Spiders can be beneficial in many situations since they eat several other insects. Unfortunately, some are also very venomous to humans, and they are also unwelcome indoors and around our landscapes, where we might run into their webs. Our area’s two species of venomous spiders are black widows and brown recluses. Black Widow spiders are fairly easy to identify, although the males are less flashy. Females are shiny black with a red marking shaped like an hourglass. The males are plain but are also shiny black. Brown Recluse spiders are more common inside of houses and harder to identify. Males and females look the same. They are smooth and brown or tan with a darker brown abdomen and a darker spot in the middle of their thorax extending to their heads.

Spiders are not bugs or insects, but arachnids and thus may need different chemicals to control them. Many products work for control both inside and outside of buildings. Sticky traps placed along baseboards are surprisingly effective and don’t require spraying. Fertilome’s “Indoor/Outdoor Multi-Purpose Spray” and Bonide’s “Spider Killer” are also good products for control in the house and outside in the case of the first one.