Spiders are one of the arthropods that are most often found in homes and enclosures of all kinds. Knowing how to eliminate spiders at home is a guarantee of a clean and sanitised house.

Here at Brisbane Terminator we will provide you with the services you need in order to ensure the order and having a hygienic workspace or house.

First of all, we must clarify that not everything that we identify as a spider in our home is actually a spider. We commonly confuse the opilionids with spiders. This arthropod that looks like a very long-legged spider is from the arachnid family but not a spider, we do not weave cloth and although its size may impress because of the length of its legs, it lacks poisonous glands.

The spiders that we commonly find in our homes do not represent a health hazard, except for those people who are allergic to their bite. In any case it is better to avoid touching them since they can bite us when feeling threatened. The reaction to the bite varies according to the sensitivity of the person but swelling and itching commonly occurs. In Spain, there are only a few types of spider whose bite is important:

The European black widow (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus): is also called bloody spider due to the characteristic spots of his abdomen. The effect of its poison varies according to the geographical race, the inoculated amount and the season of the year. There are no known deaths associated with his bite.

The yellow coat spider (Cheiracanthium punctorium): whose sting is as painful as a wasp’s.

The violinist spider (Loxosceles rufescens): also called brown recluse spider. It is called a violinist spider because of the shape of that instrument that has its torso. It is one of the poisonous spiders that sometimes break into homes to find shelter and food.

Usually hiding behind furniture and does not attack unless you feel threatened. In the case of a bite, it is recommended to go to a medical centre carrying the specimen; even if he is dead. Although most reactions are mild, allergic people can suffer serious consequences, such as gangrene.

The wolf spider (Lycosa tarantula): it is a spider with a bad name, perhaps because of its size and the fact that it is a tarantula. This species actually shuns humans and its bite causes a pain similar to a bee sting.

The tegenaria campestre (Tegenaria or Eratigena agrestis): it is called the vagabond spider and is a tiny spider (8-15 mm.) That is rarely found at home, being more common to find it in gardens. Its dangerousness has been much discussed since in the United States it was considered dangerous and causing necrosis. Nowadays it is known that its poison does not have a special danger.

A separate issue is that the presence of spiders is often associated with dirt, which is increased by cobwebs and dust accumulation on this fabric. It must be clarified that not all species of spiders make them, since there are species that prefer to live in burrows, holes between furniture and cracks.

We must be aware that spiders are carnivorous. Its presence is indicative of other household pests, such as ants, flies, mosquitoes and other insects that serve as food.

How to eliminate spiders at home

Eliminating spiders at home is a task that except for large infestations we can carry out ourselves. The guidelines to follow are simple:

• Clean: we must act especially in places where dust accumulates and stays of little use. Spiders in general do not like to interact with larger animals in size so they prefer to settle in quiet places. Pay attention to storage rooms and wardrobes in which we store clothes and appliances from another season. Naturally we must remove the cobwebs we observe.
• Avoid storing firewood at home: it is very common to find spiders hidden among the logs. If you have a woodshed or cabin for this purpose, it stores the wood there and introduces only the one that will be consumed at home.
• Be careful with introducing pots and garden objects into your home: if you are going to introduce plants or objects that have been outdoors during the warm seasons, check them carefully.
• Eliminate food sources: as we have mentioned, spiders are carnivorous so they may be feeding on ants and other common insects at home. Gel insecticides are useful for eliminating ants and other crawling insects. To eliminate flies systematically we can use insecticides in granulated baits, which attract and eliminate them.
• Use insecticides: when we see a spider, it is best to use an insecticide for spider spray. Always avoid crushing them with your hand to avoid bites or irritation of the skin by the poison. If you try to crush it with a shoe, you run the risk of it escaping (many spiders are very fast) or of jumping (some are aggressive when feeling threatened).

If we see cobwebs, we will proceed, once we clean the area, to spray with a persistent insecticide ready to use, a spider repellent that will avoid given its permanence that the spiders return to that place.

What to do if a spider bites you

If along with the injection of venom, the spider expels gastric contents, the symptoms and damages can be aggravated, since it increases the likelihood of tissue necrosis taking place by the combination of the active substances of the venom and the gastric juices of the spider. The expulsion of the gastric content is the usual way of feeding the spiders, which digest their prey outside the digestive system, forming a kind of semiliquid pap that they then ingest.

The age of the person affected by a recluse spider bite also influences the damage produced, being more severe in children, the elderly, and people with hypersensitivity or allergy to the poison.

Bear in mind that if you want professionals to take care of any issue related to spiders or other insects in your house, you can contact us. Here at Brisbane Terminator we will provide you with the services you need to ensure the order and having a hygienic workspace or house.