Spiders are a fact of life. These critters come into your yard, uninvited, set up webs, hide in secret voids, and come out of hiding to startle you in many surprising ways. If you want year-round spider control, you need to learn how to get rid of spiders outside your home. To do that, you need to know the types of spiders that live in your yard and what methods work on each kind. Join us today as we dig into these subjects. If you'd prefer to speak to a professional regarding your spider concerns, jump over to our contact page. The service team at All-Safe Pest & Termite is happy to help. We offer smart, advanced, and eco-friendly pest control in Katy. We have the answers to your pest questions. 

The Types Of Spiders That Live In Katy

We could easily bore you by telling you the difference between spiders and insects, or by going through the long list of spider species we have in our area. But, assuming that you're not interested in becoming an entomologist, let's zero in on what is most important. Let's break down the "types" of spiders you can expect to see in your yard.

• Web-building spiders create unsightly webs on the exterior of your home and in your landscaping. In their webs are tiny egg sacs containing hundreds of spider eggs. If you want fewer spiders attempting to get into your home, it is best to remove webs and destroy egg sacs.
• Spiders that don't build webs often hide in holes. Inside those holes, they lay eggs. You can reduce these spiders by filling in holes and removing harborage options, particularly near your foundation.
• Spiders that like to live indoors often start as outside spiders. These spiders want to live in your home, so you have to take time to seal gaps and cracks, and fix screen damage to keep them out.
• Some indoor spiders will get into your home by hitchhiking. They can hide in used furniture and other objects with hollow voids within. Inspect used items before bringing them into your home.
• Outdoor spiders are the spiders that don't want to live inside your home. Your home is far too dry for them. You'll find these spiders in your landscaping, flower beds, and garden.

These are the general spiders you can expect to see in your yard. The spiders that prefer to live outdoors are far easier to keep out of your home. The spiders that enter your Katy home and stay permanently are deterred with exclusion work. In general, all spiders are deterred by removing webs, filling in holes, and removing objects they can hide inside.      

The Harm That Spiders Could Cause

You may have noticed that there was one type of spider missing from our list of spiders. What about venomous spiders in Katy? What can you expect from them? We only have two spiders that are considered a health concern in our region. They are widow spiders and recluse spiders.

Widow Spiders: These come in two colors. We have black widow spiders and brown widow spiders. Both are venomous. If you are bitten by a widow spider, you will have localized pain and may have medical symptoms that are similar to what you would experience with the flu or food poisoning. The good news is that widow spiders are outside spiders. They rarely get into homes permanently.

Recluse Spiders: There are several recluse species. The one that gets the most press is the brown recluse spider. But you should know that all recluse spiders have venom that is considered harmful to humans. A bite from a recluse spider can lead to a spread of necrosis, which is what causes the disfiguring wounds you may have seen on the internet. What's worse is that recluse spiders can do well inside homes. These spiders can grow a population of thousands within indoor environments.

Before we continue on, we would like to point out that these spiders aren't looking to bite you. There are also simple steps you can take to avoid having one of these spiders bite you.

You can avoid contact with black and brown widow spiders by using caution when performing yard work, and by wearing gloves. If you go into a dark void, use a flashlight to check for spiders first. If you see a web made of strong fibers, it is likely a web created by a widow spider. Consider the locations these spider prefer to hide, such as brush piles, stacks of wood, and voids underneath exterior structures.

Brown recluse spiders are reclusive. You can have many of them in your home and never see them. Be cautious when going into attic spaces and storage rooms and you'll significantly reduce the risk of having on of these spiders bite you. Here are a few more tips:

• Shake shoes out before slipping your feet into your footwear.
• Examine shirts and towels before using them, just in case a spider is clinging to them.
• Examine boxes taken out of storage. If you see rips or damage, be cautious when opening these boxes.
• Remove skirting from beds and make sure covers don't hang down far enough to touch the floor.
• Pull beds out away from the walls so a recluse spider doesn't accidentally climb onto the bed from the wall.
• Refrain from having your bed directly underneath a ceiling vent to prevent a spider from repelling down into your bed at night by accident.

Widow and recluse spiders have bad reputations, but you don't need to fear them. While we certainly recommend taking action as soon as you detect either of these spiders in or around your home, you are not likely to be in immediate danger. We hope this provides some comfort as you wait for help to arrive. 

How And Why House Spiders Come Inside

Most of the spiders that get into Katy homes are harmless. If you want to keep these spiders out, you need to understand how they enter your home in the first place and take steps to keep them from using these routes. We discussed how spiders can hitchhike into your home and that checking furniture can help you keep them out. We touched on the fact that they also enter homes through cracks and gaps. Let's drill down a little further and look at a few specific ways an outdoor spider can take up residence in your home.

When spiders hatch, they start life as tiny spiderlings. These spiders can easily enter your home in large numbers through the tiniest of cracks. The good news is that most of them will not survive inside your home when they get inside. Unfortunately, some do. The spiders that survive find food sources in your home and mature into adults. Imagine if your home didn't have a food source for spiders. What would happen? None of those spiderlings would survive. A year-round pest control plan keeps insects out of your home and removes the food spiders need for survival. Along with this, routine visits from a technician and spider web removal around your home will further reduce the chances of an indoor spider infestation. These are good reasons to contact us to learn about year-round pest control service in Katy.

Adult spiders are larger and easier to exclude. If you use a caulking gun to fill in gaps around pipes and window frames and work hard to repair screens and seal your exterior doors, you can deter spiders from getting into your home. A year-round pest control service plan can also keep spiders out by applying a barrier to your exterior. Routine liquid applications make it hard for spiders and insects to live near your home. Dust applications can provide extra protection to keep pests out of wall voids. On top of this, an IPM-trained technician will use smart, eco-friendly solutions to keep pests out, such as applying professional-grade materials to seal potential entry points.

What's The Best Way To Get Rid Of Spiders In My Home?

If you see common house spiders as a routine, or you see spider webs inside your home, the first step in spider control is to arrest your indoor infestation. What is the best way to go about doing this? Spider control is a process that requires several products and methods. There is no simple fix. If you partner with All-Safe Pest & Termite, there are a few things you can expect. We will perform an inspection and provide you with insights regarding the spiders in and around your home. We'll outline the products we use and tell how these will address your specific spider control issues. We'll also tell you what we'll do to prevent future spider problems and help you maintain a spider-free home.

If you're in Katy, Texas, contact All-Safe Pest & Termite today to schedule a service visit or contact us to get advice about your pest concerns. We're here to help and guide you toward the solutions that work best for you!   

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