Their hunting habits and weaving ways play an important role in Arizona’s ecosystem. Our pest problems here in Phoenix and Tucson would be out of control without hungry arachnids. Still, it’s hard to appreciate these five common spiders when they crawl, jump and spin their way through your home.
Arizona’s Top Five Arachnid Home Invaders
Indoor Campers
Those fuzzy little balls in the corners where walls meet ceilings are actually tiny tents. Sac spiders crawl all around your home at night, and they tuck away into freshly spun sleeping bags when the sun comes up. Their fuzzy homes are a housekeeping annoyance because even when you clean them up, they weave fresh hideaways each morning. They’re also the only spider known to have caused a recall of 50,000 automobiles.
Leaping Athletes
Jumping spiders spring into action and startle unsuspecting homeowners, but they aren’t pouncing into attack mode. The athletic arachnids have evolved with a peculiar transportation mechanism that helps them navigate hardwood floor seams, furniture cushions, window drapes and door moldings. Their nuisance factor jumps up several notches when they molt and build egg cases all over the house.
Interior Decorators
If you love Halloween decorations year-round, you won’t mind an American house spider infestation. These arachnids spin classic webs that would delight Dracula. They like to nest next to each other, so the effect is very dramatic in corners and window frames. The spiders are talented actors too. If you startle them, they roll over and play dead.
Bouncy Dancers
They bob along on impossibly hinged appendages like oddly suspended buttons hanging from the ceiling. Daddy longlegs don’t bite, weave webs or scare anyone. They do enjoy each other’s company in large numbers, and their tendency to cluster magnifies their one bad trait. These spiders smell awful. When they congregate up in the attic and behind the walls, your nose knows.
Dangerous Loners
Their shiny black bodies with red hour-glass markings set off alarms for good reason. Black widow spiders are very venomous and deliver a potent bite. Their reclusive nature keeps them out of sight in closet corners and crawl spaces, but that can increase the chances of an accidental encounter in the dark. Black widow infestations should be treated by pest elimination professionals.
Male vs. Female
Male and female spiders can vary greatly in both appearance and behavior depending on the species, making identifying spiders particularly challenging. It’s best to not take any chances when it comes to handling spiders for the sake of you and your family’s safety. A pest control professional can identify and treat any spider species that may be lurking around your home.
If you notice a few spiders in the house and think of the arachnids as natural pest control specialists, we understand. When the webs begin to turn your home into a horror movie set, you probably need help. We’re always here for you at Burns Pest Elimination. We know that sometimes eight legs are just too many.
