Much like ants, spiders have important ecological purposes. They serve as scavengers by cleaning up dead organisms, and they serve as an ideal food source for many lizards, anteaters, and other insects.

Regardless of how you feel about spiders, you don’t want them in your home. Stomp Pest Control provides comprehensive spider pest control services in and around the Raleigh area as part of our standard pest control packages. Contact us today to rid your home or business of spiders and other invasive insects.

5 Signs You May Have a Spider Infestation

Besides actually seeing spiders crawling in your home, there are other signs you may notice that signal you need a spider exterminator.

Spider Webs

Unlike cobwebs that have collected dust in your home, spider webs are being built and can often be seen holding egg sacs. You’ll notice spider webs in the corners of your home, along ceiling beams, and in chandeliers, among other places. When you see these around your home, there’s a good chance you have an active spider infestation. 

Egg Sacs

If you notice egg sacs in any spider webs, there’s likely a spider problem in your home. Look for small white web balls in the corners of your home or near an active spider web. Egg sacs can contain hundreds of baby spiders in just one sac. When they hatch, the babies then build their own nests and lay their own eggs. This process will continue and will only make your spider infestation worse if you don’t seek spider pest control services.

Spider Droppings

You may notice small black dots in the corners of your home if there are spiders around. They may look like small black paint splatters, but they are a sign that you could have a spider problem on your hands. 

Excess Moisture in Your Home

If you have excess moisture in your home, you’re providing the perfect breeding ground for spiders. They love humid and moist environments. Due to their moisture levels, basements are often a favorite spot that spiders like to hide so be sure to check around. 

Bugs & Insects in Your Home

While it’s natural to find a bug or insect in your home from time to time, if you notice a great deal of them, you may have a spider infestation in your home. This is because spiders love to feed on ants, flies, and other little pests. 

If you notice any of these signs in your home, you’ll want to call Stomp Pest Control as soon as possible to find out about our spider extermination services.

How to Prevent Spiders in Your Home

Just because spiders have a handful of environmental benefits does not mean they belong in or around your home. Spiders are plentiful in North Carolina and can be destructive to food and property. They can also introduce diseases and health risks to your home. 

You can take several steps right now to prevent spiders in your home. These include:

  • Sealing cracks and crevices to prevent spiders from crawling in.
  • Cover vents with mesh insect screens.
  • Replace or fix torn window screens.
  • Shut off outdoor lights to prevent attracting other pests that spiders might like to feed on.

You can also try using citrus as a spider deterrent because spiders dislike it very much. Try putting a citrus fruit bowl on your counter or rub citrus peels along windowsills and doorways to keep them out.

Mint is another scent that spiders dislike. You can add peppermint essential oil to water in a spray bottle and spray it in your home. This will not only keep spiders away but also leave your home smelling minty fresh!

If you notice spiders crawling on the outside of your home, try sprinkling cedar blocks and chips. These are often useful in keeping spiders and other insects away.

  • Black Widow Spiders

    • Generally 1 ½ – 1 3/8 inches long
    • Scientific name: Lactrodectus mactans
    • Equipped with 8 legs, and no antenna
    • Females eat males after they mate, which is where their name originated from
    • Round in shape
    • Currently, there are three recognized species of black widow spider found in the United States:
      • The Southern Black Widow (with a scientific name of Latrodectus mactans)
      • The Northern Black Widow (with a scientific name of Latrodectus viriolus)
      • The Western Black Widow Spider (with a scientific name of Latrodectus hesperus)
    • Can range in color from black to dark brown, with a red hourglass shape on its back
    • Most commonly found in protected areas such as firewood piles or under stones or fallen trees. Barns, sheds, crawl spaces, basements, garages, and outhouses are some of their favorite pieces of shelter.
    • Have been known to nest in warm building/area around 80°F (cracks in woodwork, envelopes, bed lines, bandage packs, paper stacks, etc.)
    • Active when the temperature is 70 degrees or higher, can have been known to survive in cooler areas depending on circumstances
    • Spin irregular webs
    • Typically feed on other arachnids and small to medium-sized insects, but have also been known to feed on woodlice and chilopods
    • Nocturnal and build their webs at night, eventually hanging upside-down from them when complete
    • Males have rarely been known to bite, unlike females
    • Females have been known to act aggressively, especially when guarding eggs.
    • Symptoms of a black widow bite can include sweating, nausea, increased blood pressure, and fever
    • Deaths rarely occur, but if bitten, it is imperative that you seek medical attention as soon as possible.
  • Brown Recluse Spiders

    • Generally 1/4 to 1/2 inch long
    • Scientific name: Loxosceles recluse
    • Equipped with 8 legs and no antenna
    • Round in shape
    • Can range in color from tan to dark brown, but most commonly light brown with a dark mark on the back
    • Mostly found in South Central Midwest from Nebraska to Ohio and through Georgia to Texas
    • Most commonly found outdoors under woodpiles, rocks, fallen trees, and lumber yards. They’ve been known to reside in undisturbed areas such as under piles of paper, inside shoes, under furniture, in window molding cracks, and even inside trash bags.
    • Have been known to eat other insects such as cockroaches, crickets, and worms
    • Use their web as a stationary place, rather than an area to catch prey
    • Generally bites in defense of its babies, not instinctively
    • Both male and females can inject venom
    • After bitten by the Brown Recluse, a stinging pain can last 6-8 hours later, a small blister will develop, and restlessness, fever, and troubled sleep are common symptoms
  • Wolf Spiders

    • spider Exterminators Raleigh Females are 3/8 to 1 3/8 inch long, while males are 1/4 to 3/4 inches long
    • Scientific name: Lycosa
    • Equipped with 8 legs and no antenna
    • There are over 100 different types of species of wolf spiders in the United States and Canada
    • Stout in shape with very long and thin legs
    • Can range in color from tan to dark brown, but often lighter with yellowish stripes or markings
    • Can be found throughout most of the United States
    • Do not hunt with webs, unlike most other spiders
    • They are able to crawl very quickly and most commonly hunt insects via crawls, as opposed to using their nests as traps
    • Nocturnal and most commonly rest during the day, thus they’re commonly encountered by people
    • If indoors, they tend to remain at floor level, under furniture or near walls or crevasses
    • If outdoors, they can most commonly be found under timber, firewood, leaves, landscaping material, and stones
    • Have been known to eat other insects and crop pests
    • Generally bites out of self-defense, not instinctively
  • Common House Spiders

    • raleigh spider pest controlFemales are 3/16 to 5/16 inch long, while males are 1/8 to 3/16 inches long
    • Scientific name: Achaearanea tepidariorum
    • Equipped with 8 legs and no antenna
    • The shape of common house spiders is described as having an elongated abdomen
    • Can range in color from yellowish brown to dirty white with numerous dark stripes meeting at an angle
    • Can commonly be found throughout the United States and Canada
    • Randomly selects its web locations and creates a tangled web.
    • If a web does not yield prey, it is left and another site is selected
    • Are unable to survive in new-aged homes due to lack of humidity and food
    • When indoors, they’re most commonly found inside structures such as barns, sheds, warehouses, and garages
    • When outdoors, they’re commonly found around window sills, under rocks and leaves, and anywhere near light sources, where they’re able to hunt prey
    • Have been known to eat other insects and crop pests
    • Unable to bite
  • Jumping Spiders

    • Raleigh Spider ControlAdults range in size from 1/8 inch to 3/4 inches
    • Typically covered by dense hairs or scales
    • Scientific name: Salticidae
    • Equipped with 8 legs and no antenna
    • Second largest spider family
    • There are approximately 4,000 different species of jumping spiders in the world, with roughly 300 different species in the United States
    • Front legs are usually thicker and longer than their back legs
    • The shape of jumping spiders is described as oval-shaped with short legs
    • Can range in color from black to brown, tan, or gray, often with white, yellow, red, blue, or green markings
    • Commonly mistaken for black widows, due to their compact bodies and short legs
    • Can commonly be found throughout the United States
    • Have been known to have the best vision of any spider species
    • Able to jump up to 18 inches, which is primarily how they catch their prey
    • employ a silk as a dragline when they jump, which acts as a safety line
    • Have been known to eat insects and other small crop pests
    • Active primarily during the day, as they prefer sunlight
    • Essentially blind at night, despite having 8 eyes in 3 different rows
    • For indoors, they’re known to reside under furniture, around window sills, in cracked pieces of wood trim
    • For outdoors, they’re known to reside around fallen tree bark, under stones and boards, on bushes fences, decks and along building dumpsters
    • Are unable to survive in new-aged homes due to lack of humidity and food
    • Able to bite, but not poisonous
    • Build webs as retreats, not to catch prey
  • Orb Weaver Spiders

    • Spider Exterminator Raleigh Range in size from 3/8 inches to 1/2 inches
    • Males and females are typically the same sizes
    • Scientific name: Argiope aurantia
    • Equipped with 8 legs and no antenna
    • Third largest spider family in the world
    • Have a lifespan of approximately one year, but reproduce in significant numbers
    • Known for constructing organized, circular, and silky webs that are similar in shape to Halloween decoration webs
    • Webs can measure up to three feet in diameter
    • The shape of common house spiders is described as oval-shaped with short legs
    • Can range in color from reddish-brown to gray, with leaf-shaped patterns on their abdomen
    • May also have a white or off-white dorsal stripe
    • If a web does not yield prey, it is left and another site is selected and the old web is revisited from time-to-time
    • Known as three-clawed builders of flat webs with sticky spiral  capture silk
    • Their webs are primarily where they reside, both day and night
    • Their webs are most commonly built around grass shrubs or near bodies of water, in hope of catching flies and other small to medium-sized insects
    • Usually reluctant to bite, as they have very small fangs
    • Female Orb Weaver Spiders primarily lay their eggs in late summer to the beginning of Autumn
    • Their eggs are encased in a protectant and silky cocoon and are usually attached to foliage
    • After hatching, the baby Orb Weaver spiders disperse by floating in the breeze while attached to small silk strands
    • Birds and wasps are considered predators of Orb Weaver Spiders, as they’ve been known to destroy webs and act as bait by imitating struggling and trapped insects

Contact Stomp Pest Control For Your Spider Extermination Services

At Stomp Pest Control, one of our major goals is to perform a thorough and consistent service that our spider exterminator customers can count on.  Whether your home or business is in Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest, Chapel Hill, Durham, Holly Springs, Apex, or other Triangle locations, you can count on Stomp Pest Control.

The proof of this is in our retention of our customers, and we have received numerous referrals. Contact us today at 919-231-3292 to learn more about The Stomp Difference and how we can eliminate your intruding pests for good!