Are House Spiders Dangerous?

a common house spider climbs up the wall

When you see a spider in your house, the first thing you probably do is ask yourself if it’s dangerous. There are more than four thousand spider species in North America, and while most are harmless to humans, a few are venomous enough to pose a threat. Here in the greater St. Louis area where we operate, the species you’re most likely to encounter in your home is the common house spider, also known as the American house spider.

What Does the Common House Spider Look Like? 

Common house spiders have drab coloring overall: yellowish, tan, brown, or gray, with darker mottling or streaks. They have a round abdomen, with bodies that are higher than they are long, and usually include streaks on the side and V-shapes behind. Often, a whitish patch can be seen just behind the highest point of the abdomen. Their legs are usually ringed with a dark color. Females can range in length from 1/8″ to 3/8″ (not including legs). Males are smaller, typically only 1/8″. 

Where Do House Spiders Live?

You can find the common house spider throughout the United States and southern Canada. They appreciate quiet, undisturbed areas where food and moisture are available. Gardens, basements, attics, barns, and sheds are some examples, but they’re not limited to those areas–they can be found pretty much anywhere. During the day, they like to reside in the safety of their webs. Their webs can be messy and asymmetrical with spirals of silk originating from a central point. Left alone, house spiders can live indoors for as long as seven years. Outside, female spiders die in the cold and males rarely live longer than a year.

Do House Spiders Bite Humans and Are They Dangerous?

House spiders are generally shy around humans. They prefer to run, hide, or play dead when they feel threatened. They likely will not go out of their way to attack, but if you do get bit, their bites are relatively harmless with just minor swelling and redness.

House spiders are not very dangerous at all, but people consider them a nuisance for the unsightly webs they leave or because they give them heeby-jeebies. If you’re considering house spider removal, it’s worthwhile to consider the benefits a house spider brings to a house. They help control the population of other household pests. Flies, mosquitoes, wasps, cockroaches, beetles and many others are all on the menu. So while you may not like seeing a spider in your home, it’s much more likely to help than hurt you.

Prevent House Spiders from Getting In

Spiders are everywhere and if they want to get into your house, it’s difficult to stop them. However, we do have a few helpful tips for minimizing the number of house spiders who call your house home.

  • Keep the outside of your home tidy: Spiders often congregate around building exteriors. Removing firewood, stacked items, and debris away from the foundation helps reduce indoor migration. Shrubs, vines, and tree limbs touching the house should also be trimmed back since these afford spiders a convenient bridge to the structure. 
  • Seal cracks and crevices: Inspect your home’s exterior, paying attention to any cracks or crevices around doors and windows. These openings provide an easy way for spiders to get inside. Seal them with caulk or weatherstripping.
  • Keep your house clean: A tidy house is less attractive to spiders than a cluttered one. Regularly sweeping and vacuuming will help to remove spider webs, eggs, and insects that spiders feed on. In addition, keep food stored properly in sealed containers to avoid attracting pests because pests will attract spiders.

Trusted Spider Exterminators in St. Louis

Still want to get rid of the spiders in your home? It may be time to call a professional spider exterminator.

Blue Chip Pest Services has been your local spider pro in St. Louis since 1971. Contact us today for a free quote!

10 Fun Facts About Spiders

A spider in St. Louis MO - Blue Chip Pest Services

Here at Blue Chip Pest Services, we have helped many customers with a crippling fear of spiders. We believe that if more people knew what spiders were really like, they wouldn’t be afraid of them, they’d actually be fascinated! There are many kinds of spiders living in St. Louis MO, but we’re a lot better off than we would be if there weren’t any. With no spiders to take care of insects in the area, we’d be overrun with bugs! Read on to learn more about interesting spider facts from our spider control team.

10 Facts About Spiders

  1. They’re all over the place: At any given point, you’re probably no more than 10 feet from the closest spider! While this freaks some people out, there’s really no cause for alarm—most spiders prefer to stay out of sight.
  2. There are thousands of different spiders: Over 35,000 different species have been identified, and experts believe that there are thousands more yet to be found. We have observed an incredible extent of variation in size, features, and habitats across spider species worldwide.
  3. Some spiders like to dance: As part of their mating ritual, many spiders perform a dance involving scuttling movements and frantic arm-waving.
  4. Male spiders give gifts: To supplement their courting process, male spiders will often wrap up a fly or some other insect in silk to give to a female. However, some spiders get caught wrapping up leaves and other junk.
  5. Female spiders are hostile: Many species of spiders’ females will eat or bite off the head of the male during, after, or before an attempt at copulation. That’s how black widows got their name!
  6. Most spider bites don’t hurt: Only a select few spiders are capable of seriously endangering humans with their bites. The vast majority of spiders don’t have enough venom to even cause us considerable pain.
  7. Spider silk is a liquid: Spider silk only becomes solidified when it is released into the air. Before that point, it is stored as a liquid in a special spinning gland.
  8. Spider silk is very strong: Spider silk only seems flimsy because of the density of the webs that spiders spin. It is actually 5 times stronger than steel!
  9. Spider webs have many purposes: Spiders don’t just build webs as hunting tools, they also spin webs as nests that come in many shapes and sizes. Some spiders also use long strands of silk for transportation, whether crawling along them or using them to float through the air.
  10. Their muscles work differently than ours: Spiders can only retract their muscles inward, not push them back out. To extend their legs, they have to force a fluid through them that pushes them out.

Spider Control Experts in St. Louis MO

Although most spiders in St. Louis are friendly, there are a few that you have to be careful around, like the brown recluse and the black widow. Additionally, we understand that having a spider infestation in your house can be unsettling, even if the ones you have aren’t venomous. If you need help getting rid of spiders on your property, reach out to the spider exterminators at Blue Chip Pest Services today for a free quote!

5 Tips For Controlling Spiders in Your House

Spider control tips for St Louis MO homes - Blue Chip Pest Services

Most spiders are harmless, yet arachnids are the most feared of all pests. Despite their reputation for being scary, most spiders want nothing to do with you whatsoever. Regardless, no one wants to deal with these pests crawling around your home. For that reason, it’s important to learn what you can do to keep spiders out of your St. Louis MO home in the first place. The spider control experts at Blue Chip Pest Services are here to share their top spider control and prevention tips—read on to learn more!

5 Best Spider Control Tips

1. Don’t Use Store-Bought Insecticides

Many store-bought spider repellents are just sprays that you can apply around your home. Spiders don’t drag their bodies when they move, so they can step over insecticide. And because they don’t have a circulatory system that will carry the chemical from their feet to their organs, and they don’t groom themselves as insects do, that method won’t be effective. When using this method, it’s important to focus your efforts around spider hotspots, such as on the surface of entry points to keep the pests out.

2. Get Rid of Other Insects

Spiders eat other insects in your home. So, by eliminating those other insects, you will in turn naturally cut down on the spider population. Preventing other insects in the home includes keeping a clean, tidy home free of clutter. Other insects are attracted to crumbs in your kitchen as well as water leaks or plumbing problems. Always address any repairs that need to be made in your home.

3. Caulk Cracks and Crevices

Spiders can crawl indoors through the tiniest of openings. Caulk is an easy way to seal the tiny cracks and crevices that spiders and other insects get inside your home through. Simply inspect your home for any obvious openings around your doors, windows, and garage before applying the caulk.

4. Adjust Your Light Sources

Because insects are attracted to light, and spiders eat insects, you’ll likely find webs and spiders near light sources that attract their prey. Some spiders jump, others run, others sit still in their web and let prey come to them. Regardless, it’s smart to keep an eye on your outdoor and indoor light sources to ensure spiders haven’t built webs.

5. Use Sticky Traps

Consider using sticky traps and glue boards in dark quiet places: closets, between pieces of furniture, and walls. In general, if you trap the spider’s prey, you’ll catch the spider, too. Sticky traps aren’t the most reliable control option, but they can provide at least a bit of relief from spider problems in your home.

Ready For Professional Spider Control?

DIY spider control methods sometimes simply aren’t enough. If you are noticing endless webs on your property or an increasing amount of spiders crawling around, it’s time to get professional help. At Blue Chip, our spider exterminators work to determine how spiders are getting indoors in the first place. From there, we will implement spider control and prevention methods to keep these creepy crawlers away from your home for good.

Why Are There Bugs in My Bathroom?

Spiders are a common bathroom bug in St. Louis - Blue Chip Pest Control

The last thing you want to see when you’re in the shower or brushing your teeth is a cockroach scuttling across the tiled floor nearby. Unfortunately, all sorts of bugs are attracted to bathrooms! Many types of pests are drawn to bathrooms for a variety of reasons: humidity, moisture, and—best of all—plenty of hiding spaces. To avoid the discovery of creepy, crawling insects in the comfort of your own bathroom, it’s important to know not only how to identify these common bugs, but also how to get rid of them for good. The experts at Blue Chip Pest Services are here to help—keep reading to learn all about common bathroom bugs in your St. Louis MO home.

Why Does My Bathroom Have Pests?

Bugs and pests of all kinds are drawn to bathrooms mostly due to the moisture. Many insects are drawn toward humid, moist environments—so what better place than a steamy bathroom? Leaky pipes, showers, and sinks provide precisely the environment many pests require to survive and reproduce. Your bathroom can also provide insects with plenty of food options. Humid, even moldy areas provide sustenance for some pests. Lastly, a dark bathroom can provide ample shelter for many insects and pests. Whether they’re dwelling in your cupboards or beneath your sink, there could be more bugs hiding in your bathroom than you’d think.

Common Bathroom Insects

No one wants to share their bathroom with insects. Unfortunately, your bathroom is likely a haven for insect problems! The most common pest problems in bathrooms include the following insects.

  1. Silverfish. These nocturnal insects are typically found around sewers or drains, and prefer to feed on mildew and mold.
  2. Ants. A small ant problem can quickly turn into a large one if ants have found a source of food or water in your bathroom.
  3. Cockroaches. Roaches love filth and feed on sewer and drain sludge. They easily get into your bathroom through plumbing fixtures.
  4. Centipedes. These long, spindly insects feed on other small insects that are common in bathrooms, and love a humid environment.
  5. Drain Flies. True to name, drain flies are found around drains. They often appear when there is a plumbing problem in the main sewer line.
  6. Spiders. As predators, spiders like to prey on the smaller insects often found in your bathroom areas.

How to Get Rid of Bathroom Bugs

If you want to prevent bathroom pests, you need to ensure your bathroom is less suited for their dwelling! Always ensure you do not have any leaky pipes or plumbing issues that are contributing to the humid, moist environment. Consider using a dehumidifier from time to time to aid in this process. Lastly, clean your bathroom on a regular basis! Reduce any clutter in your drawers and cupboards, and make sure to prevent any mold or mildew.

If you’ve done all you can to prevent bathroom bugs but are still dealing with roaches, ants, or another pest, it’s time to call an expert. At Blue Chip, we can help get rid of bathroom bugs in your home for good. Contact us today to get started!