Spider Prevention: When Are They Most Active?

Spider crawling across floor | Inman-Murphy | Spider Control in TN

Spiders are one of the most prolific fear inducing pests the residents of mid-South TN deal with year-round. Depending on the species, they can be found in window sills, high up in corners, down low in cabinets, in basements, attics, crawl spaces, and spaces left undisturbed for long periods of time.  

Traditionally spiders are thought to be most active in homes in late summer, but this is only true for a few species like the Giant House Spider and the Orb Weaver. Truthfully, spiders are active throughout every season, with each season presenting its own challenges for homeowners. Most species are non-aggressive, harmless to humans, nocturnal, and enter homes in search of their prey. A few species native to mid-South TN are potentially dangerous, making spider pest control an important part of home maintenance.  

Summer  

Summer is not when most spiders are active, but they will find their way into the milder temperatures of your home in search of their food sources as summer brings with it higher pest activity. In summer you are more likely to encounter large balls of Daddy Longlegs along the shady sides of buildings, and this is also when Black Widows are busy laying their eggs. Keep doors closed and repair any damaged screens, or gaps in door frames to ward off summertime invasion.  

Fall  

Surprising to many, fall is the true season of highest spider activity. Springtime eggs have hatched, matured, and are now seeking out mates. Sac Spiders, which typically live in gardens, will find their way inside at this time seeking warmth. Wolf Spiders have been known to enter homes during this season, so we recommend keeping grass mowed and leaf piles disposed of quickly as these are their preferred hunting grounds.  

Winter  

Spiders do not hibernate, and some even produce a glycol compound that acts like antifreeze to help them survive winter. Eggs laid at this time require warmth, so you’ll notice more activity around pipes, under sinks, and extra webbing as they insulate their egg sacs. Southern House Spiders are more apt to grow in numbers during winter, so be sure to dust and clean high spaces, and repair cracks or holes along walls, to discourage infestation. Huntsman Spiders will also find their way inside, as they cannot survive the falling temperatures of winter outdoors. 

Spring  

Spring brings with it more spider visibility, as this is when most spider species lay their eggs, and when fall/winter sacs begin to hatch. Hobo Spider eggs are hatching, and Brown Recluse activity is in full swing. Be sure to inspect windows, screens, cracks/gaps in foundation, and gaps/space between doors and doorframes to keep these typically non-aggressive but potentially dangerous pests out.  

Spider Pest Control You Can Count On 

Spiders have the potential to be a nuisance year-round. Most are harmless, but some have quite painful and potentially deadly bites, making regular spider pest control an important part of home maintenance. The highly trained team of professionals at Inman-Murphy have over 20 years of experience keeping the residents of mid-south TN pest free and are ready to help. Don’t hesitate to give us a call today and get started with a free quote! 

Babies on Back: Identifying the Wolf Spider

Wolf spider on white background

Imagine this: you’re walking to the kitchen to get a late-night snack when you find a spider in the middle of the floor. It’s not one of those benign Daddy Long Legs – it’s big and dark and roughly the length of a Twinkie. Your brain goes into autopilot, and you run to grab your nearest and heaviest shoe. It’s worked for other bugs, hasn’t it? That’s what you keep telling yourself as you approach the spider and slam your boot over it. That should be the end, but you’re suddenly horrified to find a rippling wave of tiny spiders rushing out from underneath your shoe. There are hundreds of them, all moving frantically in different directions and gradually taking over your kitchen.

Yes, this is a horror story just in time for Halloween. It’s also a very real possibility if you cross paths with a wolf spider and react without thinking. If you take a moment to stop and look over the bug that has invaded your home, you can avoid casting yourself in a one-person scary movie. Inman-Murphy can help residents of the Memphis metro area make sure the only creepy spiders in their home are Halloween decorations.

Identifying the Wolf Spider

Wolf spiders are often mistaken for other, more dangerous spiders, mainly the black widow and brown recluse. They all have two body parts (the cephalothorax and abdomen) and large, fang-like chelicerae. What separates them in many cases is the size – brown recluses are about the size of a quarter, while wolf spiders can be three, sometimes even four inches depending on the region they’re found in. Wolf spiders are also one of the only members of its species that don’t live on a web. Instead, they run to catch their prey with a staggering gait of two feet a second. That’s how they manage to catch and eat larger insects and other, smaller spiders.

The most distinctive quality of the wolf spider, though, would have to be how the female carries her young. There is no web to store her eggs, so instead, she moves about the environment with her egg sac on her abdomen. Once they hatch the babies stay in their makeshift carriage, so at nearly any point in time the mother wolf spider has hundreds of spiderlings hanging on her wherever she goes. So if some unsuspecting passer-by gets a fright and disturbs or tries to squish the mother, the babies will scatter in all directions. Not a fun sight for anyone, so what can you do to keep from ending up in that person’s unfortunate, spider-covered shoes?

DIY Spider Control Strategies

Spiders are inevitable living around Tennessee, but there are things you can do to control the access these eight-legged nuisances have to your home. Some of these tips are things that are good to do anyway, like sweeping and vacuuming on a regular basis and keeping closets and other undisturbed places free of clutter. Because all spiders – wolf spiders included – like little nooks where they can sit and wait for their next meal. In that same vein, we also advise moving any firewood or other piles of debris away from the exterior of your house, as well as trimming low-hanging branches or anything else that a spider can use as direct access to your home.

These are all easy precautions to take, but if you do all that and still find yourself running a “Mommy and Me” for wolf spiders and their many, many children, Inman-Murphy can help!

Spider Control with Inman-Murphy

Halloween is a great time to go out and get scared, but when you get home you want a place you can consider safe and free of any giant spiders. Home remedies can be useful in spider prevention, but there comes a time when you need professional help. Inman-Murphy has expertise in long-term spider control. A happy ending for your no-longer horror movie. To get a free quote, contact us today!

What to do If You’ve Been Bit by a Spider: Symptoms, Signs & Treatment

what to do if bitten by spider_ signs and symptoms of spider bites

Have you ever gotten a bug bite but had no idea what bit you? Mosquito bites are fairly common and recognizable. But what about a spider bite?

All spiders have fangs and some spider fangs can break through human skin and inject venom causing harm. Spider bites most often occur in self-defense when a spider feels trapped, such as in a boot or in your sheets. While most spiders are harmless and irritation from a bite goes away in less than 24 hours, dangerous spiders include the black widow, brown recluse, hobo, wolf, and camel spiders.

To know for sure if you’ve been bitten by a spider, it’s important to know the symptoms so you can get the right treatment. The good news is, serious medical complications and deaths from spider bites are not common.

Spider Bite Signs & Symptoms

It can be hard to figure out which type of spider bit you because it may not be noticed until hours after it happened. Spider bites can be similar to a regular bug bite: red, itchy, and inflamed. Depending on the type of spider, bite symptoms can range from mild to severe. The intensity can depend on the type of spider, the amount of venom injected, and your body’s sensitivity to venom.

The following are the general symptoms of a spider bite:

  • Inflammation
  • Redness
  • Itching
  • Mild pain

Symptoms of a serious spider bite, such as a bite by a black widow, brown recluse, or wolf spider, include:

  • Burning and pain at the bite area
  • Pain spreading to the chest or abdomen
  • An increase in sweat and saliva production
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Headache
  • Numbness
  • High blood pressure
  • Fever, chills, body aches
  • Dark blue or purple color at the center of a bite resulting in an ulcer
  • Death to a sizeable area of the skin causing a deep scarring ulcer
  • Possible allergic reaction in children

Spider Bite Treatment

If you suspect a spider has bitten you and you have the spider, bring it with you to your doctor so they can determine the best treatment based on the species. Take the following steps to care for a spider bite:

  • Wash the area with soap and water.
  • Use a cold, damp cloth or ice to apply a cool compress to the site.
  • If the bite is on an extremity, elevate the area where the bite is located.
  • Avoid scratching the bite area. The more you scratch, the itchier and more inflamed it can become.
  • Take aspirin or acetaminophen and antihistamines to relieve pain or swelling in adults. Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers.

If spider bite symptoms are severe or progressively worsen over 24 hours, seek medical attention right away.

Are spider infestations an issue in your home? Professional pest control can keep dangerous spiders away. Contact Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control for a free pest control estimate.

How to Get Rid of Spiders in Your House this Fall

How to Get Rid of Spiders in Your House this Fall

As the seasons change, spiders may begin to make their residence in your home. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help reduce the number of unwanted spiders who enter.

Here are a few tips to help keep spiders out of your home this fall.

Seal Up Cracks

Spiders sneak into your home through small cracks in the walls or windows. Look for small cracks throughout your home where spiders may enter and seal these cracks with caulking material. This can also be useful around wires, cables, and faucets that run to the outside.

Keep Plants and Shrubs Away From the Perimeter of Your Home

Spiders love to hide out in trees, shrubs, and plants. Trim back trees or shrubs and remove plants to keep spiders from crawling from the vegetation and into small cracks in your home.

Keep Your House Tidy and Clean

Clutter and mess give spiders plenty of spaces to hide. A clean home offers them less of a reason to stay. Vacuum and sweep your floors and wipe down counters. Avoid dirty dishes in the sink and clean up leftover food. Remove clutter and dirty shoes from dark places where they can hide.

Vacuum Spiders and Webs

Get rid of spiders and their eggs right away by vacuuming up spiders and nests. This is helpful when you see a spider or two, but this may not help if you have a spider infestation. In this case, professional help may be needed.

Call a Professional Exterminator

Having a spider or two in your home this fall is no cause for alarm. But if you notice an influx of spiders in your home, you may have a spider infestation. A professional exterminator can come to your home to help control this problem.

Do you have a spider problem in your home? Call us right away to schedule an appointment for a professional exterminator. We’ll get rid of your spider problems so you can rest at ease.