Blowtorches, Chestnuts and Other Myths about House Spiders

Spiders might make you scream or grab the nearest shoe or flyswatter, however, most people don’t automatically reach for their blowtorch to kill spiders. But apparently, that’s just what a California man did, and started a house fire in the process. The man, who was house-sitting for his parents at the time, was apparently trying to rid the home of black widow spiders and his weapon of choice was a blowtorch. If you have a spider problem, you don’t have to resort to such drastic measures, rather call in a pest control expert to deal with your spider infestation – it will be easier, safer and more convenient.

That Old Chestnut

Spiders elicit many different responses in people and not everyone automatically wants to kill every spider they see. They just want to keep them out of their home.  And although spider control with a blowtorch is extreme, it’s not the only interesting method that pest control experts have come across over the years. One piece of advice that is regularly given out by people is to place chestnuts around your property to keep spiders at bay. If only it was that easy pest control companies would have one less thing to worry about, but unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to support this theory.

4 Interesting Myths about Spiders

Everyone has a story about spiders but not everything you hear is true.

Myth One: All spiders spin webs

Truth: A web is a well-constructed mechanism designed to catch prey but only about 50% of spider

species use webs to catch prey, the rest hunt.

Myth Two: Spiders often bite people and pet and lay eggs under your skin

Truth: Spiders usually only bite what they intend to eat, and they eat insects. Spiders certainly don’t eat

anything the size of a person or pet and usually only bite people if they are antagonized or their nest or

web is disturbed. Spiders also don’t commonly use people or pets as hosts for their eggs.

Myth Three: Spiders move into your home in winter to avoid the cold

Truth: House spiders live in houses, they don’t just overwinter there. House spiders and garden spiders are different species and you will not usually find house spiders living outdoors.  If you find a spider in your house that is its natural habitat and it is not humane to release it back into the wild. That spider does not live outdoors and won’t survive long.

Myth Four: Spiders found in your sink or bathtub have crawled out of the drains

Truth: Modern-day drains have sediment traps and spiders can’t find a way through these traps. The

truth is that spider was in your house all along and found its way into your bath in search of water.

What should you do about a spider infestation?

The venom in spider bites is not normally fatal to humans and spiders are not generally a threat to people and pets. The problem with spotting spiders in your home in large numbers is that they are indicative of a more serious insect infestation. Spiders look for a good source of food, and if they find one in your home they will move in. They like to nest, or spin webs, in places where they will be undisturbed like bookshelves, under furniture, in ceiling corners and other hidden spaces. The best way to control spiders is to get rid of their food source.

Spiders have been around for at least 400 million years, and during that time they have evolved and become tougher and more resilient. If you have a spider infestation, it is best to call in the pest control experts. Truly Nolen can help you with your spider control needs and sort out the underlying problem as well. A Truly Nolen technician will perform a thorough inspection of your home, identify the type of spiders that are causing a problem and create a unique spider control plan tailored to your specific needs.