonly confused with another arachnid of the opiliones order that is sometimes similar in appearance.  Opiliones are not true spiders because they only have one body section, as opposed to spiders which have two.  Most commonly found Cellar Spiders have an elongated abdomen, are grey to pale in color and are about 1/3 inch in length with legs up to 2 inches.  They are prolific web makers and usually will not clean out their webs which have a tendency to accumulate.  Cellar Spider bites are usually nothing to worry about.  Their presence is determined by the availability of insects to feed on.  They don’t shy away or approach humans.  Instead, they stay in their irregular webs and shake violently or spin around if someone disturbs them.

 

Funnel Weavers / Funnel Weaver Spiders

Funnel Weavers or Grass Spiders can be found throughout the home and in the garden. Their web is a funnel shape with the bottom being open for escape and usually situated somewhere good to hide.  For this reason, funnel web building spiders may make homes in window sills, power boxes and access panels.  They are largely harmless.  Funnel Weavers are beneficial in gardens, though their webs may be unsightly on hedges and other forms of landscaping.  They are up to 1/2 inch long with a striped abdomen and thorax.  Hobo spiders are a type of funnel weaver with a dangerous bite, but are not found in California.

 

Orb Weaver / Orb Weaver Spiders

Orb Weavers are so named because of their elaborate, flat, circular webs.  You may have seen what looks like a population explosion in the fall of these somewhat large (3/8th to 1 inch long) spiders.  They may be dull or brightly colored with a variety of patterns and a variety of body shapes.  In truth, they hatched in the spring and were largely unnoticeable because of their small size.  In the fall they build large and intricate webs.  Sometimes the placement of these webs may pose a problem for residents. They are also a beneficial species and help with insect reduction.  They are largely harmless to humans and will only react if their webs are disturbed.

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