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Scorpions & Spiders
Treatment & Prevention
Spider & Scorpion Control
Spider and scorpion control and extermination can be necessary in SW Oklahoma. Red Dirt Pest Control will come to your home to perform an inspection to confirm the species of spider or scorpion and to recommend a course of proper spider and scorpion control using our integrated pest management system.
These are some common spiders and scorpions found in SW Oklahoma.
Black Widows
They are most recognized for the red hourglass shape under their abdomen. This spider gets its name form the popular belief that the female black widow spider eats the male after mating, although this rarely happens. Black widows are poisonous.
They are active when the temperature is 70 degrees or higher. They spin irregular webs, which they build at night near ground level. Outdoors they commonly live in protected areas like under stones or in firewood piles. They are often found in barns and sheds. Indoors they prefer cluttered areas of garages, basements and crawl spaces.
Males rarely bite. Females are very aggressive and will bite, especially if eggs are nearby.
Brown Recluse
Often identified by a dark brown violin shape on its back, the brown recluse spider is predominantly found in the Midwest and Southeast of the US. This species is well known for its “secretive” behavior. It prefers to take residence in warm, dry and dark environments. They like woodpiles, basements and closets. They are aggressive and will bite, usually when it feels trapped or attacked.
The brown recluse or fiddleback spider gets its common names from its coloration and reclusive habits or the dark fiddle shape marking on the top of its chest. Adults usually are about ¼ to ½ inches in length. Their color ranges from tan to dark brown. Usually with a darker fiddle-shaped marking on the top of the thorax.
Wolf Spiders
Unlike most spiders, wolf spiders don’t hunt with webs. Instead they chase their prey using their fast running ability. These spiders are often big and hairy which alarms people, but they are primarily a nuisance pest. Females will be aggressive if they are carrying their young on their backs.
They actively hunt during the night and usually rest in sheltered places during the day. They are fast on their feet and pursue prey. These habits make them very visible by people. They usually enter your home in search of their next meal. They are not inclined to be permanent residents inside, however, they tend to stay put once they are there. Indoors they usually remain at or near the floor, especially along walls and under furniture. Outside, they can be found under stones, landscape timbers, firewood, leaves, and other debris. They feed on a variety of insects, including crop pests. They can be beneficial. They can and will bite, but it is extremely rare to experience a wolf spider bite unprovoked. They will only bite if they are handled. The presence of wolf spiders in homes is usually accidental.
Grass Spiders
Grass spiders also known as funnel-web spiders build a small vortex of web into the grass, lunging at any insect prey that happens to get too close. Grass spiders are fast movers and aggressive. Often mistaken for wolf spiders, they have a similar color pattern. On their heads, there are two black lines that run down either side of a tan midline. These black lines are not as thick or prominent as they are on the wolf spider.
They cannot penetrate the human skin with their fangs.
Zipper Spiders
Zipper spiders or yellow-garden spiders can be quite large. Their abdomen of these spiders is black and bright yellow and are covered in silver hairs. They create circular webs with an intricate white zigzag pattern in the center of it (resembling a zipper). The zigzag pattern is thought to attract prey.
Zipper spiders are not aggressive. They are beneficial to have around outdoors. Their may build their webs in the corners of doorways, decks and porches and become a nuisance as you enter or leave your home. In the fall, they may enter your home in the search for prey.
Orb Weaver Spiders
These are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields and forests.
They are not aggressive and pose no risk to humans. They are a beneficial spider to have outdoors. They trap and eliminate a whole bunch of flying insects.
Scorpions
Oklahoma has a couple of species of scorpions. The most common is the bark scorpion. This is a small, light brown or tan scorpion with a faint stripe down its back. They are the most venomous scorpion in North America. Its venom can cause severe pain coupled with numbness, tingling and vomiting in adult humans. Typically, this will last no longer than 72 hours. The symptoms are immediate sharp pain and local swelling.