The great state of Texas is home to over 360 species of insects, pests, and bugs. Among them, spiders represent a large category, with around 40 species which build their webs all around the state. The good thing is that almost all of them are inoffensive (although spider bites are not pleasant at all). However, Texas is also the home of two frightening spiders: the Black Widow Spider and the Brown Recluse Spider. Many homeowners don’t even imagine meeting such enemies on their own turf, but our pest control Wylie, TX experts think it’s always better to prevent than to treat. This is why today our pest control Wylie, TX specialists and their lawn care Frisco, TX colleagues talk about these two pests and give you a short guide on how to stay away from them and how to control them.

Recognition and Localization

The Black Widow

  • Lives both indoors and outdoors – in rather undisturbed places such as wood piles, boxes, under eaves and unmanaged storage outdoor spaces.
  • The female Black Widow is large, pitch black, has a globular abdomen and a yellowish / reddish hourglass on its underside
  • The male Black Widow is smaller, brown, nondescript and gets eaten by the female after mating

The Brown Recluse

  • They live indoors (in the dark, in garages or attics, between boards, boxes, old clothes, and towels) or outdoors (boxes, storage rooms, wood piles, undisturbed areas)
  • They are golden brown in color and feature a black (or dark brown) fiddle-shaped pattern on their heads.

Neither the Black Widow nor the Brown Recluse attack by themselves, but they will bite if accidentally disturbed or threatened. Their venom is characterized as a neurotoxin which leads to severe systemic reactions and sometimes death (in the case of the Black Widow). The most vulnerable to their venom are children, pets, and older adults.

Black Widow and Brown Recluse Pest Control

Our pest control Wylie, TX experts consider that prevention is the best way to never encounter one of these two spiders on your property. As general pest control actions, you might want to consider:

  • Trim weeds and mow grasses and turf on your property
  • Clean debris and make sure you keep up with your fall leaves clean-up schedule
  • Keep all storage rooms, garage and outdoor buildings clean and free from debris or piles of things
  • Manage carefully your outdoor lighting to attract few insects, as spiders feed on them.
  • Install insect repellents and plant scented herbs to keep pests at bay
  • Seal cracks and mend your house infrastructure to keep spiders from entering your home
  • Use gloves and shoes when gardening or when involved in lawn management activities and watch out for spider webs
  • Not all spiders are harmful, so try to learn which crawler is which, differentiating the friends from the foes

Always call your local pest control Wylie, TX experts to apply chemical control and implement a pest controlling program on your property, as it is always better to be safe than sorry.