The House Spiders In Tupelo: What You Should Know

It is estimated that there are more than 45,000 species of spiders in the world. These species are grouped together into categories that have common names, such as funnel spiders, orb weavers, long-bodied cellar spiders, widow spiders, and many more. Sometimes scientists classify groups of animals together into a larger group. This is the case with common house spiders. In the United States, there is only one spider that bears the name common house spider. It is the American house spider.  Several spiders are referred to as common house spiders; they are not the one and only common house spider. Today, we're going to be talking about house spiders in general, not the American house spider specifically. Here are a few things you should know if you live in Tupelo.

What Makes A House Spider A House Spider?

Any spider can get into your house, but that doesn't make it a house spider—no more than finding a bug in your bed makes it a bed bug. A house spider is defined as a spider species that habitually lives inside man-made dwellings. A few spiders you should not be surprised to find in your Tupelo residence are American, wolf, daddy longlegs, hobo, jumping, brown recluse, and yellow sac spiders. 

Dangerous House Spiders

Of all the spiders that may get into your Tupelo home, the brown recluse spider is the only medically important spider. A bite from a brown recluse can cause a wound with spreading necrosis. While this isn't always the case, and is actually rarely the case, it is known to happen. There are documented reports of brown recluse bites that have led to disfiguring wounds due to necrosis. It is important, however, to keep things in perspective. Here are a few facts to consider:

• Only a small fraction of brown recluse bites result in spreading necrosis.
• Most bites from these spiders will only result in an irritating wound with a small ulcer or lesion.
• Brown recluse spiders are as reclusive as their name implies. If you don't go into undisturbed locations within your home, you may not ever encounter these spiders.
• Brown recluse spiders are not aggressive.
• There are many preventative steps you can take to significantly reduce your chances of being bitten by a recluse spider.

The concern with brown recluse spiders is that these arachnids can grow a large population in your home. Technicians in the United States have cataloged infestations with thousands of recluse spiders. As the population of brown recluse spiders increases in your home, they can begin to show up in unexpected ways, such as repelling from the vent in your bathroom and surprising you while you're taking a shower. This can be disturbing, to say the least. But you don't need to live in fear of brown recluse spiders if you discover them in your home.  

Honorable Mention

While the brown recluse spider is the big boy on the block, the yellow sac spider deserves some mention. Like the brown recluse, the venom of a yellow sac spider also has necrotic properties. Fortunately, this necrosis is not known to spread. There are, however, a few facts that should be considered:

• Yellow sac spiders readily bite people. Experts assert that bites from yellow sac spiders are likely to account for more human bites than any other type of spider.
• If you are bitten in a sensitive location, such as the eye, this can result in a greater chance of harm due to the necrotic properties of the venom.
• In light of the first two facts, it is important to remember that yellow sac spiders are not currently known to be a medical threat. 

Harmless Spiders

There are several types of spiders, like the daddy longlegs spider (also referred to as long-bodied cellar spiders), that will present no threat to you at all. While all spiders have fangs and venom, the fangs of a daddy longlegs spider are not strong enough to break your skin. There are about 20 species of cellar spiders in the United States and Canada. None of them are considered a bite risk.

Scary Wolf Spiders

Wolf spiders are probably the scariest spiders that will get into your Tupelo home. These are big, hairy arachnids. When you find one sitting on the floor of your bathroom in defiance, you might want to sell your home and simply find a new place to live. The good news is that wolf spiders are very docile. These spiders can be handled without biting, though we don't recommend that you handle them. We point this out so that you understand the level of threat. If you are bitten by a wolf spider, it will feel like a pinprick, but there should not be any flu-like symptoms associated with it.

Spider Control In Tupelo

If you'd prefer to not have spiders in your Tupelo home, we can help you with that. Reach out to McCary Pest Control. We offer residential pest control plans that provide coverage for house spiders. You don't have to live with these unwelcome guests. Get relief today.