One of the most irrationally feared insects around, spiders have been the object of many people’s nightmares for hundreds of years. The truth is that most spiders are completely harmless. It takes extreme provocation for a spider to bite a human, their instinctual reaction is to run.

If you are like me though, these facts will do little to keep you from recoiling at the sight of a spider in your home. When you see one, you just want to get rid of it. The best method of fighting spiders is to target their food sources. Spiders are predators, and the size of their population is directly proportional to the amount of available food. Take a good look around your home and a good look back into your memory - what other insects are found in your home? You must work to reduce these in order to reduce the number of spiders. Use the navigation on the right or the search box at the top to find the guides needed to reduce the other insects in your home.

Spider bites

In the rare event of being bitten by a spider it is a good idea to capture it in case you have an allergic reaction to the bite. Spiders can be captured by carefully lowering an inverted glass or jar over them and then sliding a piece of paper underneath the opening to trap it. Flip the container back over and tap the paper to make the spider fall to the bottom. If you suffer no reaction within 6 hours, let the spider go outside.

The following sections deal with the more dangerous varieties of spiders. We will show you where to find them, how to minimize their presence (if possible) and what to do if someone gets bitten.

1. How to get rid of brown recluse spiders

Brown recluse spiders grow to 1/2″ (13mm) excluding the legs. They have long thin legs, light tan to brown bodies and a violin-shaped mark on their backs. Their abdomens will vary in color depending on what was last eaten. These spiders are hunters who wander away from their nests at night in search of prey. Most brown recluse spider bites are a result of the spiders hiding out in clothing or bedding and then being inadvertently pressed against a persons skin.

Black widow spiders like to build their nests in dark, undisturbed places close to the ground. The webs themselves are usually small with a thick den spun into the center in which the spider takes up residence during the daytime.

Locating and removing brown recluse spiders

Brown recluse spiders are native to the U.S. and are commonly found in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Montana, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi,, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and northern Florida.

It is important to understand that if you kill a black widow, it’s likely another will shortly take it’s place. So when you locate one, after killing it you should seek to make the area in which it was found less attractive as a hiding place.
Indoors, focus near the floor and look in stacks of papers and piles of things, closet floors, clothing and bedding that is in contact with the floor, underneath cabinets and in corners. Outside, look in and around debris piles, stacks of things, rocks, logs, inner tubes, tires, ditches, holes and crevices. These spiders will nest in dark, undisturbed places so look anywhere that fits that description especially if it is a place where a child can go.

If you locate a black widow spider, it can be crushed or vacuumed up. If you vacuum one up, seal up the bag and stick it in the freezer overnight to kill it.

Treating a brown recluse spider bite

Reactions to a brown recluse spider bite can range from none at all, to painful sores that take much time to heal. Fatalities are extremely rare, and usually occur in high-risk groups like children and the sick and elderly. Bite reactions usually turn into hard, bluish sores that takes weeks to heal but in extreme cases can turn into (Warning, very graphic images in the following link) large, open wounds that take months to heal and leave scars.

If someone is bitten, it is very important to capture the spider dead or alive so it may be identified, but try not to crush it. Apply ice to the wound and get the victim to the doctor immediately.

2. How to get rid of black widow spiders

Black widow spiders grow to 9/16″ (14mm). The males of the species have yellow and red stripes or dots on their back and are harmless. The females are dangerous, and appear black with a red hourglass shape on the abdomen. The female spiders are only found on their webs and will normally run away from a person. Most bites are a result of the spider’s web being disturbed.

Locating and removing black widow spiders

Black widow spiders are found throughout the entire western hemisphere.

Black widows spin small webs with a thick ‘den’ in the center usually very close to the ground. The female spiders will hide inside the den during the daytime, emerging at night to sit in the center of their webs. The best time to go hunting for them is at night with a flashlight. Search in small holes and crevices around building foundations and outdoor furniture. Inside storage sheds and any place that a child is able to go. If you locate one, use a stick to squish it against the side of it’s hiding place and then do your best to remove the hiding place altogether so no more take it’s place.

Treating a black widow spider bite

Black widow venom is a neurotoxin - it effects the nerves and is extremely painful. The fatality rate for black widow spider bites is under 5% but the pain and discomfort that is caused is intense and can last for days. If someone gets bitten by a black widow, wash the bite well with soap and water, do your best to capture the spider and then head to your doctor immediately. If you’re lucky, the spider may not have injected any venom during the bite.

For more information about spiders, visit Wikipedia