Are The House Spiders In Nashville Dangerous?

Nashville House Spiders

There are several spiders that are classified as house spiders in Nashville but only one is called the house spider. It is the American house spider or parasteatoda tepidariorum. That's a mouth full, isn't it? American house spiders are the little 3/16- to 5/16-inch spiders that hang out between your window panes and your screens or create wispy webs around your home for you to clean up. If you go up into your attic, you're likely to find lots of evidence that American spiders are calling your home their home. But these are far from the only spiders that commonly get into Nashville homes. You can find daddy longlegs spiders (often called longbodied cellar spiders) in your cellar or basement. You can find wolf spiders tucked away in dark cracks and crevices in humid areas of your home (or surprising you in your bathroom). Sac spiders and jumping spiders can make an appearance now and again. But the one common house spider to be concerned about is the brown recluse spider.

What You Should Know About The Brown Recluse

There is a lot of fear surrounding these spiders. While you certainly shouldn't have them living in your home, you should know that these spiders aren't looking to bite you. They prefer to stay in secluded areas and won't jump out and bite you when you go into these places. It is also important to understand that most brown recluse bites won't turn into a hideous wound. The necrosis of the bite could stay isolated to a small ulcer where the spider bit you. But we do recommend having a physician monitor any recluse bites you or your family get.

You can reduce your chances of a Nashville brown recluse spider bite even further by taking precautions. Here are a few tips:

• Be cautious when retrieving and opening boxes that have been stored away.

• Shake clothing, towels, and other items before use, especially if they've been in a clump on your dresser, bed stand, or floor. Brown recluse spiders like crawling into anything that looks like a hole.

• Turn your bedding down before crawling into your bed for the night, especially if you left your bed unmade. While you're away, a brown recluse could explore all of the openings and cave-like places in your crumpled bedding.

• Shake and tap footwear before sliding your feet inside.

• Remove skirts from your beds and make sure your bedding doesn't touch the floor. This makes it more difficult for brown recluse spiders to crawl into bed with you.

• Move beds away from the walls.

How To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Home

All spiders are attracted to Nashville homes that have lots of pest activity around and inside them. They go where the food is. When you take steps to reduce insects and invertebrates around your Nashville home, you will have an impact on spider populations. Here are a few tips:

• Reduce conditions that cause your perimeter to be damp. Clean your gutters, remove leaf litter, remove weeds, fix plumbing issues, etc.

• Keep bagged trash in covered receptacles and keep those receptacles free of odors. Many insects are attracted to the scent of rotting organic matter. The scent of your trash can lure insects from a great distance.

• Reduce exterior light. Many insects are attracted to light. In areas where it isn't a security concern, keep lights off at night the majority of the time. If you need the lights on, or you like to have them on, you can use yellow lights. Insects aren't as attracted to this spectrum of light.

Consider investing in perimeter pest control. When you have routine treatments to your exterior, it reduces pests and the spiders that eat them.

Nashville Pest Control

Remember that the service team at All-American Pest Control is here to assist you with all your pest control needs. We don't just provide on-demand, one-time pest treatments; we help Nashville residents keep control of pests all year long with Perimeter Plus Pest Control. Reach out to us today, to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Nashville.

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