For Release October 2, 2001

Spiders Are Everywhere and Nobody Likes Them!

AGRI-VIEWS
by Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent

A year or two ago a movie was released called The Replacements. It was about a group of football players who get a chance to become pros when the regular players go on strike. In one memorable scene, the team is in a meeting room and the coach asks them what they are afraid of. He is trying to get them to talk about fears of failure on the football field. What he finds out instead is that they are all afraid of spiders.

That is exactly what I find out when I visit with homeowners who bring the squished remains of spiders into my office for identification. People like spiders just slightly less than they like the insects spiders feed upon. Spiders feed on insects. This year has been a very buggy year with far greater populations of insects than normal. Therefore, we are seeing more spiders than normal.

Let’s review a few basic facts about spiders and see if we can’t eliminate some myths. Spiders are good because they eat huge quantities of insects. All spiders bite. Some have mouths so small they can’t pierce human skins. Others have a bite that leaves an allergic reaction much like a mosquito bite. We have two poisonous spiders in Kansas; the brown recluse and the black widow. Both try to avoid humans. We have both in Geary County. The black widow is very uncommon and the brown recluse is very common in most homes. Harvestmen (daddy longlegs) are not true spiders. Unlike spiders that suck the juice out of an insect, harvestmen tend to eat their prey.

Let’s go back to the brown recluses. I can find evidence in any house in this area that is more than five years old of brown recluse spiders. But if you keep the house cleaned up and keep clothing and other items off the floor, you are unlikely to find yourself in a situation of being bitten by a brown recluse. Most recluse bites occur when moving boxes and packages that have been undisturbed for quite some time. Wear good gloves and look before you grab under those circumstances. Brown recluses are a very light brown color. They have a dark fiddle shaped mark on their backs. They are a fairly dainty looking spider that is going to have a leg spread somewhere between the size of a quarter and a half dollar.

As the weather cools off, he insects try to get into our homes to avoid the cold weather. The spiders are going to follow the food. The first, and most important, step is to keep the insects and the spiders out of your house. The best way to do this is to make sure that your house is tight. Caulk any cracks in the foundation or where utilities enter your home. Make sure that doors and windows fit tightly and screens are intact and secure. Inside the house, keep the house tidy and clean. Minimize food sources for insects and places for them to hide. Remember that we are at the peak period for invading insects. In another few weeks, the numbers will drop off significantly.

If you want, you can also apply an insecticide treatment around the outside of your home. Use a product like diazinon or Malathion and spray it on the foundation and out away from the foundation a foot or two. You may also apply a residual treatment to the baseboard area inside, especially in basements, around door thresholds, and basement window sills. Most aerosol sprays do not offer adequate residual activity, they are only good for fast knockdown. Remember, insecticides are simply an assistance. The real success in defeating spiders and insects will come from sealing the house and keeping it tidy.

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