Spider Control
in Wisconsin

We know that Wisconsin is nationally underrated for its lakes – at least among the human critics. Regardless of that, we all know that the mosquitoes, fish, and other lake dwellers were not fooled one bit. There is one lake dweller that garners less attention by us Wisconsin folk than the mosquitoes and fish, but is just as dependent on our abundant waterways – spiders. Wisconsin spiders abound plentifully in the woods as well as on our homes and businesses.

Some spiders are particularly adapted to living on lakes. The 6 spotted fishing spider, for example, can not only walk on water, but can dive down using an air bubble to catch small fish to eat. There are many other spiders who depend on the lakes, but do not particularly care to don their swimming attire.

Spiders are followers of food. They go where they will be fed (or at least can catch their

food). Water just happens to be a great source of abundant insect life. Both crawling and flying insects frequent our Wisconsin water ways, so both the web-weaving, trap-style spiders and the active hunters can hunt to their hearts content.

A lot can be discerned from a spider by the way it spins its web. You may not always be able to get it down to special identification, but for the purposes of Wisconsin spier control, you can tell where it hunts and what it is hunting for (more or less).

Take the cellar spider for example. This spider loves large, dark, moist areas. The webs will go to and fro and be just about everywhere. These are the ones that catch you in the face when you go into unfinished basements or cellars with low traffic.

On the other end of the spectrum, you will find active hunting spiders such as the wolf spider which wanders and captures its prey on foot. In these kinds of active hunting spiders, the spinnerets supply them silk for wrapping caught prey.

There are many spider species from Prescott to Pewaukee, but the ones that pop up in and around homes most frequently are a much more concise list including:

• Cellar Spiders
• Cobweb Spiders
• Crab Spiders
• Fishing Spiders
• Jumping Spiders
• Orb Weavers
• Parsons Spiders
• Sac Spiders
• Wolf Spider

Spiders have 2 body segments, a fused cephaolothorax and abdomen, with 4 pairs of legs. Most spiders have 8 eyes, but some like the violin spiders have 6. The size and arrangement of their eyes is key to spider identification. In many instances this requires significant magnification. Though spiders are known for their fangs, these are not for chewing food as we know it. Spiders either inject venom into their prey to liquify their innards and drink them, or they spit venom on body parts to liquify them. Spiders, like certain patients in Cumberland Memorial are on a liquid only diet. And the reason spiders legs curl up when they die? They move their legs via a hydraulic system.

Spiders are interesting creatures and help with lofty purposes of pest control, but they can become a pest themselves. If you are dealing with:

• Unsightly webs
• Surprise spider appearances in the home
• More spiders than normal outside the home

Contact an arachnid specialist at Rove Pest Control to find out how to control the food source supplying the spider population and how to reduce the spider population directly.