We usually have hot and humid summers here in Memphis and short and mild winters. With these conditions, a wide range of spiders can thrive in this area all year long. If you have a spider problem in your home, Chief Termite and Pest Control, Inc. knows how to help. We have been providing pest control in Memphis for over six decades and can identify and eliminate all the spiders from your home.

What Are Spiders Good For?

Spiders may look scary, but they are quite beneficial. They are predators that eat a variety of bugs and can help keep your home insect-free. Some of the ways that spiders can be helpful include the following:

• They act as a natural pesticide around your garden.
• They play an important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
• They eliminate dangerous disease-carrying insects around your home.

Spiders act as both the predator and prey. While they will eat various insects around your house, there are some animals that like to eat spiders. Some of the common types of predators that spiders deal with include birds and lizards.

Do All Spiders Bite?

There are more than 40 different spider species in Tennessee alone. Most spiders are able to bite people. However, most of the spiders in this area do not want to bite humans. Many of the spiders are non-aggressive and will only bite if they feel extremely threatened. If a spider does bite you, there is a good chance that it will have venom that is considered non-toxic to humans. There are only two spiders in Memphis considered dangerous to humans; the brown recluse and the black widow.

The brown recluse spider is about the size of a quarter and has a light brown body with a dark marking in the shape of a violin on its back. If a brown recluse bites you, you could experience nausea, fever, and weakness. You may also notice that the pain around the bite gets worse over the course of the first eight hours. The skin around the bite site may start to turn purple which signals that the tissue is dying.

The black widow spider has a shiny black and round body with a red-orange marking on its abdomen in the shape of an hourglass. Only female black widows pose a threat to humans. Male black widows usually have brown bodies and a less venomous bite.

Four Tips To Prevent Spiders From Coming Inside

Even if the spiders in your home are not dangerous, they can still be quite a nuisance. To keep spiders outside where they belong, try these easy tips:

• Seal off any cracks or gaps around your home.
• Make sure there are no holes or gaps in the screens outside your doors and windows.
• Keep the grass in your yard cut short.
• Remove any cardboard boxes and other clutter that can act as a hiding spot for spiders.

If you want to keep the spiders out of your home, you will also need to take proactive steps to keep insects out as well. Make sure to keep your dry food in an airtight container. Also, sweep and wipe up any food crumbs lying around your house.

The Best Way To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Home

If you have spiders in your Memphis home, it could signal a bigger problem. At Chief Termite and Pest Control, Inc., we know how to identify dangerous spiders and eliminate all spiders from your house. Give us a call today for a free quote!