Spider Control in Utica, NY

Are the spiders in my house dangerous?

Most are not. Most house spiders are harmless to people, and a bite is rare. A technician identifies the species and explains the risk, and anyone with concerns is referred to a medical professional.

Spiders are often feared out of proportion to the risk they pose. The common spiders found in houses are shy, do not seek contact with people and rarely bite. A bite is usually mild, and most cause only local redness. The technician can say whether a species found in the home is one that needs closer attention.

A homeowner who is bitten, or who sees a spider they cannot identify and that is causing symptoms, should seek medical advice. The technician can take a specimen for identification, and the advice given on the phone is that of a general pest service rather than a medical one.

Why do spiders keep returning to the same corner?

Because the corner is sheltered, has insects to catch and has a web-friendly structure. Clearing the web does not remove the reason the spider chose the corner.

Spiders build where the air moves little, the light is dim and there is something to catch. A corner by a window, under a shelf or behind a stored box meets all three, and a spider that is removed from it will often be replaced by another that moves in from nearby.

The technician looks at why the corner was chosen. A light near a door, a pile of clutter or a gap in the frame can be the reason, and those are the things the homeowner is asked to change. Without that change, the corner tends to be used again.

How do insects in the house affect the spider population?

Directly. Spiders feed on insects, so a house with insects in it has more spiders. Reducing the insects is part of reducing the spiders.

Exterior lights draw moths and flies, and the spiders that live near the house move in to feed on them. A porch light left on all night is often the reason webs appear beside the door. Switching to a yellow or warm light, or moving the light away from the door, reduces that draw.

Indoors, the same logic applies. Crumbs, pet food and spilled liquids attract insects, and the spiders follow. The advice given on the visit covers those sources, and the homeowner is asked to change the ones that are easy to reach.

• Move exterior lights away from doors or use warm, low-intensity bulbs
• Clean up crumbs and spills that draw flying insects indoors
• Clear clutter from the basement, garage and shed
• Seal the gaps around door and window frames

What should a homeowner do about egg sacs?

Leave them to the technician to remove. Egg sacs are often hidden in corners and behind objects, and disturbing them without care can release the young into the room.

An egg sac contains many eggs, and the young spiders can disperse quickly. The technician removes the sacs in a way that keeps the young contained and disposes of them properly. A homeowner who finds egg sacs should note the location and avoid touching them.

Egg sacs are a sign that the spider population is established in that spot. Removing them is part of the job, and the treatment and habitat changes are what keep new sacs from appearing.

Does a spider visit include exterior treatment?

It can. The perimeter is treated where the spiders gather around the house, such as the door frames, the window frames and the eaves. The technician explains what is included on the first visit.

The exterior is treated where the spiders are active, and the treatment is placed in cracks, the edges of the foundation and the frames of doors and windows. The yard is not sprayed across its whole area, because the spiders that live in the yard are usually not the ones that come indoors.

The technician records any gaps in the exterior that let spiders and insects in, and the homeowner decides whether to seal them. Those gaps are part of the same advice as the lighting and clutter, and together they reduce the spider population.