Spider Exterminator
Near YouBlack Widow · Brown Recluse · Wolf Spider · House Spiders · Web Removal

Most spider bites cause minor local pain and swelling that resolves within a few days. Seek immediate medical attention for: severe muscle cramps, chest pain, or abdominal rigidity (black widow symptoms); a blister surrounded by a bull's-eye discoloration that develops over 2-3 days (brown recluse symptoms); difficulty breathing or swallowing; or bite on a child, elderly person, or immunocompromised individual. For any uncertain spider bite, the safest approach is to go to urgent care or the emergency room.

Brown recluses have three specific identifying characteristics: a violin-shaped marking on the dorsal side of the cephalothorax (pointing toward the abdomen), six eyes arranged in three pairs (not the typical eight eyes), and uniform coloring with no stripes or bands. They are 1/4 to 3/4 inch long. Without magnification, accurate identification is difficult. When in doubt, treat any spider you cannot identify in a venomous-species-present region as potentially dangerous until a professional can confirm.

One spider is not typically cause for professional treatment. However, if you find a black widow or brown recluse inside your home — particularly in sleeping areas or children's rooms — professional assessment is warranted even for a single specimen, because where there is one, there are likely more. A large population of non-venomous house spiders visible throughout the home indicates a prey insect problem worth addressing professionally.

Spiders follow their food source — other insects. A sudden increase in spider activity usually means an underlying pest problem (ants, flies, moths, or other insects) that the spiders are feeding on. It also commonly happens in late summer and fall when spiders move toward warmth before winter. Addressing both the spiders and the prey insects that attract them provides more lasting results than treating spiders alone.

A professional exterior perimeter barrier spray provides 30-90 days of residual protection depending on the product used and weather conditions. Interior harborage treatments last longer. Most homeowners with significant spider pressure opt for quarterly service to maintain year-round protection, especially in warmer climates where spiders are active longer.

This is a common myth with no scientific basis. Daddy long legs (cellar spiders) are not venomous in any meaningful way. Their fangs are too small to penetrate human skin, and their venom is mild even in insect prey. They are completely harmless to humans and pets. No version of this claim has ever been validated by toxicological research.