Spiders are a common sight in Hamilton. There are so many insects for them to feed on, and of course, plenty of places for spiders to hide. In your house, Spiders aren’t limited to the dank recesses of your basement. You’ll find them everywhere, such as ceilings, in the gap between your bookshelf and wall, behind your refrigerator and underneath your couch.
If you have a spider infestation, you probably have bigger problems. Spiders typically won’t raid your home unless it is already full of insects for it to eat. Therefore our first call of action is to look for other pests in your home, like ants, houseflies and fruit flies that the spiders are catching. By removing their food source, spiders will naturally move outside to catch more prey.
As a spider egg sack can contain hundreds of eggs, we also remove these from your home as well. When these egg sacks hatch it is quite a sight to behold, but it’s better for everyone if it happens outside.
Types of Spiders found in Hamilton
Black Widow spiders
Black Widow spiders make it up to Hamilton by hitching a ride with shipping trucks from the South. These spiders will hop in produce crates or they will find a home in shipping crates among the packaging material. While this is one of the few poisonous spiders found in Ontario, it’s a rare site to see. Black widow spiders are often happiest in secluded places There are a few black widow species that can be found in Canada, mainly in the southern parts of the country, but they are not common. It is shiny black, with a distinctive red hourglass-shaped mark on the underside of its stomach. It spins a small, silk web close to the ground and is found in secluded places like garages and sheds, or under rocks or fallen trees when outside. It is not aggressive and prefers fleeing when disturbed, so it will only bite to defend itself.
Carolina Wolf Spider
These furry spiders can make the biggest man squeal in fear like a school girl. (I’ve seen it happen several times). These spiders get pretty big, and don’t build webs, but rather ambush prey (typically at night).
Orb Spiders
The cross orb weaver spider is named for the pattern of white spots on its abdomen that form a cross. This spider is not indigenous to Hamilton, but rather hails from Europe. It was introduced to North America years ago to assist in pest control in gardens. The Cross Orbweaver spider can get rather big, and can often be found near front light entrances where bugs are attracted to the light at night. The cross orb spider is also known as the cross spider, or the garden spider.
Prevention of Spider Bites
- Shake shoes that have not been adjusted for awhile, like those walking shoes you wear only in summer, or those shoes that come out just for weddings.
- Check linens and towels that have been in storage for some time. Give them a good shake.
- Wear gardening gloves when handling firewood, timber and stones (and remember to check the gloves for spiders before putting them on).
- Pull the bed away from the wall so that you can vacuum easier.
- Storage boxes under the bed make great homes for spiders. Spiders like to build bridges between the cracks of these boxes.
Use these exclusion methods
- Install appropriate sealing strips and screening on windows and doors.
- Seal cracks and crevices where spiders and other insects can enter the house.
- Install sodium vapor lamps outside your door which attract fewer insects and thus spiders.
- Many spiders make home near the lights that stay on at night. Use motion detection activated lights or simply turn them off when not needed.
Basic hygiene helps
- Remove trash, wood piles, rock piles and other unwanted elements from your property.
- Eliminate clutter in your home. Get rid of items you no longer need.
- Raise objects off the floor as well as away from walls in the basement, attic, garage and outbuildings to reduce spider shelter sites.
- Delete household pests such as flies, ants and cockroaches which attract spiders.
- Don’t stack timber against the house, or grow dense vegetation around the house.
- Wash away cobwebs on the outside of the house with a high pressure hose.
Non-chemical control of spiders
- Dust and vacuum thoroughly and regularly to remove webs, cocoons and dispose of the vacuum bag in a container outdoors.
- Regularly use a broom or hose to destroy webs that have been built around the house. Spider will move if their homes are regularly destroyed.
- Remove or reduce exterior lighting or bright indoor lights that attract insect food sources.
- Cut the vegetation surrounding the building foundation and remove all possible objects that may encourage the addition of a structure.
- Seal openings, install screens and door sweeps to prevent spiders from moving inside.
