Kelowna and Central Okanagan
Vernon and North Okanagan
Penticton and South Okanagan
Spiders can enter your home or business from even the smallest opening. For the most part, spiders don’t pose a serious health threat and can even help eliminate other pests in your lawn or garden. However, there are a few types of spiders in the Okanagan whose venom is dangerous to humans. While you can safely remove a spider or two on your own using a vacuum, if you think you have a full force spider infestation, your safest options is to contact the experts at The Bugman Pest Control to get rid of spiders in your Kelowna, Penticton or Vernon home.
Identifying Dangerous Spiders
The dangerous spiders common to the Okanagan include the black widow and hobo spider. The venom from these spiders’ bites can pose health problems, especially for children and those with weak immune systems.
Black Widow Spiders
The black widow is easily identified by its black colouring and red hourglass-shaped marking. Black widows typically live in the dark, undisturbed areas with warmer temperatures. They typically remain outdoors but will live in basements, storage areas or cluttered homes.
Black widows generally only bite when threatened or after laying eggs, but their venom is neurotoxic. This means it directly affects the victim’s nervous system, causing pain and symptoms such as:
Fever
Increased blood pressure
Localized sweating
Inability to urinate
Rigid abdominal muscles
Nausea
Their bite is not typically fatal when treated correctly. If you or a loved one has been bitten by a black widow spider in Kelowna, Penticton or Vernon, be sure to call a medical professional immediately.
Hobo Spiders
The hobo spider is brown with white and dark brown markings on the abdomen and a comb-like row of bristles on its back legs. These spiders can be found in almost any habitat containing holes, cracks or crevices. They are poor climbers, so they are most often found at ground level, and they enjoy dark, moist areas such as basements and crawl spaces.
A hobo spider bite typically produces a necrotic legion, similar to the brown recluse spider. The typical cycle of a hobo spider bite is as follows:
Within the first 3 minutes, the bite will develop a small hard bump surrounded by a reddened area of skin
Within 15-35 minutes the red area blisters
Within 24 hours the blister typically breaks open and oozes serum
The blisters on your skin eventually scab over, but a hobo spider bite can take several months to heal and often leaves a scar.
Contact Us for Spider Control in Kelowna, Penticton or Vernon
The most common sign of a spider infestation is finding webs in your home. Black widow spiders have messy, irregularly-shaped webs that you will most likely find under furniture or in corners of rooms. To prevent any spider infestation, you need to intensify your home’s sanitation and remove all potential hiding places such as woodpiles and other debris.
If you’re finding webs in every corner, give us a call. Our technicians are experienced with safe and effective spider control in Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon.
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