Read All About Spiders
Spiders are classified as arachnids and are not insects. Arachnids are a type of animal that has no backbone. While insects have 6 legs and three main body parts, arachnids have 8 legs, no antennae and two main body parts.
There are roughly 40,000 different types of spiders in the world. Spiders have existed for over 380 million years. They are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Even though most spiders have venom, there are only a few of them that are toxic enough to cause pain or even kill humans. Two common examples of these spiders that live in North America are listed below and they should be avoided.
The Brown Recluse Spider
This spider is found in the southeastern parts of the United States. These spiders can be identified by a dark brown violin shape on their back, with the neck or thin part of the violin pointed toward the rear of the spider.
This species is well known for its secretive behaviours. It prefers to take up residence in warm, dry and dark environments such as woodpiles, basements and closets.
It has what is called cytotoxic venom. This type of venom kills human cells and tissue.
While it cannot kill humans, its bite will
cause extreme pain. They tend to strike most when disturbed.
The Black Widow Spider
There are many different types of widow spiders but the black widow is the most famous. This spider is known as the most venomous spider in North America.
The black widow spider is jet black with a red hourglass shape on the underside of its abdomen.
Only bites from females are really dangerous. Fortunately, they rarely result in human death, and they only seem to attack humans when they feel threatened.
How to Deal with Spiders
You can take certain steps to prevent spiders from entering your home. Seal up cracks and crevices, and cover outside vents with fine mesh screens.
You can apply caulking around other entry points into your house such as access points for wires, gas piping, and gaps around window and door frames. Fix or replace torn window screens as well.
On the inside, you can caulk around wires, cables, faucets and electrical components that lead to the outside of your house. Floor drains in basements, particularly around hot water heaters should have a fine mesh screen over them.