Are You Seeing A Lot Of Spiders Inside Your Tucson Home?

The Types Of Spiders You May Find In Your Tucson Home

Many of the spiders in our area present little or no risk to humans; they're just creepy. But not all spiders in Tucson are harmless. Let's quickly go over some of the spiders you can expect to see in your Tucson home.

• Common Spiders: These are the tiny spiders that create webs in your home. They rarely bite and when they bite the wounds are only small, itchy, and irritating. A select few cannot bite at all because their fangs are not strong enough to pierce human skin.

• Jumping Spiders: These spiders are annoyingly creepy because they jump. The good news is that they aren't prone to bite humans. If you are bitten by a jumping spider, you should have a minor reaction if you don't have an allergy to spider venom.

• Tarantulas: While certainly scary spiders, they are mostly docile toward humans and they rarely bite. If trapped, a tarantula may bite you, and the result will likely feel like a bee sting. It isn't pleasant. So we don't recommend handling these spiders—not that you would.

• Wolf Spiders: These are one of the most common "hairy" spiders we see in our service area. They are docile, like tarantulas, and have a bite that is far less painful. They are considered nuisance spiders. 

• Black Widow Spiders: These spiders rarely get into homes and stay. They are considered outdoor spiders. Be cautious around areas where they are known to hide and keep watch for their webs. A bite from a widow may only result in a bee-like stinging feeling, but strong flu-like symptoms are also associated with these spiders.

• Brown Recluse Spiders: These spiders get inside and are able to create large indoor populations. While they rarely bite, we do not advise allowing these spiders to remain in your home. The venom of a brown recluse spider can cause necrosis. Seek medical assistance if bitten.

These are the spiders to watch out for in your Tucson home. There are many other species, but these general descriptions apply. In most cases, spiders aren't dangerous, and some are harmless. But it is best not to live with them.

What It Means If You're Seeing Spiders Inside

Spiders go where food is found. When you see spiders in your Tucson home, it is likely due to an available exterior or interior food source. Spiders eat flies, bugs, and other pests. General pest problems typically lead to spider problems.

Another reason spider visitations increase inside Tucson homes is that entry points are available. The more holes, cracks, and gaps they can find, the more likely spiders will get in.

One last common reason spider activity increases inside homes is that spiders are not properly managed. There are steps you can take to reduce spiders in your Tucson home. We'll cover them in the tips below.

Easy & Effective Spider Prevention DIY Tips

What can you do about the spiders inside your Tucson home? It's easy: All you have to do is get them out and keep them out, and there are many all-natural ways to do this. Some of the ways you deal with spiders are things you may already be doing. Knowing how important these tasks are will help you put more emphasis on doing them and help you get better results.

• You already put your trash out, but do you know how important it is for spider management? The scent of garbage attracts insects and other pests. When you see flies buzzing around your trash, remember that spiders eat flies. Every step you take to maintain a clean and unscented trash receptacle will reduce spider activity.
• You already turn off lights you're not using, but turning them off doesn't just save you money it can reduce spider populations. Insects are attracted to white light. More lights and long light usage increases insect populations. Keep lights off or replace white exterior bulbs with bulbs that cast light in the yellow spectrum. Insects can't see yellow light and are not attracted to it.
• You already remove spider webs. They're unsightly. But removing webs also impacts spiders in a way you may not realize. Webs can have spider egg sacs, and a spider egg sac can have 300 spiders in it. Do we need to say more? Removing webs and crushing those sacs provides excellent spider prevention.
• You fix your home up when things wear out, right? Some repairs are critical for keeping spiders out. Old and sun-rotten weatherstripping or door frames provide gaps for spiders to slip past. Missing or damaged door sweeps allow spiders to crawl right under your exterior doors. Damaged screens or gaps around screens allow spiders in. Chipped concrete around utilities creates gaps and provides quick entry. 
• You don't put up with fruit flies (or any other flies) being in your house, but expeditiously dispatching flies to the hereafter is about more than a quality of life improvement. Flies are a desirable food for spiders. Quickly addressing interior pest issues reduces your chances of having spiders move in.
• You pick up toys in the yard if you have kids. But are you aware that toys provide protected hiding places for insects? They get under toys because toys offer protection from the hot sun, which dries insects out. Spiders get under toys to eat the insects and will sometimes create webs if a toy sits long enough.
• You rake up fronds, leaves, sticks, and other debris. When you do this, you remove all-natural hiding places insects use. They love these places because they capture moisture from your sprinklers, and many insects eat plant sap.
• You address weed problems in your lawn. Do you know that weeds provide a source of plant sap for insects and that flowering weeds give them sweet nectar to eat? When insects enter your yard to feed, spiders follow right behind.
• Do you like to save a buck? Do you get used furniture? If so, take the time to thoroughly check your furniture for spiders and other pests that spiders eat. Pests don't just come into your home from the outside. They can hitchhike.   

Do you see how it works? You already do some natural spider prevention. If you become intentional about tackling these tasks, you can have a spider-free home.