San Diego Spiders (Mesa: eat, yard, best)

[Latchkey Kid]

I'm not an expert but black windows are poisonous, as are the brown recluse but I didn't know there were recluse in CA. Never heard of anyone getting bit by either. Just stay out of wood piles. As far as tarantulas, wouldn't have thought they'd be in San Deigo since I've never heard of them in LA. But I think tarantulas have a bad rap for their appearance more than anything else. I was once told that their bite was similar to a bee sting. But I'm not an expert. Do a search on spiders in CA or SD, there are guides out there with info and pictures.

[iskray917]

Originally Posted by Cornellian06

I don't mind them except having a thought in mind when you go to bed. When you're sleeping, you're pretty vulnerable and wouldn't know if something bit you.

So, my question is, Are any of these spiders (majority know to live in SD) dangerous/poisonous?!?

-Thanks

You'll be fine. Spiders are nothing to worry about. Maybe once every few months you'll find a black widow outside but nothing that the bottom side of your shoe can't fix.

[whinniethezen]

Spiders are cool and good for the environment. Don't squish them, just learn to trap them and take them away from your property.

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by Starrynight227

So, I just moved to SD, specifically La Mesa and I've noticed some very interesting spiders on our property. The first one we found was in the garage. We caught it, looked it up on the net and it looks very much like a brown recluse (i.e. violin spider). Most sites said SD does not have brown recluses so we could be wrong. But then what is it? Has anyone else noticed a large light brown spider around? And what is it?

Secondly, we found a spider that is brown, long legged and a red/orange marking on it's belly. We looked that up and found what is called a "Brown Widow", a relative to the black widow but doesn't dispense quite as much venom in it's bite.

Are these spiders normal in SD? Or is it just because the house we bought was vacant for a while? Is this something I should do something about and what? I'm worried about my dogs mainly and of course rolling over in bed and getting a nasty bite.

Thanks in advance!

is usually enough to control spiders. and screen your windows/doors. screens will keep the bats out too make sure the chimney vent is closed when you're not using it!!! (an errant bat came in our house that way!)

you're right: your house being empty was the perfect environment for them.

kate

[Mags101]

Whoa... bats are out here?
I'm in La Mesa, have found a huge family of black widows and various wood spiders (those I kept around... but the black widows had to go because of my son).

I got bit by a black widow a few times last summer. I was having a war on them for the month of July! It just got real hot, swollen but nothing antibiotics couldn't fix. I didn't feel the bite so it's painless. Elderly and children have to be careful around them, the venom is more damaging to their immune systems. My mom did get bit in the scalp once, two bites, and was dizzy/faint/etc. but was fine after some meds.

I just saw my first tarantula in San Diego! She froze, I turned around and RAN inside and looked it up. BIG!!!! At my dad's place in Santee, she had made a nice home under the dogs pillow in the garage. I don't think they bite and if they do, I know it's harmless but pinches.

Wolf spiders, do those jump out at you? Once I was walking along the side of my dad's house and a big brown spider JUMPED at me. That was about two months after I got bit by the black widows. I was traumatized after that summer! (Kidding... kinda) Would that be the wolf spider?

I have always had the biggest fear of spiders but now I am not afraid of them since I got bit and survived lol. Talk about facing your fears hehe. I still scream silently inside but I don't freeze like I used to.

For ants use cornmeal. They take it back to their hill, eat it, and can't digest it (and it's one less pesticide being used

I also read the brown recluse tends to stick to indoors, doesn't bother humans, and likes to be in dark, wooded areas. I don't think there are enough of them out there to really worry about it.

A place where I always find black widows are under my hose. They seem to love that area. I didn't see it mentioned yet so I thought I would add it.

I moved into my place that had been empty for 2 months and there were spiders galore and a few small bugs thrown in for good measure. I bombed the place with spray and sprayed all my areas that bugs hang around. I also walked around with a can of spider killer which came in handy when they decided to try to emigrate from my backyard to my garbage cans out front. I went to throw my garbage out one evening and at least 5 were there. Eeek! It was totally worth it to look like an idiot with my mouth mask on, dishwashing gloves, and can of spray in hand the first 72 hours I was here.

I also filled any openings (old houses out here... most rentals have them) with a white foam and have been enjoying a clean, bug-free house )))

[thealohaman]

Originally Posted by whinniethezen

Spiders are cool and good for the environment. Don't squish them, just learn to trap them and take them away from your property.

Right....

[Gibs07GTcpe]

Black widow males are a brownish color.......I have had a massive influx of spiders lately in Tierra Santa. My friend who lives in Northern Nevada told me about an electronic item that you plug in like a CO2 detector. He had good results at the bugs staying out of his home. I have not used one so I dont have a review of it yet.....

Spider Control Electronic Pest Control


Gib

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by janicejanice

hi...found you guys by accident while trying unsuccessfully to identify my terrifyingly beautiful spider(s). They're ensconced in my amazon dianthus plant. The body of said spider resembles a sour green-apple Jelly Belly, and is irridescent. Its limbs are articulated, bending in three places. I realize this spider may be harmless or even beneficial, but I don't relish sticking my hand into that thick plant (which I was just about to do) anymore. Can anyone help me out? Thanks.

Was it this one?
Black and Yellow Argiope

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Was it this one?
Black and Yellow Argiope

It says right there on the pic: Argiope. It's an orb weaver, which means it makes a roundish web. It's a common garden spider which proliferates in Spring. It's a good spider.

Kate

[bford]

If the marking on the abdomen of that brown spider is shaped like an hour glass, it is the brown widow and the coloring can be anywhere from yellow to red but is usually orange. They can have variations in thier colorings from an almost off white to a very dark brown. In all of them that I've seen (hundreds), there are two common markings, the hour glass marking and the joints of thier legs are black. They inject less venom than thier cousin the Black Widow but it is also more potent and certainly isnt a spider to be played with. The Brown widow's egg sac is round with a bunch of spikes, it looks like an old world war 2 harbor mine and is off white / tan in color.