As springtime arrives in Brandon, Florida, a menagerie of arachnids shake off the cold and start to mate. Most are harmless but there are a handful of venomous ones that residents need to watch out for, including the southern black widow. Known to grow more than an inch long, they have shimmering black bodies and red markings, which vary based on the spider’s gender. The markings are typically found on the spiders’ abdomens. The females tend to be bigger and more colorful than the males. However, our Brandon pest control experts know that both genders can deliver life threatening, painful bites to residents when threatened.
If you believe that southern black widows have been mating in your home’s crawlspace, lawn mower shed, barn, pool house or another area, don’t fret. Our Brandon pest control experts can put the kibosh on their romantic interludes and send the amorous arachnids packing. First, we’ll start by looking for the spiders’ beige-colored egg sacs.
The sacs are typically found in the female spider’s web and may contain more than 200 eggs. As soon as they hatch, the spiderlings begin producing small amounts of venom, which they use to stun and digest their prey. Oftentimes, they like to dine on another pest that becomes increasingly active in the spring, fire ants. So, it is not uncommon for our Brandon pest control experts to find the spiders’ webs in close proximity to the ants’ characteristically large mounds.
Once we find and remove the southern black widows’ webs, our team can spray the area with chemicals or apply an insecticide dust. It is also possible to run southern black widows out of an area by knocking down their webs as soon as they appear and introducing their natural enemies to the surrounding landscape. To learn more about those techniques and other spiders that may try to take over your home this spring, please contact us at Consolidated Pest Control.
