Why Are There So Many Spiders Living In My Dallas Home?

a black widow spider in its web
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If you have a collection of normal house spiders making you crazy, you may want to consider calling a Dallas pest control company to come and get rid of them. However, if you find that you have brown recluse spiders or black widow spiders, it's important to call pest control immediately. These two types of spiders are the most dangerous to humans, so you need them out of your house as soon as possible.

Types Of Spiders Often Found In Dallas

According to a 2016 Texas A & M University survey, 1,084 species of spiders live in Texas. However, you only have to worry about the two medically significant dangerous Dallas spiders: the brown recluse and black widow spiders. Their bites are painful and can cause lasting damage.

Brown recluse spiders in Dallas are about the size of a quarter with a fiddle-shaped marking on their back. Some spiders that look like brown recluse spiders are the wolf spider, hobo spider, and grass spider, all of which are larger and missing the tell-tale fiddle shape, and the grass spider, which has a skinnier body and legs.

If a brown recluse spider bites you, go to the emergency room right away. The pain may not hit for up to eight hours, making it hard to pinpoint the exact time of the bite. If you can, try to catch the spider that bit you so it can be properly identified. You may develop a blister from a brown recluse bite, which will kill the surrounding skin. As the skin dies, it sloughs off, leaving an open ulcer where you were bitten – this necrosis can sometimes spread to the point where muscle and bone are visible. 

Black widow spiders are about the size of a silver dollar, are glossy black, and have the characteristic bright red hourglass on their bellies. Some spiders that look like black widows include false black widows, which are missing any marks on their bellies, black house spiders, which have gray bellies, and brown and red recluse spiders, which have different coloration and markings. 

If a black widow spider bites you, seek immediate medical treatment. The site will be instantly painful, with the pain increasing over the next few hours. The venom can also cause higher blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, and sweating. 

Why Spiders Invade Homes

Different kinds of spiders invade houses for many of the same reasons. They may be looking for a cool, sheltered area or a steady supply of moisture. However, most spiders prefer to live outdoors. The one factor that will inevitably draw them into your home is another underlying pest infestation.

If you have cockroaches, ants, flies, or other pests multiplying within your home, spiders will not be far behind them. They will find their way inside through cracks and crevices or gaps around windows and doors to seek out a steady source of prey. General pest control can go a long way toward keeping spiders from entering your Dallas home in the first place. 

Factors That Attract Spiders Into Our Homes

Are Dallas spiders in the house good or bad? Most of the Texas spiders are harmless, existing only to eat insects that may be living in your home, including German cockroaches, flies, ants, and beetles. If you're having trouble with any of those bugs, having spiders in the house can be a good thing – up to a point.

Some other factors that bring spiders to your home include:

  • Bright exterior lights attract bugs, which in turn attract spiders.
  • Rocky landscaping provides favorable nesting areas for spiders and other pests.
  • Gardens and flower beds attract aphids, scales, ladybugs, and other insects that feed off the leaves – spiders will be close at hand to hunt these insects. Once near your home, they are more likely to wander inside.
  • Damp landscaping attracts fleas and ticks that thrive in moist environments – spiders will hang out nearby, their webs ready to catch whatever comes their way.
  • Uncovered trash cans, which attract all kinds of pests – spiders may spin webs inside the trash can, under the lip, in the unsecured lid, or in the handles to wait for their prey.

As you can see, the common thread in deterring spiders is preventing other pests around your home. 

The Most Effective Spider Control For Dallas Homes

While you can certainly go around your house, vacuuming up spiders and webs as you find them, when it comes to dealing with venomous spiders in Texas, you absolutely need the help of a pest control specialist. You don't want to risk getting bitten by either the brown recluse or black widow spider.

At Dynasty Pest Control, a locally owned and operated business since 2010, our highly-trained, certified pest control specialists are ready to come to your home and help you get your spider problem under control. Reach out today to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Dallas, and request your free inspection to get brown recluse and black widow spiders out.