Black Widow

Characteristics
Size: ¾-inch in length with the abdomen reaching 3/8-inch in diameter
Color: Shiny black, but may also be dark brown to light brown. Male black widow is brown with white stripes.

Introduction
The red markings associated with the black widow usually will be found on the belly in an hourglass shape. Occasionally, orange spots can also be found on the back.

Behavior
Bites from the black widow can result in sever pain and may take several days to cure. These bites are usually not fatal. The elderly and young children are at the highest risk. Black widows are also known for their irregular web; these webs are very sturdy. Egg sacks are similar shape to the abdomen of the mother. Newly hatched black widows will climb to a high point, release a strand of web, and float to a new location. Many new homes and buildings will have infestations for this reason. A myth about black widows is that the female will eat the male after mating. This is not always true, but does happen from time to time.

Habitat
Cluttered areas are the most likely places to locate a black widow indoors. Be very cautious when you are contacting things that you rarely come in contact with. Such areas are garages, basements, closets, under sinks, and in crawl spaces. Beware this spider is also known to be located under the toilet seat (ouch!). Common places to locate a black widow outdoors would be under siding or the siding over hangs, in electrical boxes, and in the front bottom corners of garages. Black widows are trappers of insects. This means they will locate their webs in high insect traffic areas. The more insects you have coming in and out of your home or business, the more likely you will be to have black widows.

Tips for Control
Here are some control tips:
• Don’t keep clutter around your home.
• Periodically sweep out spider webs in the garage, especially the front corners.
• Prevention is the safest control method. This is done by keeping other insects from traveling in and out of your home. This is done best by having your home treated on a regular basis.

Brown Recluse

Characteristics
Size: 1 1/2-inches in diameter
Color: Usually light brown, but may be darker in some cases.

Introduction
It is very important to know how to identify this spider. The best way to do this is by the markings on its back. It will have a “fiddle” shape on its thorax and head. This spider also has six eyes that are arranged in 3 pairs.

Behavior
This spider is a hunter and as such is very mobile. Even though they are not aggressive towards humans, they often crawl into beds, shoes, socks, and places that constantly come in contact with humans.
This is usually when biting occurs. If you are bitten by a brown recluse, you should seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Bites from the brown recluse can cause tissue necrosis and usually leave unsightly scars.

Habitat
These spiders typically stay in areas that are less disturbed, but still offer a food source (other insects). Similar areas are basements, garages, and crawl spaces; they have also been found in closets and under furniture.

Tips for Control
If brown recluses are spotted in your home you should:
• Shake our shoes, socks and clothing before putting them on.
• Beds should be pulled away from walls.
• Don’t allow bed skirts or bedding to touch the floor.
• Prevent through eliminating food source (other insects).

Wolf Spider

Characteristics
Size: Wolf spiders will vary in size; they will range anywhere from ¼-inch to more
than 1 1/2-inches in length
Color: Dark brown, almost black

Introduction
Many times to an untrained eye these spiders will be mistaken for the infamous brown recluse.

Behavior
Wolf spiders are mobile and will be found both day and night. They feed on other insects and spiders. They will become a problem when they have a plentiful food source (other insects). After the young hatch, they will ride on the mothers back for a few days. This can be quite startling to an unsuspecting person. They are not aggressive towards humans and their bites are not dangerous.

Habitat
Wolf spiders prefer the outdoors. Due to their mobility, they often time will end up inside searching for food. They can most commonly be found in grass and will often be present on foundation of structures.

Tips for Control
Sticky traps are a great way to control this spider population indoors and garages. Maintaining control is done by controlling this spiders’ food source.