Cockroaches, rats, and mice. These creatures elicit screams from most household owners and all for a good reason. These creatures are not only a nuisance, but can also be deadly because of the diseases they carry and transmit. There is one common creature that does not merit the same kind of reaction, and yet they do - the North Carolina spiders.
Contrary to their creepy looks, and how they are portrayed in modern literature, spiders are among the nicest creatures there are. They stay in one place and mind their own business. They assist in controlling the real pests, including flies, mosquitoes, and cockroaches. It is said that we are all within three feet of a spider in our homes and offices, yet we do not know they are there, save for some cobwebs we see around the house.
However, there are a couple of North Carolina spiders that have venom that can be deadly to humans, and it is best to avoid confrontation with them. The thing is, these spiders sometimes find their way inside homes in North Carolina and could have taken residence somewhere warm and cozy, like under the sofa, under the bed, or inside shoes.
Before we dive into these poisonous spiders, let us learn more about these arachnids in general.
About Spiders
Spiders are classified as arachnids, and there are 45,000 species of them, found all throughout the world. These spiders range in size. Some are just .011 inches, like the Samoan spider. Some spiders are large, like the Goliath birdeater, a kind of tarantula whose leg span can be up to afoot.
Most of them are carnivorous. They eat a lot of insects, and frogs, lizards, and toads too. Only the species Bagheera kiplingi is vegetarian. But when they eat, they do not swallow their food because they simply cannot swallow their prey. What they do is they inject some digestive enzymes, which liquefies their prey. Soon after they can suck the liquefied remains.
All spiders produce silk, but not all can spin webs. They have plenty of uses for this silk: they use it to climb, to break a fall, to build their nests, to catch prey, to build egg sacs, and many other things. Most spiders have 8 eyes, while some have 6, but despite all these, they do not have very good vision.
Types Of Spiders In North Carolina
The mild climate of North Carolina makes it easy for spiders to thrive here. According to the reliable spider exterminator near me, here are some of the spiders that we can find here in North Carolina:
- Fishing spiders - They belong to the genus Delomede.They are typically found near bodies of water but will venture out in the woods to hunt for food. Their legs can stretch to about 3 inches, so they look really menacing. They are a bit bigger than the palm of an adult human. They also bite, but their venom is not potent enough to be dangerous to humans. They are called fishing spiders because of their ability to submerge their bodies underwater to hunt for prey. They are known to stay under the water for about 30 minutes, breathing through the tiny air bubbles that they trap through their bristly hairs. They remain submerged until an insect, small fish, or tadpole swims by. They also hunt for food on land.
- Thin legged wolf spiders - These spiders are dark in color, they have specks, or bands, or speckles on the carapace and abdomen.They have long, spindly legs that have hairy spines on them.They are territorial and are very active hunters. They do not build their nests, and instead just roam around looking for prey.
- Goldenrod crab spider - Just like the thin-legged wolf spiders, the goldenrod crab spiders do not build their nests. They do use silk to capture their prey and to hold their eggs. They have good vision and they are mostly seen during sunny days. The female adult is 8 mm to 10 mm in length, and the male is only about 4 to 5 mm in length. Their colors vary, depending on their diet and their environment as well. Their colors range from white to yellow, to pale green. Their 2 pairs of front legs are longer than their other legs. Their other legs are spread out resembling that of a crab, thus their name.
- Green lynx spiders - They come in green color, of course. The females are larger than the males, being about 12 to 22 mm in length. The males are only about 12 mm. They have 8 legs that have black spines. They rarely bite and tend to keep to themselves.
Unless you are an insect, there is nothing to worry about these spiders. They are friendly and are helpful to the environment. However, there are a couple of spiders that are poisonous to humans: the black widow spiders and the brown recluse spiders.
The Black Widow Spiders
The black widow spider is the most well-known of the venomous spiders that can be found in the United States and are considered the most venomous here. It is said that they are 15 times more poisonous than the fearsome rattlesnake. The black widow’s poison is very potent and can be very painful, though it is not life-threatening to adult humans. It may cause death for children and the elderly, however. If you accidentally run into a black widow spider, and it bites you, seek immediate medical attention. If possible, catch the same black widow spider that bit you, dead or alive. Present it to your healthcare provider. This would allow the healthcare provider to make an informed decision on the type of care and treatment that you need. Wash the area of the bite with soap and water immediately after the bite for first aid. After that, put a cold compress on it.
The female black widows have shiny black bodies with a red hourglass marking on their abdomen. This marking serves to deter predators from eating them. Their bodies are about 1.5 inches long. Only the females bite. The male black widow, on the other hand, is about half the size of the females, lighter in color, and has either red or pink spots on their backs. The black widow spider’s name is derived from the fact that they kill their male counterparts after mating. The female black widows can live up to three years, while the males can live up to a year, that is if they are not eaten.
Black widows feed on other insects and arachnids. They use their webs to capture their prey. Once their prey gets trapped in the web, the black widow then approaches it and covers it in silk. It then bites into it to release an enzyme that would liquefy their prey. Black widow spiders, like all the other spiders, only eat their food in liquid form.
Brown Recluse Spiders
The brown recluse spider is another venomous kind of spider in North America and the most common of the brown spiders. They are identifiable by their violin-shaped marking on their bodies. They only have 6 eyes arranged in three pairs.
The brown recluse is by nature shy creatures thus their name. Both the brown recluse spider and the black widow spiders have almost the same behaviors and habits. And just like the black widow, they hide in dark places. They are nocturnal, so foraging for food at night. They also only need to mate just once a year to be able to produce 150 eggs yearly.
If you are bitten by a brown recluse, consult a healthcare provider. People who are bitten by the brown recluse often have small red marks on the skin, but heals immediately. Some develop severe symptoms, though their bites are not really fatal.
Fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and sweating are the symptoms of their bites. When bitten, go to your healthcare provider. As much as possible, bring the spider that bit you along with you to the hospital. This will allow the doctor to make an informed decision about the type of treatment to give you, Before going to the hospital, wash the bite area with soap and water and then put a cold compress on the bitten area for about ten minutes.
Control
Though these spiders are generally peaceful and would keep to themselves, you would not want a poisonous spider inside your home. Here are some easy tips to follow to protect yourself from them:
- Seal off cracks, crevices, and holes around the house. These are possible entry points for these spiders.
- Cut off shrubs, decorative grasses, and plants, especially ivy. Brown recluse spiders are fond of hiding in these places.
- Remove clutter both inside and outside the house so they would not have any hiding places. Storage boxes, woodpiles, the back of the closet, under the furniture, and shoes that have not been worn for a long time are some of the places they can hide.
Call The Professionals
For the most effective results, get in touch with the best exterminating services in the area of North Carolina, the Go-Forth Home Services. They are the most reliable in terms of exterminating spiders and other pests in your home.