Have you ever seen something that looks incredibly dangerous, but turned out to be harmless? This happens all the time with spiders. Maybe it’s because spiders are naturally creepy, or perhaps it is because they are often portrayed in films and media as dangerous. Either way, spiders have gotten a pretty bad reputation over the years. Today we are talking about one of the most common home-invading spiders here in Elk Grove, the wolf spider, and finding out if they are as dangerous as they look.
The Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders are about as scary as a pest could be. Their bodies are large and hairy, their eyes are forward-facing and beady, and their movements are fast and erratic. Many individuals have a hard time discerning wolf spiders from brown recluses, extremely dangerous predator spiders found around Elk Grove. The way you can tell these pests apart is by the dark violin shape found on the back of a brown recluse. Wolf spiders do not have this mark but are full brown with pale and sometimes yellow markings.
Where Wolf Spiders Hide Around Homes
Wolf spiders do not weave webs as other spiders do. Instead, they hunt for prey from the ground. When inside homes, wolf spiders will do their best to stay low and out of sight. You are most likely to spot a wolf spider along baseboards, under furniture, or between boxes that are stored away. Outside of homes, wolf spiders are most commonly found under stones, firewood, debris, leaves, and landscape timbers. A wolf spider’s primary goals are to find food and avoid humans as much as possible.
The Dangers Of Wolf Spiders
Despite their creepy appearance, wolf spiders are not harmful pests. Although they are capable of biting, it is rare for them to do so. Even if they do bite, their venom is not strong enough to cause serious harm. Only individuals with allergies to spider bites are at risk of injury from these pests.
If you are scared of spiders, there is another risk that comes with having wolf spiders inside your home, and it comes in the form of jump scares. It is not uncommon for scared individuals to scream, jump, drop, or occasionally throw what they are carrying when confronted by these terrifying-looking pests.
How To Prevent Wolf Spiders
Regardless of how dangerous wolf spiders are, there will never come a time when homeowners welcome them inside. To help keep these nuisance pests out of your Elk Grove home, here are some great prevention tips.
- Using a caulking gun or some liquid cement, seal gaps and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation and around window and door frames.
- Make sure window and door screens around your home are rip and tear-free.
- Repair or replace weather stripping and door sweeps that are damaged.
- Keep your lawn well maintained and free of clutter.
- Clean out your gutters regularly and make sure they are properly channeling water away from your home.
- Repair leaky pipes and fixtures in and around your home.
- Keep your home clean and try to limit the number of rooms where you eat.
- Turn off exterior lights at night or invest in insect resistant light bulbs.
If you would rather not go through the hassle of preventing wolf spiders on your own, let the experts here at Pro Active Pest Control assist you. Our methods have been tested, tried, and proven to keep pests out of homes. Let us show you how easy pest control is when it’s done right.
Give us a call today to find out what your home would look like without pests.