Loudoun County Master Gardeners
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Loudoun County Master Gardeners |
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Home Invaders: Spiders, Crickets, Lady Beetles, Boxelder Bugs Description: Spiders are small, hairy creatures with two body parts and eight legs. They do not have antennae. They produce either tangled webs or spiral orb webs. Most spiders are not harmful but those that are harmful eject venom from small fangs. Poisonous
Spiders in
Benefits: Spiders are natural predators of insects and other spiders. Problems: Spiders are the biggest nuisance to home owners once the weather begins to turn cool. In the Fall, spiders begin to look for warm places to live such as around doors, windows, garages, house plants, and basements. Management: The Pest Management Guide published by The Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech makes the following recommendations. Prevention – Spiders can be successfully kept out of the house by careful screening, secure caulking, etc.
Pesticide*
– Repellents for personal protection.
Microencapsulations and wettable powder formulations for treating
surfaces. PLEASE,
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO
READ PACKAGE INSTRUCTIONS
BEFORE USING ANY CHEMICAL. Indoors:
Remove spiders, egg sacs, and webs with a vacuum.
Seal and dispose of the bag immediately.
Appropriately labeled dusts may be used if desired. Outdoors: remove clutter and debris in the yard where spiders can hide. Turn off outdoor lights at night. Lights attract insects that spiders use as food. *Master Gardener Note: Use of non-chemical methods is always the most desirable way to manage pests. Black Widow Spiders: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/444/444-422/444-422.html Wolf/Brown Recluse
Spiders: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/3104/3104-1586/3104-1586.html General Spider Information: http://insected.arizona.edu/spiderinfo.htm |
