Spider Control in Georgia

The venomous, black widow spider is common throughout Georgia

There are many spiders in Georgia, but only a few species are of concern as pests, such as the black widow spider, pictured on the right.

Spiders are not insects. They belong to the class Arachnida, which also includes scorpions, mites, and ticks; and spiders collectively comprise the order Araneae. There are more than 40,000 known spider species in the world, making them one of the more successful orders of animals.

Most spiders are overwhelmingly beneficial and should be left alone when found in the wild or in outdoor areas where they're not presenting a threat to humans or domestic animals. But a few species of highly venomous spiders can cause death or serious illness, and even some less-venomous species can cause painful bites and localized injury. These spiders must be controlled when they get into homes or other human-occupied areas.

Spider control methods vary with the specie and location and may include physical removal of the webs, habitat modification, sealing and exclusion, and (if needed) judicious application of insecticides.

Common Spiders of Georgia

Black Widow Spider

Adult female black widow spiders are about an inch and a half in length (including the legs) and have a bulb-shaped abdomen that is shiny black (or occasionally dark, shiny brown) in color. They also have a distinctive, hourglass-shaped mark on the underside of their abdomens. They build webs that of irregular shape and size, and they prey upon insects.

Black widow spiders are the most venomous spiders in Georgia, with venom 15 times more potent than that of the timber rattlesnake, but only about one percent of black widow spider bites result in death. Still, anyone bitten by a black widow should seek immediate medical attention.

Only adult female black widow spiders are venomous. Juveniles and males are harmless.

Brown Recluse Spider

Brown recluse spiders are brown in color, with bodies about 3/8" in length and footprints about an inch in diameter. They have a violin-shaped marking on their backs, which is where they get their common nickname "fiddleback spiders."

Brown recluse spiders can be very dangerous. Although some people who are bitten experience only minor symptoms, in other cases brown recluse spider bites can result in painful wounds that can take months to heal. In some cases, necrosis can occur as the venom kills the tissue near the bite, exposing the underlying tissue and often leading to severe scarring.

Anyone who has been bitten by a brown recluse spider should seek medical attention immediately. In addition, if it's at all possible to capture the spider alive without sustaining further injury, it should be brought along for positive identification and examination.

Wolf Spiders

Wolf spiders comprise several genera of the order Aranedia and the family Lycosidae. They range in length from 1/2 to 2 inches. Most of the wolf spiders found in Georgia are on the larger end of that range.

Wolf spiders have a unique eye arrangement: They have a total of eight eyes, with four small eyes in a row on the bottom, two larger eyes above them, and two medium-sized eyes in a top row. They're also unique among spiders in that females carry their eggs in egg sacs attached to the back of their abdomens.

Most wolf spiders are stout and hairy, and they are sometimes confused with brown recluse spiders. Unlike brown recluse spiders, however, wolf spiders are non-aggressive and don't often bite.

Black and Yellow Garden Spiders

The most common garden spider in Georgia is the Black and Yellow Argiope, Argiope aurantia. Black and Yellow Garden Spiders are rather large, with females growing as large as an inch and a half in length, and are are among the largest orb-weaving spiders in Georgia. They also are brightly colored, with yellow and black (or dark brown) markings on their backs, and yellow, red, or dark brown stripes on their legs. Their webs are circular, built in a spiral fashion, and can range up to several feet in diameter.

Because of their size, appearance, long legs, and large webs, many people are afraid of garden spiders. But garden spiders are overwhelmingly beneficial because their diet consists largely of mosquitoes. Although they are capable of biting, they are non-aggressive and their venom is weak. Unless they build webs in inconvenient places, garden spiders should be left alone.

Other Orb-Weaving Spiders

There are many species of orb-weaving spiders which together comprise the genus Araneus. They are classified and named for their habit of building meticulous webs that are round in shape. These webs typically contain non-sticky radii around which sticky silk is attached in a spiral or concentric pattern. The spiders walk along the non-sticky parts, but mosquitoes and other prey get caught on the sticky parts.

Orb weavers either rebuild their webs every day or rapidly repair them if they become damaged. Most species are overwhelmingly beneficial because of the number of mosquitoes that they catch every night, so outdoor webs generally should be left alone unless they're built in inconvenient locations.

Cellar Spiders

Cellar spiders comprise the genus Pholcus and are named their habit of living in protected areas such as cellars, attics, untended rooms, and so forth. They are non-aggressive and usually build their webs in out-of-the-way places like seldom-dusted corners of rooms or behind furniture.

Cellar spiders have adapted to living in close proximity to humans, and they are often encountered as pests by Georgia exterminators. There is some difference in opinion among entomologists regarding cellar spiders' biting capability and the potency of their venom, but most people dislike sharing their homes with spiders — regardless of what entomologists have to say. Cellar spiders do eat insects, however; so some people are perfectly happy to let them live in attics and other unoccupied areas.

Trapdoor Spiders

Trapdoor spiders comprise the family Ctenizidae. They are named for their habit of building a burrow with a "trap door" made of debris, soil, vegetation, and silk. which is attached to the end of the burrow by silk hinges. They use the door to provide camouflage while they sit patiently and wait for prey. When a unlucky passing insect, small arthropod, or small vertebrate disturbs the silken "trip lines," the spider swings open the door and leaps out of the hole, capturing and devouring the unfortunate animal.

Trapdoor spiders are outdoor species who seldom enter buildings and are incapable of surviving for very long inside structures. Although they are capable of biting, because of their habitat, reclusive habits, timid nature, and weak venom, they usually are of little concern as pests.

For help with spider control, or for any pest control problem, please contact Rid-A-Critter.