Parent Talk / December 2006
Spider Patrol
Spiders are a great benefit to gardens, yards and even homes. They are nature’s check and balance system for many bothersome insects, from flies to certain moths. But, they are spiders after all, and there is just something a little creepy about even a helpful spider. Some are also capable of painful or toxic bites, like the brown recluse spider.
Brown recluse spiders generally occupy dark, undisturbed sites, and they can occur indoors or outdoors. In favorable habitats, their populations are usually dense. They thrive in human-altered environments. Indoors, they may be found in attics, basements, crawl spaces, cellars, closets, and ductwork or registers. They may seek shelter in storage boxes, shoes, clothing, folded linens, and behind furniture. They also may be found in outbuildings such as barns, storage sheds, and garages. Outdoors, brown recluse spiders may be found underneath logs, loose stones in rock piles, and stacks of lumber.
The brown recluse spider is not aggressive, and normally bites only when disturbed. Some people have been bitten in bed after inadvertently rolling over onto the spider. Others have been bitten after accidentally touching the spider when cleaning storage areas. Some bites occur when people put on seldom used clothing or shoes inhabited by a brown recluse.
To prevent spider bites from good and bad spiders, shake out clothing and shoes that hasn’t been worn in a while before getting dressed.
Inspect bedding and towels before use. Wear gloves when handling firewood, lumber, and rocks and be sure to inspect the gloves for spiders before putting them on. Remove bedskirts and storage boxes from underneath beds. Move the bed away from the wall. Exercise care when handling cardboard boxes since recluse spiders often are found in the space under folded cardboard flaps.
To keep spiders out, install tight-fitting screens on windows and doors along with door sweeps. Seal or caulk cracks and crevices where spiders can enter the house. Install yellow or sodium vapor light bulbs outdoors since these attract fewer insects for spiders to feed upon. Tape the edges of cardboard boxes to prevent spider entry. And, use sealed plastic bags to store loose items in the garage, basement and attic.
Some general housekeeping rules to discourage spiders include removing trash, old boxes, old clothing, wood piles, rock piles, and other unwanted items around the house. Eliminating clutter in closets, basements, attics, garages and outbuildings also will make spiders feel less welcome. Don’t stack wood against the house. It’s also a good idea to clean up dead insects which the brown recluse spider can feed on.
Sticky traps or glueboards can be employed to capture spiders. Use a water hose or broom to regularly destroy webs outside and dust and vacuum inside to remove spiders, webs, and egg sacs. Be sure to dispose of the vacuum bag in a container outdoors.
If a spider does manage to slip in, good journalism may solve the problem. A well aimed rolled-up newspaper is the traditional solution to an offending spider.
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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