Spiders

Spiders are an often encountered and usually misunderstood resident of the West Valley. Most spiders are harmless, and can be easily removed from the home without killing them.

Spider Prevention and Extermination
Outdoors
• Remove trash from around your home (bottles, cans, tires, empty boxes and planters etc.)
• Keep the outside of the house free from tall grass, weeds or shrubs especially near the foundation.
• Wear gloves and covered shoes when working outdoors
• Always check items that have been stored in the garage or in a shed or outdoors for spiders, webs or sacks before bringing item indoors.
• Use caution when moving/lifting items

Indoors
• Don’t store items under beds
• Store equipment (rollerskates, outdoor clothes, gloves, ski boots) in tight-sealing plastic bags
• Vacuum frequently, especially under furniture and around baseboards and cabinets to eliminate habitat
• Make sure window and door screens fit tightly (no holes or gaps around perimeter).
• Seal doors with weather stripping
• Seal around cracks, access holes for electrical conduits, cable television and plumbing
• Remove spider webs and egg sags when found

Downloadable Brochures:

• Black Widows

Table of Contents

• Black Widows
• Brown Widow
• Wolf Spider
• Grass Spiders

The black widow is a common resident in the West Valley. Considered the most venomous spider in North America, this spider is best known for the characteristic hourglass on the underside of the female spider’s abdomen.

Black widows weave a messy web that lacks shape or form. The silk used in these webs is very strong. breaking the web produces audible “snaps”. Black widows usually do not venture from there webs and being nocturnal, stay hidden during the day. Black widows prey on many different insects, (pretty much anything that gets caught in her web!) and are usually quite shy and not aggressive.
Black widows prefer to make their webs in dark, undisturbed areas, but can be found all aournd the home and garage. Common habitats are the undersides of ledges, near plants (potted plants as well), corners of garages, boxes, and anywhere else a web can be strung.

Breeding
Adult male black widows will wander in search of females, but do not bite. Usually in the summer, the female can lay several batches of eggs (up to 700 eggs in each batch). The egg sacs can be seen suspended in the web. They are round, usually 3/8” in diameter and have a pale tan color and papery appearance.

The brown widow is a relative newcomer to our area. This spider is venomous but is timid and less likely to bite than the ubiquitous black widow.

The spider also seems to be displacing our more dangerous black widow, they occupy the same areas that black widows frequent.

Prevention
Habitat reduction is the best method for reducing brown widows around your home. Do not stack firewood against fences, garages, and homes. Be wary and inspect under the lips of trash cans, logs, or any equipment kept outdoors prior to grabbing them with bare hands.

Detailed information can be found here

Wolf spiders are common in California. Wolf spiders can sometimes enter homes in search of food. They are large (3-4 inches across) hairy spiders, usually having a spotty gray and brown color. Generally, wolf spiders do not spin webs, they hunt actively and ambush or chase down their prey. Wolf spiders are not considered dangerous, but can be intimidating due to their size, speed, and aggressive behaviors.

Bites from wolf spiders can cause pain, redness and swelling, that usually clears within a few days.

Grass spiders, or funnel weavers, are a common spider often seen in gardens, bushes, and occasionally in homes and garages. Grass spiders are not considered dangerous to people and are very shy spiders. They have a very distinct web shape, a wide flat front for catching insects, and a funnel shaped back where the spider hides.