What is your first thought when you see a spider inside your home? Do you instinctively run away? Do you try to get a closer look to see if it might be dangerous? Are you brave enough to pick it up and bring it outside where it belongs? Everyone reacts differently to spiders; the ones who have less fear are the ones who know which spiders are dangerous and which could only hurt a fly. One spider you should be able to identify is the black widow. Here is everything you need to know about this dangerous house pest.
Identifying Black Widows
The good news is, black widow spiders are not hard to identify. For one, they are a bit bigger than your average house spider and can grow to upwards of one and a half inches long. In addition to this, a black widow spider is jet black and has a red hourglass shape on the underside of its bulbous abdomen. Inside homes, these pests will build irregular webs in the corners of rooms, usually near the ground. These webs are typically never bigger than one foot in diameter.
Why Do Black Widows Invade
Unlike most other pests, spiders have no need for the warmth a home provides. They have a type of antifreeze in their system, which keeps them alive through the coldest months of winter. The main reason spiders invade homes is to find food. For a black widow, food is any buzzing, crawling, or hopping insect or arachnid. If your house has a problem with cockroaches, flies, centipedes, crickets, or ants, spiders will be around as well.
The Dangers Of Black Widows
Black widows are not as dangerous as you think they are. There is a less than one percent chance of fatality associated with this spider’s bite. However, a bite from one of these pests is not welcome. A black widow bite is extremely uncomfortable and often leads to symptoms such as muscle cramps, chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, sweating, severe pain, headache, restlessness, stupor, and shock. If you believe a black widow may have bitten you, seek medical attention immediately to reduce any severe symptoms.
How Do Black Widows Get Into Los Angeles County Homes
Pests like spiders cannot get into a home unless there is a crack, gap, or opening for them to crawl or fly through. Here are just a few ways spiders find their way into homes here in South Pasadena:
- Beneath doors
- Around damaged or loose weatherstripping
- Through open windows and doors
- Through a gap or crack in its foundation
- Through a rip or tear in a window or door screen
- Hidden inside a used piece of furniture
The best way to prevent black widow spiders is to seal your home properly. Do this by using a caulking gun to fill in gaps and cracks in your exterior foundation. Repair damaged or improperly installed window and door screens. Replace old weatherstripping. Install door sweeps. And, keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. Also, prevent the pests that spiders hunt from invading by eliminating moisture issues, keeping your home clean, and turning off exterior lights at night.
If you would like there to be no chance of a black widow getting into your South Pasadena home, your best option is professional pest control. At Kat’s Pest Solution, we offer pest management services in Los Angeles to eliminate and prevent spiders and the other pests they invade to hunt. Let us help you find your freedom from a wide range of annoying, dangerous, and destructive pests.
Trust Kat’s today with your pest problems. Reach us by phone or through our website if you have any questions or would like to schedule a service visit for your South Pasadena property. Learn more about our Los Angeles home pest control and commercial pest control service offerings.