“Herein lies our problem. If we level that much land to grow rice and whatever, then no other animal could live there except for some insect pest species. Which is very unfortunate.” – Steve Irwin
This quotation by Steve Irwin, an Australian zookeeper, environmentalist, conservationist, and wildlife expert, who was also nicknamed “The Crocodile Hunter,” highlights the challenge between humankind and the environment.
Essentially, the problem that must be solved is how to ensure that people and wildlife including insects like termites, ants, butterflies, and moths can live side by side with each other, without intruding on each other’s space.
All common pests like rats, mice, termites, and ants did not start as pests. All these creatures are part of the natural order and ecosystem. They are only designated as pests when they intrude on human settlements and result in infestations that can be detrimental to human health.
And, because this is an unfortunate reality of modern life, the question that must be asked and answered is how to keep pests under control without decimating the creature’s population. Each parasite is also part of the natural order in the ecosystem. And, this order will collapse if you remove one part.
Spiders: Poisonous or not
Before we answer this question, let’s look at the different types of these creatures found in the USA and whether they are poisonous or not.
According to Lauren Abrams in her article titled “The 7 Most Common Types of House Spiders“, there are about 3400 different species in the USA. She goes on to note that they are part of the class Arachnida, which is an Arthropod group that includes mites, ticks, and scorpions.
The good news is that most spinners found in the home are harmless, and they include species such as the American House, Long-Bodied Cellar, Brown Recluse, Sac, Jumping, Wolf Spinners, and the Hobo.
Of these common species, the Brown Recluse is the most poisonous. Its venom is cytotoxic, and it can destroy the tissue at the bite site. Additionally, people, especially children, can experience harmful side effects such as nausea, fever, chills, pain, and a rash.
Thus, it is vital to seek medical attention should you suspect this creature has bitten you or a family member.
The removal and prevention of an infestation
The toxicity of a spinner bite, especially for children, provides the raison d’etre for the removal of a spider infestation from your home and the rationale behind putting measures into place to ensure that another infestation does not recur.
Therefore, here are several ways to prevent them from moving back in:
Call the pest prevention experts
Not only do pest control companies like Rove Pest Control remove unwanted pests, because they are experts in the pest control and management sector, but they are also often able to give you advice on what to do to pest-proof your home and garden.
Personal hygiene and general housekeeping
These species love damp, moist, dark spaces. They also thrive in corners of the walls where they meet the ceilings. Therefore, it’s vital to keep yourself, your clothing, and your living space, indoors and outdoors, dust- and clutter-free.
Use the broom to sweep and clean away existing webs. Keep the kitchen and bathrooms scrupulously clean, cleaning areas where mold and mildew have started growing. Make sure that no food scraps are left lying around.
For, although they do not eat the food scraps themselves, they do eat the flies that are attracted by a dirty kitchen and bathroom. Thus, the flies attract them. Naturally, you do not want either the flies or spiders to move into your home.
Home maintenance
It is equally important to make sure that your annual home maintenance program is kept up to date. For example, it is vital to repair all holes in or replace, insect screens to prevent insect pests from entering your home through these holes.
Furthermore, it is vital to make sure that your house’s exterior structure is well maintained and defect-free. For example, cracks in the foundation or walls will allow insects to move in and establish nests, especially in winter when it is cold outdoors and warm inside.
Ensure that the natural ecosystem stays intact
As highlighted above, the balance of the natural ecosystem is reliant on each participant playing its role. As soon as you remove one element from the system, the rest are likely to collapse. The creatures that are below the spider will spiral out of control because they would have lost their natural predators.
Thus, if we look at the role a spider plays in the ecosystem, it is logical to assume that without the spinner playing its natural position, the insects it would eat, will potentially increase to the point that they will damage the natural order and balance.
Therefore, while it is necessary to keep a spinner infestation from moving into your home, it’s equally important not to wipe out the total population of these little creatures in your area.
Keep your yard clean and tidy
The simplest way to keep pests like spiders out of your yard and garden is to remove the conditions that allow them to flourish. Practically speaking, this translates into keeping your grass short, raking up leaves, and removing tree branches and other wood that is lying around.
Thus, you will have removed the spider’s natural environment; thereby, encouraging the spiders to stay outside of your yard.
Final words
In summary, as mentioned above, while keeping pests like spiders out of your living environment is a priority, it is essential not to destroy the entire spider population in the local ecosystem. Thus, it is safe to say that managing insects and rodents that are both considered pests, and that are critical to the hierarchical structure of the food chain is a balancing act at best.
