|
Spiders:
Black Widow Spider | Brown Recluse Spider | House Spider (American house Spider)
| |
Common name: |
Latin name: |
Class: |
Order: |
Family: |
| |
House Spider (American house Spider) |
Achaearanea tepidariorum (C. L. Koch) |
Arachnida |
Araneae |
Theridiidae |
| |
Size: |
| |
Adult females have body length of about 3/16 to 5/16 inch (5-8 mm), including abdomen. Adult males are smaller. |
| |
Characteristics: |
| |
Rounded abdomen in female; elongated abdomen in male. Serrated bristles on last tarsal segment of 4th pair of legs, 8 eyes with 2 lateral pairs almost touching. |
| |
Color: |
| |
Yellowish brown carapace (bony shield). Abdomen is dirty white with a few dark spots, or sometimes even a triangular spot, to almost black with several dark stripes in a V-shape, like army sergeant stripes. Male has orange legs and the female has banded yellow legs. |
| |
Where Found: |
| |
Throughout the world, and is common throughout the United States and Canada. |
| |
Comparison: |
| |
Other species of Achaearanea (spiders) do not have V-shaped markings on abdomen. Some spider species do not have serrated bristles on last tarsal segment of 4th pair of legs, nor do they have 8 eyes with 2 lateral pairs almost touching. |
| |
Habitat: |
| |
Outside in protected places, around windows and under eaves with some light to attract prey; inside in garages, sheds, barns, warehouses, in corners and closets, under furniture. |
| |
Food: |
| |
Variety of insects, but can go weeks or even months without eating. |
| |
Biology: |
| |
Female lays 250 eggs in a brownish silky sac with a tough, papery cover, about 1/4 to 3/8 inch (6-9 mm) in diameter. It usually is placed in the middle of the web, but it may be moved to a warmer or cooler place. May be more than one sac in a web at the same time. May produce up to 17 sacs in a lifetime. Eggs hatch in 7-10 days; first instar (stage) spiderlings stay in sac until after first molt. Second instars come out, ballooning down; there are 6 or 7 molts to maturity. Adults live 1 year. |
| |
Damage: |
| |
Dust collects in webs. |
| |
Control: |
| |
Spider control is a six-step process. In general, control strategy should include: 1) Inspection- Determines conditions that might need correction in order to achieve desired level of control. 2) Identification- Determines target pest and possibly treatment strategy due to species habits. 3) Prevention- Building conditions allowing entry. Lighting that may attract their prey. 4) Sanitation- Debris outside such as wood-piles, high weeds, rocks and overgrown shrubs give shelter. Indoors eliminate clutter and vacuum areas out of normal access regularly. 5) Mechanical Measures- mechanical removal of webs greatly enhances a control program. Since spiders reuse their silk, a light dusting of remaining webs with a non-repellant insecticide dust will aid in control 6) Pesticide Application- Application of pest control materials will reduce the active population and give overall control when performed along with the above listed recommendations. When using any pesticide, be sure it is registered for the target pest/location. Read the entire label prior to use. Follow all label directions, restrictions, and precautions. For large infestations or multiple sightings of spiders, we recommend using the services of a professional exterminator. |
|
