Spiders including Black Widow spiders often appear in haunted houses, horror movies, and worst of all inside of your New Baden, IL home. The pests are usually met with screams and a quick hit of a shoe or newspaper. It is also understandable why people scream as they are startling and move unpredictably. There are also several myths that surround spiders, especially the one about swallowing them in your sleep, as this is really not true.
Despite the usually benevolent nature of most spiders, there are two species in our area that can cause some serious harm when they are disturbed. This includes the Black Widow Spider and the Brown Recluse. Below we have created a guide to help you identify and understand the risks of these pests.
Black Widow Spiders
- Appearance: Black widow spiders are black and shiny, with a bright red hourglass shape on the underside of their abdomen. Young black widows appear white and orange in color, and then as they age, they will get darker.
- Region: This species of spider are found throughout the United States, and is more common in warmer climates.
- Habitat: These spiders tend to seek out dry and dark areas that are well protected. This can include underneath decks, stones, hollow tree stumps, and firewood piles.
- Threat: While the male spiders in this species rarely bite, the females are known to be aggressive and will bite in defense, especially when they are guarding eggs. Symptoms of a bite include increased blood pressure, sweating, nausea, and fever. Pain from a bite reaches a maximum usually in 1-3 hours. A fatality is unlikely; however, you need to make sure that you seek proper medical treatment.
- Unique Fact: These spiders are named after the most popular belief that females eat their male counterparts after they mate. However, this is only a rare occurrence in the natural world.
Brown Recluse Spiders
- Appearance: These spiders are light or dark brown, with dark brown violin markings on their back.
- Region: This species of spider is found commonly in the Midwest, this includes the New Baden, IL area.
- Habitat: The Brown Recluse spiders are known to be reclusive, and often can be found in outdoor debris and woodpiles. They can be found in indoor locations such as under furniture, inside storage items, and in the dark parts of baseboards and window moldings. Also, places such as attics, crawlspaces, and closets are common places to find these pests.
- Threat: Similar to the black widow spider, the brown recluse spiders bite out of defense. These are usually not felt at first, but they can produce a stinging sensation that is followed by pain. Some common symptoms of a brown recluse include restlessness, fever, and trouble sleeping. In serious cases, a bite can led to an open and ulcerating sore that requires medical treatment.
- Unique Facts: Male brown recluse spiders will wander farther away from the nest than their female counterparts. This is why they are most likely to crawl into coats or shoes. This species of spider prefers to feed on small crickets and cockroaches.
If you are seeing these spiders appear throughout your home, make sure to give our team at American Termite & Pest Control today!
