Spider Control
in Shrewsbury, MA

Spring is here! This means there is no more winter (at least until next weekend when the weather takes another unexpected turn to foil my plans to visit Prospect Park). Springs and summers are absolutely beautiful in Shrewsbury. Sometimes it can get a little too warm. In this case, I like to go back to my house to cool off. Spiders, coincidentally, tend to think the same thing. As temperatures go up they are looking for a place to live to cool them off. When we put together our Shrewsbury spider control plan, we want to take into account the venomous spiders as well as the ones who are just plain annoying.

There are two main spiders that cause concern in Shrewsbury:

• Black Widow
• Brown Recluse

There are other types of spider invasions that can happen in your home, however, these two are the most serious. One of the most important steps is to identify these spiders. If ever bitten by a spider it is important to know if it warrants a trip to the hospital.

The black widow spider (including the northern widow) mostly sticks to the outside of the house. Places you will find them building their webs is around the home near logs, bricks, stonework, and stairs. Their webs are usually constructed in cool dark areas. Their webs are rather sticky and the female will attack any person or insect they consider a threat. That being said, they are not out wandering around for random hikes. They hang out on or very near their webs, so avoid getting near their webs if possible. One distinct feature of the black widow is the red hourglass figure on its abdomen. The northern widow has the red dots along the top of the abdomen.

The brown recluse spider is best spotted by its violin-shaped marking dorsum. The brown recluse is also venomous like the black widow, however, brown recluse spiders have gotten comfortable and adapted to living with humans. They can live outside near woodpiles. Inside of the home they like to live near cardboard because it mimics rotting tree bark. Their webs can be strung up against walls, ceilings, and near vegetation. The good news is the brown recluse known habitat does not include Shrewsbury. This doesn’t mean it won’t find its way here or there on shipping pallets, but it is unlikely to be hanging around your neighborhood. Most often, sightings of brown recluse spiders tend to actually be:

• Wolf spiders
• Yellow sac spiders
• Wood louse hunters
• Grass spiders
• Parsons spiders
• Jumping spiders
• Cellar spiders

Good Shrewsbury spider control is dependent on accurate identification of the species at hand. Some spiders are more cause for concern than others. Don’t hesitate to utilize Rove Pest Control’s inspection and identification services to lay a solid foundation for the spider control plan for your home or business.

Knowledge of what these spiders are looking for can help prevent them from getting into the home. Shrewsbury buildings (new and old) should be inspected regularly. Change of temperature and seasons is the number one factor in how and why spiders invade the home though it may also include:

• New building projects nearby
• Landscaping alterations
• Adjustments to lighting
• Humidity or water source changes
• Population growth of arthropods (their prey)

Shrewsbury homes take a beating from extreme weather every year regardless of whether we get our typical nor’easters. This can dramatically impact structures during the year (from season to season) and from year to year. Looking out for cracks and crevices that spiders can call home before they enter the home can be fixed or blocked before spiders access and settle in for the long haul. Inspecting can be challenging throughout the year – especially when we get covered by leaves and snow (even worse when the snow comes before the leaves). It is also important to examine the exterior of the home to see if any webs have started forming on the house.

If you ever get bit by a spider or have more living rent-free than you want already, getting the correct identification and reaching out to the local pest experts is the key to success in dealing with Shrewsbury spider control. If you think you got bit by a venomous spider try to capture it and bring it to the hospital for identification. You can kill it, but try not to completely annihilate it with your hiking boots. Squished and mangled spider corpses are much more difficult to identify than in-tact ones.

Spider activity can change from year to year and even season to season. Most spiders do not have a one-step, simple solution to their control. Steps to Shrewsbury spider control include:

• Inspection & monitoring
• Identification
• Prey reduction
• Environmental adjustments
• Mechanical Controls
• Timely web removal
• Exclusion
• Barrier controls
• Crack and crevice applications

Whether you have not noticed spiders or have been dealing with them for some time, nothing stays the same for long in Shrewsbury. Changes in construction, landscaping, weather, etc. will bring changes to the spider populations. This is why we provide our clients with quarterly services (or more often if necessary) for spiders and pests. Additionally, if something changes before we are scheduled to come back out, we cover that too. While there is no one-and-done process for spiders that will last forever, turning over your Shrewsbury spider control project to the spider experts at Rove Pest Control can be your finish line and we will take it from there.