Knoxville Pest Companies Respond To Spike In Spider Infestations

Knoxville Pest Companies Respond To Spike In Spider Infestations

WBIR.COM
Raishad Hardnett
July 18th, 2017

 

As temperatures continue to rise in East Tennessee, some pests are becoming more active.

Several Knoxville pest control companies say calls are flooding in this summer more than past years, especially for spider infestations.

Calls are ringing off the hook at Russell’s Pest Control company, where staff are now receiving 20 to 30 calls per week for spider problems alone.

“Spiders especially have skyrocketed this year,” said Brian Smith, service manager for Russell’s Pest Company. “It wasn’t as active last year. It was very hot, but very dry, and there wasn’t a lot of rain. We’ve had a good amount of rain this year.”

Across Knoxville, at least three pest companies report a rise in spider-related calls, including a venomous spider called the Brown Recluse.

The spider, identified by a violin-shaped torso, can be found all over the South, from East Tennessee to Oklahoma. Smith said they are usually more prevalent in the Midwest than East Tennessee, but multiple companies say calls are becoming increasingly more common.

One company, Dayton’s Pest Control, reported about half a dozen calls for Brown Recluse in the past month. Experts say that is not overly prevalent, but still more than usual for East Tennessee.

Last week, another Knoxville company, Frogg’s Pest Control, responded to a home littered with them.

“The Brown Recluse gets a lot of attention because of the severity of the bite,” said Smith. “Their venom can cause flesh and muscle to deteriorate.”

However, experts at the University of California Riverside found “90 percent of Brown Recluse bites are not medically significant, and heal very nicely often without medical intervention.” 

Smith said the spider is likely to live in more homes than many people realize, due to their secluded nature. Exterminating the spiders is tricky, however, because they hide in nooks and crannies, often making glue traps more effective than pesticides.

“We try to put a lot of glue boards, a lot of monitors out to try to catch those spiders because they are so reclusive,” Smith said.

Smith said Russell’s Pest Control is beefing up staff to handle the uptick in pest calls.

If you do find Brown Recluse in your home, your best move may be to call the professionals.

Are Black Widow Spiders Dangerous?

Are Black Widow Spiders Dangerous?

All spiders have venom, but the venom of the black widow spider is particularly potent. This is because the black widow takes down much larger prey than most spiders. They don’t just eat flies and gnats. These robust arachnids can take down and feed on caterpillars, beetles, scorpions, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and other large insects. But what is most impressive is that they will also take down mice, lizards, and even snakes. This is not a spider you want to tangle with.

Will a bite from a black widow lead to death?

A black widow bite can be fatal, but it is rare, especially in the United States where medical treatment for black widow bites is quickly accessible. It is, however, a bite that is usually unpleasant enough to make you wish you were dead. Symptoms may include severe pain in the bite area, as well as in the chest, belly, and back; muscle aches that start near the bite wound and spread through the entire body; chills, sweating, fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, and even shock. A bite from the black widow is especially threatening to those who have a heart condition because the venom often causes a spike in blood pressure. If you, or someone you’re with, is bitten by a black widow spider, seek medical attention immediately.

How do I protect myself from a black widow bite?

If you are away from home, the best way to protect yourself from a bite is to recognize a black widow spider web when you see one. These webs don’t look like those perfect webs you see as part of Halloween decorations. These spiders make a tangled web from strong fibers and usually place them in locations that are near the ground.

Bites from this spider usually occur when this spider is brought into contact with the skin. If you are at home, here are some ways you can protect yourself:

  • Be careful, or wear gloves, when flipping things over in your yard.

  • Be careful when opening boxes that have come out of storage.

  • Shake clothing before you put those items on, especially if they have been on the floor.

  • Shake towels before you use them.

  • Turn footwear upside down and give them a good shake before slipping your foot in.

  • Pull your bedding down and examine the sheets before you get into bed.

  • Reduce habitats in your yard by reducing clutter and ground holes.

If you’ve seen black widow spiders on your property, and you live in our Tennessee service area, you can trust the QualityPro Certified team here at Russell’s Pest Control to help protect you from an accidental encounter with these potent spiders. Reach out to us for quick assistance.

Wolf Spider Prevention Tips

Wolf Spider Prevention Tips

Have you seen a wolf spider? Would you know one if you saw one? There are actually around 200 species of wolf spider found in North America, and they don’t all look the same. The most common wolf spider we see in Tennessee homes is brown with two dark parallel lines on the back of its head. This spider is sometimes mistaken for a grass spider, and your grass is actually where it prefers to be. But, all too often, it finds its way into places it does not belong, or even particularly want to be, because, unlike the grass spider, wolf spiders don’t hang out in webs and wait for their food to come to them. In fact, they don’t make webs at all. They prowl for their food.

Wolf spiders are drawn to moist or humid areas, and places where they can get a meal. This will bring them into garages, sheds, and basements in search of crickets, cockroaches, beetles, flying insects, and more. While it may be nice to think about having a creature taking care of these other pests in your home, it is better to have all the pests removed from your home.

The bite from a wolf spider is not medically important, but it does hurt, and it can leave you with a red, itchy welt. For those who are allergic to the venom of a wolf spider, it can take several days for this wound to heal. In all cases, it is possible to get a secondary infection if a wolf spider bite isn’t properly treated.

Wolf Spider Control

  • Reducing insects around your home can reduce wolf spiders. Make sure all exterior trash is sealed, and consider replacing outside lights with yellow insect-resistant bulbs, or simply keep them off.

  • Removing vegetation that is near your exterior walls can deter these spiders from exploring where you don’t want them to be.

  • If they get on your wall, it is important to make sure they don’t find an entry point. Repair or replace any damaged or missing screens on your home, and use a caulking gun to fill in any holes that have developed in your exterior walls.

  • Remove clutter that is next to your walls.

  • Make sure your doors have working door sweeps.

  • Reduce the humidity in your basement and other areas these spiders may explore.

  • Have a professional pest controller give your home year-round protection.

There are a lot of bugs that try to get into Tennessee homes this time of year, and wolf spiders are one of them. Make sure your home is protected with a year-round, seasonal pest control you can trust. Find out about our Power, Power Gold, and Power Platinum pest plans, and how they guard against over 30 common household pests.

You can probably live with wolf spiders–but it nicer to live without them. Get your quality of life upgrade today.

Spiders Predicting A Long Harsh Winter?

Spiders Predicting A Long Harsh Winter?

In the midst of all your fall activities and busy preparations for the winter months, it dawns on you that there are numerous spiders everywhere…in the garage, the basement, and yes, inside the house!  Why are there so many spiders this year?
 
According to an article from the Farmer’s Almanac:

One of the listed signs of a hard winter is, “spiders spinning larger than usual webs and entering the house in great numbers.”  While it is too soon to know if the Farmer’s Almanac prediction will prove to be true regarding a harsh winter, we do know that there seems to be an abundance of spiders this year.
 
Very few people have an appreciation of spiders.  Those menacing looking creatures just don’t make you feel warm and fuzzy!  In fact, very few things cause a reaction of fear and anxiety like the sight of a spider.  Many people will assume that if it is a spider, it is poisonous.  Tennessee has a large number of species of spiders, but there are actually only two that are poisonous—the black widow and the brown recluse.  The Tennessee Poison Center states that both of these species are found in every Tennessee County.
 
Most spiders are rather shy and not in the “attack mode.”  They actually prefer closed, dark places.  However, this characteristic also makes it difficult for the novice to treat the home and eradicate or remove spiders.  Your best approach to correcting a spider problem is to contact Russell’s Pest Control and ask for information regarding their Power Package Programs.  They have three packages, all of which include the removal and treatment of spiders and 30 plus common household pests.
 
Remember, all household pests have one thing in common—they are searching for food and shelter.  Spiders are looking for shelter and warmth but there are a few suggestions that will reduce your chances of being bitten:

  • Keep your bedspreads and skirting off the floor.  This will hopefully keep spiders out of your bed.
  • Shake out clothing and shoes before wearing.
  • Store those seldom-used items in plastic bags or storage boxes.
  • Seal all cracks around windows and doors and any other areas in which spiders may enter.

Let the professionals secure your home and eradicate those dreadful spiders.  When you choose your Power Package from Russell’s Pest Services, you will get a quarterly pest service, Russell’s pest-free* guarantee, and year round protection from more than 30 common household pests.

What To Know About Spiders In Knoxville

What To Know About Spiders In Knoxville

What has 8 legs and is quite possibly the scariest insect of all? Yep, you guessed it, spiders. Spiders come in every shape, size, color and personality. Some are actual hunters while others just sit and wait for their next meal to drop by. Either way, they are definitely creepy. The real question is, what spiders do you really have to worry about?

Most common spiders are almost harmless. If they do bite at all, it isn’t poisonous. They really are more of a menace than anything else. They make webs inside and out. These webs are their home and food source. Seems like you just clean them up, and they are back the next day. Common household spiders do serve a purpose, besides scaring and annoying you. They help rid you of other small insects.

The beautiful weather and climate that we all love about Knoxville is also the reason that lots of other spiders find it a great place to live. Some of the bites of these spiders can be a serious threat to people and other animals. Here are the top 2 spiders to be on the look-out for:

Black Widow Spider

These venomous spiders try to stay out of the elements and away from view. You can usually find their irregular shaped webs in outbuildings, under stones or amongst fallen wood. Mature females are the ones to look out for. They are black with red markings on their abdomen, often appearing like a red hourglass.

Brown Recluse Spider

The brown recluse also has a venomous bite. This spider has a stealthy bite though. Often people don’t realize that they have been bitten until later when the bite area starts to hurt. This anti-social spider usually only bite when they are disturbed. They can be found in dark areas, like under porches, woodpiles or buckets.

If you think that you may have been bitten by either of these two spiders seek immediate medical attention. Everyone reacts differently to a venomous bite from this terrible twosome.

Spiders can be found just about anywhere. Here in Knoxville, we are no exception. If spiders are becoming an overwhelming part of your summer, call the experts at Russell’s Pest Control and let us take care of them for you!

A Good Perspective On Spiders

Recently, we linked to an article on our facebook page by an entomologist blogger who discussed the use of scare tactics in journalism, particularly in relation to extremely unpopular pests like spiders. Now granted, we’re not afraid to employ the spook factor on occasion to make people’s jaws drop because there really are some pests in the world that no one wants to meet during daily life. However, we want people to have a proper perspective on pests. Right now, spiders are a hot topic in Knoxville and surrounding areas because it’s been an extremely webby year, so let’s talk about them for a bit.

The article linked above said that, on average, people should assume that they’re within six feet of a spider at any given point. This is not good news. There are some people who just don’t mind the presence of spiders (I live with one of those people, and it’s completely baffling to me). However, most people don’t want to think about being less than half a room away from a spider while they sleep. Let us be reasonable, though. Most of those spiders are really tiny, and you probably wouldn’t even notice them if you passed them in broad daylight. There are a lot of arachnids in our country that are so small that they couldn’t bite you even if they wanted to. Their jaws are just too tiny to get through our thick skin, and all of those spiders are more than eager to get out of your way as quickly as possible if you cross paths. Of the ones that could bite you, the vast majority of them are 100% motivated not to do so (since it’s almost assuredly going to spell certain death for them). Of the ones that could bite you and might do it, most will hurt noticeably less than a bee sting and will leave behind a mark that will be gone within 48 hours. The pool of truly troublesome spiders in the U.S. is just not very large.

However, we’re in the pest control industry. We’re in this business because we understand that people can recognize that most spiders are not going to hurt them while still maintaining the conviction that sharing space with them is unacceptable. We get that. This is a service industry; we’re here to help people and relieve some pain or stress in their lives.

So, here’s the perspective that we like to convey to people. In most cases, pest control is about controlling pests, not eliminating them everywhere forever. You would be very upset if we blasted every spider off your property because your house would quickly be overrun by all manner of scuttling and flying pests. Spiders really do have a crucial part in the circle of life around your house. We want to keep the spiders out of your house so they don’t bother you while still allowing them to help with the pest control on the rest of your property.

We absolutely do treatments for spiders, and we would be glad to talk to you about that if you need one. We’ll also knock down their webs around your doors and windows when we come to do a pest control treatment; this makes good sense because a spider who is not living right next to an entrance to your home is a lot less likely invite herself in to stay for a while. We don’t want to you meet wolf spiders while doing your laundry, so we’ll pay particular attention to areas that are most likely to foster hunting grounds for large spiders like that. But, try to remember that spiders can be a little bit cool (from a distance) and that they’re absolutely crucial in the scheme of the world.

Black Widow Spiders: The Ultimate Halloween Pest

Since it’s October, we’ve decided to continue our tradition of introducing you to a creepy beastie. Last year’s house centipede was alarming, but now let’s look at what may be the most widely-recognized “bug” in North America. Today, we’ll discuss facts about black widow spiders and what homeowners in Knoxville and the surrounding counties need to know about keeping themselves safe.

Probably almost all of our readers have at least seen a picture of a black widow. But, just as a review, you can identify a black widow by its bulbous, round body that is shiny, black, and hairless. They have thin, jointed legs, which are also hairless. Adult black widow spiders have that tell-tale hour glass on their stomachs, which is most famously known to be red but can also be orange, yellow, or even white. We are also seeing a rise of brown widows, which obviously have a different body color but usually still have a bright spot on their stomachs. Black widows prefer to make their webs near to the ground where they will not be disturbed. The webbing is extremely dense and messy; clearing it away with a broom may be difficult because the silk is so strong and sticky.

Black widows are one of the only two dangerous spiders in our area. Although brown recluses are probably more famous for their dangerous bites, pest professionals like those at Russell’s Pest Control consider the black widow to be more of a threat. They can be quite aggressive, particularly when guarding their eggs. Unlike recluses, who produce a toxin that attacks skin cells, black widow spiders produce a neurotoxin. A neurotoxin is a poison that affects the nervous system. This means that the location of the bite itself may show only mild symptoms, but other side effects could be more problematic. Additional symptoms of a black widow bite include nausea, fever, and severe muscle cramps, particularly in the abdomen. Despite the possible severity of these symptoms, black widow bites are very rarely fatal in the U.S. and usually only require observation by a doctor for a day or two.

So, you don’t want to meet a black widow…what should you do? Unfortunately, widows are very common in East Tennessee and are most likely to be found by homeowners in stored items or debris around the property. The crevices in wood piles make great homes for widows as do boxes that are rarely opened in the garage. Keep your wood piles well away from the house, and always wear long sleeves and gloves if you’re going to haul wood to burn inside. In addition, keeping your garage as tidy as possible will also deter black widows from settling at your house. If you’re going to clean out your garage and move old boxes, always wear gloves to protect yourself.

Generally, the position of a good pest control company is that spiders should be preserved because they serve such a crucial role in nature. However, black widows around your house are dangerous, and Russell’s does not recommend that you view them as good neighbors. If you find a black widow at your house, kill it (use a closed-toed shoe, not a paper towel or broom). Widows reproduce very rapidly and can easily have around 350 eggs in one sac. If you think you have a widow problem at your house and want to try to treat them yourself, read the label of your over-the-counter pesticide carefully. Most store-bought products are not labeled to kill spiders and will not do so effectively. There are plenty of people who can’t stand spiders and don’t want to deal with them. We at Russell’s Pest Control understand that completely and would be glad to set you up on a quarterly pest control plan that takes care of ants, roaches, and mice in addition to alarming arachnids. Think about it, and visit us here if you’re interested.

It’s Spider Season

Despite the fact that spiders play a beneficial role in our environment, arachnophobia (the fear of spiders) is more common than any other kind of phobia. Unfortunately for the people of east Tennessee, spiders are considered a year-round pest and can be found in homes during any season and in the midst of any weather conditions. Let’s go over the basics of what you need to know if you’re finding spiders in your home, particularly because early September is when we at Russell’s start to get more phone calls about indoor spiders.

First of all, DON’T PANIC! No one likes to be startled by a large spider somewhere unexpected, but there are very few spiders in Tennessee that can deliver a bite even as powerful as a bee sting. And, despite their bad reputation, only a few spiders are considered aggressive. Many wouldn’t bite you even if you tried to provoke them (this, of course, doesn’t change the fact that you should never provoke what you can’t identify).

Spiders aren’t like roaches; they don’t move indoors just because they like it there. All spiders are predators, which means if you’re finding spiders in your house, it’s because there are already other small bugs there that can provide a food source for your eight-legged friends. The trick, then, is to get rid of the food source and make your home uninviting for a hungry spider.

Keep exterior doors closed. Caulk around your windows so that cracks don’t offer convenient entry points for small pests; this will also help lower your bills so you’re not air conditioning or heating the outdoors. Check your window screens. You need to be sure you’re not leaving holes for unwanted guests when you let in that sweet autumn air. Replace weather-stripping and seals around doors if needed, particularly since overhangs at the back door are a common place for spiders to set up shop.

Try some of these tips to keep your home spider-free in September. And, if the spiders are still more than you can handle, remember Russell’s offers convenient pest control services that can take care of most common house spiders. We’ll even knock down their webs.