When spiders come out to play, Clark’s can save the day! Read more to learn about poisonous spiders, how we treat them, and how you can help prevent them.
SPIDER FAQ
“What kind of treatment for spiders do I get with my general pest control service?”
We treat from the foundation of your home, 2 feet up and 3 feet out as a protective barrier, as well as all possible points of entry for pests like cracks/crevices in door and windows. It also covers brushing down spider webs with a pesticide around eves, doors, windows, lights, garage, and any other areas on the structure that a spider has built a web. It is normal to see spiders, as they are the most difficult pest to treat, their legs are long and they walk right through the treatment.
They don’t clean themselves, so the only way for product to be applied to them is by direct spray or ingestion of a pest with treatment on it. During your pest control service, the pest professionals can knock down any webs, take care of any spiders seen and treat for any food source they may be thriving off of. If any poisonous spider is found in or around your home you can count on Team Clarks to get rid of them.
“What kind of spiders are dangerous?”
According to PestWorld, there are two species in the southern and western United States that can cause serious harm when accidentally disturbed – the black widow and brown recluse.
You are probably familiar with the black widow’s appearance. It has an almost glossy sheen to its body and has an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of its abdomen.
The male widow spider is smaller than the female and rarely bites. The more aggressive females bite more often but will still usually only bite in defense. The most common reason for them to attack is if they are guarding or laying eggs.
The female black widow prefers to spin her silken web in a protected space, such as under decks, house steps or stones. They are rarely found inside of houses. The black widow bite produces sharp pain that typically lasts for hours, resulting in localized muscle cramps.
The pain can become severe and spread to other parts of the body and be accompanied by tremors and weakness. Cold clammy skin, a feeble pulse, spasmodic breathing, and delirium might also be experienced.

The brown recluse spider appears harmless. It is yellow to light brown in color and on the smaller side, with its body only measuring around 3/8” long. When its long legs are extended, its length grows by more than an inch. The brown recluse is often confused with the much larger wolf spider. The easiest way to identify the brown recluse is its three pair of eyes.
It won’t seek out humans to attack, as it is shy by nature. It typically hunts for prey at night and hides during the day.
However, its hiding places can lead to accidental encounters with humans as they like to hide in ceiling light fixtures, under insulation in attics, under furniture, in boxes or in closets.
These locations are prime areas for them to be accidentally found and bite in defense.
“I have general pest control services with you, why would I need Spider+ services?”
Our Spider+ Control service, which includes 8 enhanced spider treatments to the home, treats up to 1/2 acre and directly attracts & attacks spiders.
We use a fog machine to target your yard as well as above the first main floor of your home. This also covers structures on your property like docks, boats, etc. and is great if you live near a body of water.
The 8 treatments also come with a monthly guarantee in between services.
“Is there anything I can do myself to treat spiders?”
Light Leak Test
You’ll notice that the spider webs come out where there’s light. This is because the spiders know how to hunt for their food and that’s what they are targeting. You are most likely to see them around your porch light, flood light, etc.
To perform a light leak test you must do the following:
Wait until dark and then turn on all interior lights and close all blinds, curtains, shutters, windows and doors.
Go outside and see if there is any light “leaking” through.
Vacuuming, Hairspray, and Windex – Who Would Have Thought?
Between services, we recommend vacuuming up any webs and spiders to keep their quickly growing population under control, making sure to properly dispose of any dead pests (aka their food source), and refraining from using over the counter pesticides as they can counteract with our treatment.
You can use Windex or hairspray to kill any pests you see.
We also offer a service targeted directly to spiders for the exterior of your home, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns or would like more information on our Spider + services.
“Do spiders benefit the environment?”
Spiders can help keep down the chances of flying insects invading the inside and outside of your home. Their food source is other bugs. As long as they stay hungry and searching for food, they can be more helpful than harmful.
Chances are you will never experience the bite of a black widow or brown recluse spider, however, that doesn’t mean you have to share your home with these pests.
Thankfully, you can get rid of all types of terrifying spiders around your property today by calling Clark’s Termite & Pest Control. Give us a call at our toll-free number 866-781-4991.
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