Are you noticing lots of webs in the corners of your home or window sills? If the answer is yes, you may be dealing with cellar spiders. They are difficult to see if you’re not looking for them. You will often find them hanging upside down in their webs waiting for a meal to get stuck. What makes them a little freaky is the vibration they will cause in their web to scare you off. The vibrations or shaking of the web can be quite jerky too. A-Tex Pest Management explores whether you should be concerned about cellar spiders below.
What Do Cellar Spiders Look Like?
Cellar spiders have very long thin legs and are yellow or gray in color. They can have a body as small as 1/16th of an inch and be 5/16th inches with legs extended to a body as large as ¼ to 5/16 long and be two inches wide with legs extended. Cellar spiders are helpful in the reduction of other bugs as they are excellent little trappers. These spiders can be found lurking in cellars that are damp as their name implies, to crawlspaces, and basements. Their webs are what makes them a nuisance. While other spiders consume their old webs before staring new ones, the cellar spider does not. They will just continue building new ones on top of old ones making them an annoyance. While the cellar spider is venomous, there is no reason you should fear this spider. It’s literally impossible for it to hurt you. They have extremely tiny mouthparts which makes them unable to latch onto human skin in order to bite you.
How Do You Keep Cellar Spiders Away?
Seeing lots of webs doesn’t mean you have lots of spiders. This is because they don’t consume their old webs so getting rid of the webs as you see them is a great way to control them. They have a limited supply of silk because of the fact they don’t re-use their webbing so this will force them to leave because you’re making it impossible for them to maintain their webs. Get rid of webs as they form with a broom or a vacuum cleaner and make sure your home doesn’t have any other pest problems that are feeding them. Ensure that humidity levels are low within your home. This will keep insects out and therefore spiders too. Cellar spiders can live for 6 months to 3 years which means they can be guests in your home for a long time if conditions are favorable. Glue traps can be used to capture them which allows you to keep track of the population in your home as well as preventing them from getting into your living space. There are also insecticides you can purchase to kill them on contact.
Spider Pest Inspections, Treatment, Control, Removal & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park Texas
Cellar spiders are much better adapted to living in your home than outside and are present all year-round as they prefer dark corners with constant temperatures. They are usually unaware that winter has arrived and will stay inside to avoid the cold. Even though they go into dormant like state, they will still capture insects if they’re available. Professionals have the experience necessary to get a cellar spider infestation under control. Contact A-Tex Pest Management today.