Spiders are rarely ever a welcome guest in homes, and many of them cause painful bites that are harmful to humans and pets. While many bites are very painful, few of them are venomous and cause serious symptoms to humans. Two well-known and dangerous spiders with venomous bites are the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse. Both spiders are common to Nevada and can cause serious issues to those who have been bitten by them.

Black widow spider bites can cause severe symptoms and should be immediately treated by medical professionals. Symptoms can begin to occur 30 minutes to an hour after being bitten, and include experiences like chills, headache, nausea & vomiting, muscle cramps, high blood pressure, and swelling around the area.

The bite of a Brown Recluse is extremely dangerous. These spiders have extremely venomous bites that can cause deep ulcers at the site of the bite. While the bite may actually not hurt much at first, serious symptoms can set in within 24 hours. Symptoms include a deep sore, fever, chills, nausea, and in severe cases, seizures.

Spiders tend to hide in places that homeowners don’t frequently check. This means they may hide out in your garage, attic, behind furniture, or in a dark closet. While they prefer to be outside and out-of-sight, they can also be seen travelling across your floors and walls when moving throughout your home. Outside, spiders tend to stick to hard-to-reach-places like under rocks, logs, and in trees.

There are several types of spiders that you may find in your home, each of them having distinguishing characteristics.
Male and female black widow spiders differ in appearance. Female black widows, which are known to eat their male mates, can grow up to twice the size of male black widows at 1.5 inches. Females have red hour-glass shaped patches on their abdomens while male can have red or pink spots on their back-sides.

The bite of brown recluse spiders is especially venomous due to their necrotic venom. If bitten, you should seek medical help immediately.
Brown recluse spiders have distinct characteristics that make them stand out from other spiders. These pests are often known as “fiddle-back spiders” due to their markings. Brown recluse spiders have violin-shaped markings on their backs that point to their abdomen. These spiders can be brown or tan in color, and often grow to ¾ inch in size.

While wolf spiders produce a venom that allows them to paralyze their prey, their venom is not especially harmful to humans. Their bites are comparable to a bee sting in terms of the level of pain and irritation caused by the bite. Wolf spiders are known to be shy pests that are much more scared of humans than we are of them. These spiders can be brownish or grayish in color, and can gro up to 2 inches in length. These spiders often appear hairy critters, which make them look even more creepy!

Spiders regularly inhabit homes as they accompany unknowing homeowners into their properties, attached to their clothes, furniture, or other goods. Once a spider has been sited in your home it is a good idea to get rid of it before it has a chance to mate and make your home a nesting ground. Here are a few precautions that will help homeowners keep their properties spider-free:

Regularly vacuum and clean your home. Regularly disposing of webs and egg sacs that are found in your home can help you keep spiders away. While you may not always spot the spider, getting rid of its webs and eggs will allow you to prevent more spiders from appearing.

Keep the outside of your home well-maintained. Spiders love to hide outdoors, and having poorly maintained grass, bushes, and trees give these creepy-crawlies more spaces to hide. Keeping the exterior of your home tidy will help you spot these pests before they get the chance to make it into your home.

Use spidercide! If you notice a loan spider crawling through your home, use spidercide or another spray to get rid of the spider and any accompanying spider-friends. If you notice a large amount of spider, it is best to call a pest control company to spray your home and create a “pest barrier” to keep these 8-legged-invaders away.

We know that sometimes pests don’t come alone. If you’re dealing with other bugs, click here to view our general pest control page for a brief list of a few other pests we control. Don’t see a pest on the list that’s invading your home? Give us a call anyways! Our Power Sprayer treatment controls 70+ other common pests.