Spiders

Most people have a strong fear of spiders - the eight-legged creatures that quietly spin webs in the corners of room, between wood slats on your back deck or around the door frame of your shed. But even though these pests are considered predatory, they rarely seek out human prey. In fact, most spiders come in contact with humans only accidentally. Their primary target is insects, or other spiders.

Spiders are the largest class of arachnids and are 7th in species diversity among all other organisms. They also have the most centralized nervous system of all arthropods. There are a wide variety of spiders, ranging from the most widely feared Black Widow to the harmless and helpful Garden Spiders.

With the exception of the House Spider, Domestic House Spider and Hobo Spider, most spiders prefer to make their homes outdoors. Even the House Spider prefers crawl spaces, basements and attics over the general living space of homes.

But for the spiders that do make it indoors, it's important to keep an eye out the ones that can leave a nasty bite. Follow these easy steps to keep spiders

• Install tight-fitting screens on all windows; also on vents leading to your crawl space or attic
• Seal holes around pipes so spiders can't use plumbing lines to enter your home
• Use a powerful vacuum with an extender piece to remove visible cobwebs from the upper and lower corners of rooms. Also, regularly vacuum all corners, behind and beneath furniture and beneath rugs to remove spiders, webs, eggs and the bugs spiders feed on.
• Don't leave clothes on the floor and store shoes in shoeboxes. If your home has had a spider infestation, shake clothes vigorously prior to dressing.
• Keep bed frames a safe distance from walls.
• Make sure bed skirts and comforters aren't long enough to touch the floor.

Outdoors:

• Seal cracks or holes in your home's exterior
• Remove thick vegetation near the foundation of your home
• Wear heavy work gloves and thick boots when moving items that have been sitting for a while in garages and sheds.
• Use yellow bug light bulbs or leave outdoor lights off at night so you won't attract the bugs spiders like to eat.
• Also, keep garage doors and commercial overhead doors shut tight to keep out these bugs.

Following these tips will help reduce the number of spiders in and around your home. Of course, your best defense against spider invasions is to get a comprehensive pest control plan. Terminix can help control spider infestations with advanced treatment solutions.

Types of spiders

To learn more about the types of spiders, use the list below as a guide to look up each one.

• Black Widow Spider
• Brown Recluse Spider
• Cellar Spider
• Crab Spider
• Domestic House Spider
• Funnelweb Spider
• Garden Spider
• Ground Spider
• Hobo Spider
• House Spider
• Jumping Spider
• Spiny-backed Orb Weaver Spider
• Tarantula
• Wolf Spider
• Yellow Sac Spider