Lewisville's Handy Handbook To Spider Identification

They're creepy. They're crawly. And they hide in the dark places of your home. They can surprise you when you go up into your attic to get a box out of storage. They can jump you when you turn the light on in the bathroom and find one sitting in the sink. They create webs for you to walk through on your way down to do laundry in your basement. It is unsettling to live with spiders, and yet, most homes have them. Does your home have spiders? If so, it is likely that you have one of the following spiders. Here's what you need to know about them if you live in Lewisville, Texas.

Common House Spiders

While there are many species of spiders that are considered common house spiders, there is only one spider that is called the common house spider. It is also called the American house spider. If you have these spiders in your Lewisville home, there are a few things you can expect.

These small spiders are visually hairless and are around 6 mm in length.
They come out at night to crawl around your home.
They can bite. But bites only result in an itchy red welt.
They prefer to create webs in high places or in areas that flying insects fly around in.
They tend several webs at one time.

Wolf Spiders

These mid-sized, hairy spiders are between 10 and 35 mm in length.
They have great eyesight and they hunt for prey in dark, secluded locations.
They prefer ground prey such as beetles and cockroaches.
They do not create webs to catch prey.
They prefer areas that are damp.
A wolf spider bite can feel like a bee sting but doesn't come with other symptoms.

Jumping Spiders

These spiders are thick and hairy, and range in size from 3 to 19 mm in length.
They can jump 50 times the height of their bodies.
They have great eyesight and they use that eyesight to hunt for prey around your home while you sleep.
They can bite but bites don't result in more than a red welt on the skin.

Long-bodied Cellar Spiders

It is important to point out that long-bodied cellar spiders are often called daddy longlegs, though they are not. While daddy longlegs are arachnids, they are not spiders.

These spiders are around 6 to 9 mm in length. Their long legs make them look as big as 40 mm in width.
They prefer cellars and basements.
They don't bite.
They create tangled webs in close proximity to the webs of other cellar spiders.

Black Widow Spiders

These black, visually hairless spiders with their red hourglass marking are between 12 to 25 mm in length.
They prefer to be outside in brush piles and hiding in landscaping.
When black widows get inside, they create webs in still and secluded places.
The webs of a black widow are made with strong threads.
The webs of a black widow look tangled but they are intricately woven to catch the particular prey these spiders hunt for.
They often hang in the center of their webs upside down.
A bite from a black widow spider is rarely life-threatening but it can make you very sick. It is best to seek immediate medical assistance when bitten.

Brown Recluse Spiders

These brown, visually hairless spiders with their dark brown violin markings are about 6 to 12 mm in length.
They create tangled webs near the ground.
They prefer secluded locations.
They may hide in shoes.
Infestations of brown recluse spiders have been found to be in the thousands.
Most recluse bites do not lead to a spread of necrosis but it is a serious threat, and all bites should be monitored by a medical professional.

If you see any of these spiders or their webs inside your home, consider reaching out to Adams Exterminating. We offer professional pest control services to get rid of these spiders and keep them out of your Lewisville home. Life is a whole lot better without all those spiders around!