SPIDER
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SPIDER EXPERTS
Like all spiders, the species that take up residence in our homes have eight legs. Their body is divided into two parts: the cephalothorax (head and thorax fused) and the abdomen. At the end of the abdomen are the spinnerets, from which come the silk threads that are used to make spider webs, shelters and bags containing eggs. Spiders have several eyes (often eight) placed variably on their head. Their mouth parts are composed of chelicerae, which end in a hook, and palps, or pedipalps. These are more developed in males. Females are generally larger than males.

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ALL ABOUT SPIDERS
What attracts spiders to the house?
Several factors can make a home attractive to spiders.
- Food: The presence of other insects may attract spiders as their primary food source. Insects are often attracted to light, so it is advisable to reduce outdoor lighting or use reduced spectrum bulbs.
- Humidity: Spiders like damp, dark areas. Cellars, attics, bathrooms and other areas with high humidity are therefore suitable for their presence.
- Shelter: Spiders are attracted to quiet, secluded places where they can spin their webs in peace. Corners, cracks, nooks and crannies and cluttered areas can be a haven for them.
- Access: Spiders can enter the home through unsealed openings, such as cracks, gaps around doors and windows, and holes in walls.
- Temperature: Spiders often seek to enter homes during cold or dry periods to find a more temperate and humid environment.
To limit the attractiveness of your home to spiders, it is recommended that you adopt insect control measures, maintain low humidity, seal openings and keep your home clean and tidy.
How to get rid of spiders in the house?
Getting rid of spiders in a home may require multiple approaches. Here are some steps you might take:
- Regular cleaning: Keep your home clean and tidy. Regular cleaning prevents spiders from finding hiding places and places to spin their webs. Vacuum corners of rooms, behind furniture, and under beds regularly.
- Control humidity: Spiders are attracted to wet areas. Using dehumidifiers in high-humidity areas such as basements, bathrooms, and kitchens can help deter spiders.
- Seal openings: Block all potential entry points. This includes windows, doors, and cracks or holes in walls and foundations.
- Lighting: Avoid excessive outdoor lighting. Light attracts insects, which in turn attract spiders.
- Use insecticides: In case of severe infestation, the use of insecticides may be necessary. It is advisable to use specific insecticides for spiders and to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
- Call in a professional: If the infestation persists, it may be necessary to call in a professional exterminator to ensure that the spiders are completely eliminated.
Remember that spiders play an important role in the ecosystem by controlling pest populations. If they are not a threat to you or your home, it may be best to leave them alone.
Where do spiders hide in houses?
Having spiders in your home can be interpreted as a positive sign, from an ecological and environmental point of view. Indeed, spiders play a crucial role in the ecosystem, as they help regulate insect populations. They can help control mosquitoes, flies, bugs and other insects that can be harmful to humans or cause property damage.
In addition, the presence of spiders can indicate the ecological health of your home, as they tend to inhabit spaces where the food chain is intact.
However, an excessive presence of spiders could also indicate a problem, such as an infestation of other insects on which they feed. Also, some species of spiders are more likely to live in damp spaces, so an infestation could signal a moisture problem in your home.
It is also important to note that some people may have an irrational fear of spiders, known as arachnophobia. In these cases, although spiders can be beneficial to the home ecosystem, their presence can cause stress or anxiety.
Finally, some species of spiders are dangerous to humans, although this is relatively rare. It is therefore always recommended to be careful and respectful of these creatures.
Where do spiders hide in houses?
Spiders, being organisms of a discreet nature, generally prefer hidden, dark and quiet places in the house to settle. Here are some places frequently chosen by spiders:
- Nooks and crannies: Spiders love dark corners and hard-to-reach places. You can often find them in the corners of rooms, especially near the ceiling.
- Attics and basements: These areas are often dark, damp and quiet, making them ideal habitats for many spider species.
- Behind furniture: Tight, dark spaces behind furniture are also favourite places for spiders.
- In closets and drawers: Similarly, spiders can often be found in closets and drawers, especially if they are not frequently used.
- In cracks: Spiders like to nestle in small cracks and crevices in walls, floors and other surfaces.
- Basements and garages: These areas usually offer plenty of hiding places and an abundance of insects to feed on, making them attractive to spiders.
It should be noted that the exact locations where spiders choose to make their homes can vary depending on the species of spider. For example, some species prefer dry areas, while others prefer wetter areas.
How to recognize a spider’s nest?
A spider’s nest can take different forms depending on the species of spider. Here are some clues that can help you identify a spider nest:
- Spider web: Most spiders spin webs to capture their prey. These canvases can be placed in the corners of rooms, between furniture, in cracks or hung between plants.
- Silk cocoon: Some types of spiders lay their eggs in a silk cocoon. These cocoons can be attached to a web, hidden in crevices or buried in the ground.
- Tunnel webs: Spiders such as the Agelenidae family spin tunnel webs in which they hide and wait for their prey.
- Egg sacs: Spiders of the family Lycosidae (wolf spiders) often carry their egg sacs attached to their abdomen.
- Holes or crevices: Some spiders, like house spiders, do not spin webs but live in holes or crevices.
Keep in mind that not every cluster of silk threads is a spider’s nest. For example, some caterpillars also weave web-like silk structures. In addition, it is always recommended not to touch or disturb a potential spider nest without taking precautions, as some spiders can be aggressive or poisonous.
Name | SPIDERS |
---|---|
Class | Arachnids |
French name | ARAIGNÉES |
Latin name | Araneae |
Quebec | 677 species |
Colour | dirty white to almost black. |
Life | 6 months to 20 years. |
CHIRACANTHIUM MILDEI L. KOCH (MITURGID FAMILY)
The body coloration of this small spider varies from pale green to whitish yellow. We can sometimes distinguish an elongated spot on the abdomen. The latter is slightly translucent and can change colour depending on the food absorbed. It ends with conical rather than cylindrical dies. The head has two horizontal rows of four eyes of about the same size. The palps and chelicerae are brown. Possesses long legs, the first pair of legs being more than the others. The spider is about 7 mm long. This nocturnal species does not build a web and captures its prey by hunting. It can bite, but this spider stays hidden most of the time. C. mildei is the only species in Quebec whose bites can cause necrosis (see below: Frequently asked questions).
PHOLCUS PHALANGIOIDES (FUESSLIN) (FAMILY PHOLCIDES)
This spider can be recognized by its very long thin legs and its elongated grayish-white body. It measures between 6 and 8 mm long. Members of the Pholcid family have six eyes divided into two groups of three, fairly close together. The males have eyes raised on the head. P. phalangioides lives in cellars and unfinished basements. She is often seen hanging upside down on a rather loose canvas in dark places. Like the vast majority of spiders in Quebec, this one does not bite humans. Its mouth parts are too delicate to pierce our skin.
STEATODA BIPUNCTATA LINNÉ (FAMILY OF THEREDIIDS)
This spider has a rounded shape and short legs. Its rather brilliant coloration, whose hue varies from a red mark to black, is more evident on the globular abdomen. It measures between 3 and 5 mm long. This species is often found inside and outside homes, especially near a door and on exterior walls. They weave their shapeless webs made of tangled threads. The spider waits for its prey or hides nearby. Its bite is usually of no consequence to humans.
LARINIOIDES PATAGIATA (CLERCK) (FAMILY ARANEIDES)
This large, stocky spider varies in coloration but is most often dark in hue. It measures between 5 and 11 mm long. She weaves a circular web, which can be found with her occupant on the outside walls of buildings. The identification of L. patagiata is not easy because it resembles other less common spiders also found in houses. Specialists must examine its genitalia, characteristic of the species, to identify it for sure. It seems that its bite is not very painful and usually does not present any consequences for humans.
SALTICUS SCENICUS (CLERCK) (SALTICIDE FAMILY)
This stocky and robust spider has rather short and thick legs. Its abdomen is zebra and very hairy. As in other jumping spiders, the two eyes in the middle of the bottom row are much larger than the others. She does not weave a web. It hunts rather by pouncing on its victims, often moving very fast by making short and sudden jumps. It is often found near windows or on glass. Like almost all spiders in Quebec, this species is harmless.
TEGENARIA DOMESTICA (CLERCK) (FAMILY AGELENIDES)
The chevrons that decorate the dorsal part of its abdomen facilitate the identification of this species. One also notes the spinners which exceed the end of its abdomen. This spider measures between 6 and 12 mm long. It is common in barns, cellars and other cool, damp and dark places. It is often found in nooks and crannies or under logs and floors. Its bite is usually of no consequence to humans.
LIFE CYCLE
The life cycle of spiders varies according to the species. These arthropods do not undergo metamorphosis. The young, also called juveniles, resemble the adults but are smaller. Generally, the female lays her eggs in a silk bag that she hides in a shelter or carries with her. Depending on the case, the spider may produce one or more of these egg sacs, each containing a variable number of eggs. These hatch a few weeks after the laying or in the following spring in the species which spend the winter in this form. Like insects, spiders grow by changing their “skin” during the moult. The external skeleton tears on the dorsal part and the spider gets out of it by helping itself with its legs. The number of moults is different according to the species. Spiders can overwinter as eggs, immature stages or as adults.
HABITAT
The species presented here are found inside homes or on the outside walls of buildings (they are called synanthropic spiders). We can also sometimes talk about cellar spiders. Sometimes hidden in crawl spaces, they can also live in the wild, on foliage, near waterways and under stones, for example.
POWER SUPPLY
Spiders feed on living prey. The species of spiders found in homes in Quebec eat mostly insects. They may also feed on other small arthropods, including spiders.
CONTROL METHODS
Even when they live in our homes, spiders make themselves useful by devouring many insects. Moreover, they are mostly harmless. Chiracanthium mildei can however cause a problem when it bites (see below: Frequently asked questions), which it does very rarely. In addition, a very small portion of the population has allergic reactions to spiders.
The reason we discuss various control methods here is not because house spiders are dangerous or cause damage. It is more fear of these little creatures that leads us to present a few tips to prevent them from entering your home and to get rid of them. If you can handle a few spiders in your home, you’ll save yourself a lot of work and a few bites! (N.B. People with a phobia of spiders can consult the article Insects and spiders: generators of fears and phobias).
Eliminate access points by filling cracks and holes on the exterior walls of the house and around doors and windows. Add screens to doors, windows and air vents.
Also, limit nighttime lighting around your home. Light attracts insects, which in turn attract spiders. So we have “domestic” spiders that feed on insects.
In addition to the species of spiders that often live in homes (see above Description of Adults), a variety of naturally occurring species may accidentally enter homes or be carried into homes with firewood, plants, clothes that have been hung out to dry, or other items that have been outside. If you want to avoid bringing spiders, insects or other small animals into your home, inspect what you bring into the house.
Look at areas where spiders often make their home, such as the garage, basement, attic and places where storage boxes are accumulated, for example. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove webs and silk sheds. Use a broom or container to move the spiders outside so you don’t kill these useful arthropods.
It is not recommended to use pesticides to kill spiders in the home, especially in children’s rooms. If you still choose this approach, seek advice from a specialist to choose the least toxic product best suited to your situation. Follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully, proceed with caution and remember that most chemical pesticides can be harmful to you and the environment.
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