What is up with the spiders here?!! (Clinton: how much, house)

[TecWmn]

Ok, I am not normally a wussy when it comes to bugs....HOWEVER....I just moved to Whidbey Island (Clinton) from Chicago and I have NEVER seen such large, freaky spiders in my life!!

I am concerned for my dog and myself about this because I don't know which one's are poisonous. The only one's that I am aware of are the black widow, hobo and brown recluse. One just ran across the floor that looked like a hobo...but I don't know. He got away and now I am sitting with my feet on my chair.

There is also a quarter-sized cream colored one that lives on the table in the back yard. I knocked down his web twice hoping he would go away, but by morning it was back so he wins....his table.

How does one go about getting rid of bad spider's?

[j_k_k]

You aren't going to rid your yard of them, nor should you. However, you can buy a spider barrier and spray it around your house--that's what we do, as my wife is morbidly afraid of even a small spider. You should have seen her reaction to garden spiders when we visited Kansas.

[TecWmn]

Don't want to rid of them outside, they do have their purpose. However, inside is a whole different ball game. Where would I get a spider barrier? ACE Hardware?

Your poor wife....the spiders here are pretty meaty. Thanks for the advice!

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by TecWmn

Don't want to rid of them outside, they do have their purpose. However, inside is a whole different ball game. Where would I get a spider barrier? ACE Hardware?

Any hardware store that's reasonably well stocked with chemical stuff. The idea is that you spray it around the edges of all parts of the outside of your house where spiders could logically enter: windowsills, doors, any potential point of entry. Include the concrete under the doorsill and be thorough. If you do a good job, you should see a reduction in indoor spiders for about six months (maybe less in your climate; ours is very dry).

[Tony Of New York]

If the property surrounding your house has any kind of plants, shrubs or trees you care about then spiders are extremely beneficial. The kinds of spiders which are poisonous are few. Learn to identify them. Do an info search based on your region, this should narrow it down a bit. The rest feed on insects that might do damage to plant and vegetable gardens.
Plant nursery's are the best place to find the most accurate information on insects and pests. As for keeping them out of the house you may want to consider chemicals, but be sure the areas you lay them down on are not easily accessible to pets or children (your own or others).
You can keep spiders out of your home but you will never keep them out of your local environment. Good luck!

[backdrifter]

The spiders aren't going to pose any threat to your dog. Black widows aren't particularly dangerous or aggressive either. They're not going to kill you if they bite you. The hobos are the ones to really worry about as they can cause necrotic lesions (in a very small percentage of bites).

Familiarize yourself with what they look like and just avoid those ones... File:Female-hobo.gif - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The rest are pretty harmless. Less harmful than the pesticides you might use to kill them could potentially be. Plus it is rather unethical to buy pesticides anyway.

[cdelena]

It is interesting that the PNW has such a variety and large population of arachnids. I have found that I can keep the populations at bay (but not eliminated) using a hose or powerwasher outside and just a vacuum inside. Frankly it is easier than controlling the multitude of insects found in much of the southern states.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by cdelena

It is interesting that the PNW has such a variety and large population of arachnids. I have found that I can keep the populations at bay (but not eliminated) using a hose or powerwasher outside and just a vacuum inside. Frankly it is easier than controlling the multitude of insects found in much of the southern states.

At least the OP is unlikely to have scorpions. We have a few of those in southern Washington east of the Cascades. Stepped on one in the basement in high school, though it hurt the arachnid a lot more than it hurt me.

[bethasmom]

Hi!
Oh, me too!!! Can't handle them, even just looking at the pictures.........*shudder*!!!
I hired Bio Bug. They come out 3 times a year and spray the perimeter of the house. It keeps the spiders, ants and whatever else is in my HUGE flower beds and garden OUTside!! I told the guy who did the spraying that I did NOT want the spiders to die, just to stay outside....it's been AMAZING!! In the 6 years we've been in this house, this is the FIRST year that I haven't had spiders in the house...........YAY!!!!

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by bethasmom

I hired Bio Bug. They come out 3 times a year and spray the perimeter of the house. It keeps the spiders, ants and whatever else is in my HUGE flower beds and garden OUTside!! I told the guy who did the spraying that I did NOT want the spiders to die, just to stay outside....it's been AMAZING!! In the 6 years we've been in this house, this is the FIRST year that I haven't had spiders in the house...........YAY!!!!

How much they charge you?