You know the scene. It’s a nice summer day, you’re getting ready to go to the beach, and all of a sudden, when you go to pull the beach chairs out of the garage, you’re startled by a group of spiders crawling around. Perhaps you only see one spider, maybe you only see a cobweb, or maybe you see an entire spider family; whatever the case may be, you’ve got a spider infestation on your hands and that’s simply unacceptable.

Spiders certainly aren’t a welcome sight in your West Palm Beach home, that much is obvious. But most spider species aren’t harmful.

Many of them actually help control insect populations around your property. South Florida is home to many different species of spider; here are some of the most common ones to be on the lookout for:

Spiny Orb-Weavers

Detectable white, oval-shaped shell on their back
Have a crab-like shape; sometimes called crab spiders
Shell has noticeable red and black markings
¼ inch body

Wolf Spiders

Brown in color with camouflage markings
Mostly nocturnal, hunting at night and early morning
1/4 to 1 1/2 inch body

Daddy Longlegs

Hang out on tree trunks, windowsills, and damp areas
Noticeably long legs
½ inch body

Brown Recluse Spiders

Brown in color with black violin-shaped marks on the body
Hide in hidden, dark areas like attics, closets, and cabinets
Venom can cause severe allergic reactions
½ to 1-inch body

Southern Black Widow Spiders

Give a venomous, poisonous bite that can cause pain and illness
Have a red hourglass marking on their underside
Jet black in color with red spots at the tip of the abdomen
1½ inch body

Banana Spiders

Brown in color with a flat body measuring up to 1½ inches long
Commonly inhabit trails, forests, and ground with shrubbery
One of the largest web weavers in the U.S.

Now that we’ve covered some of the most common spiders in the area, let’s talk about where they may be hiding. Spiders prey on insects, so they’re found in areas where you’d usually find other nuisance pests, such as crickets, grasshoppers, ants, flies, and earwigs.

You can find them in moisture-rich areas where bugs hang out like the ground in wooded areas and under piles of debris. They prefer dark, quiet, hidden spaces that are hard to access.

Wherever they can find access to sources of food and water, they’ll be there. Some of the most common spider hangout areas include garages, attics, sheds, eaves, storage spaces, closets, and cabinets.

When it comes to spider prevention, a good place to start is keeping other pests out of the home. Spiders feed on other insects, and by eliminating these pests you can minimize your exposure to spiders as well.

Here are some helpful tips in your efforts to prevent spiders as well as other nuisance pests in general:

Address any moisture and drainage issues.
Install/inspect window screens and door sweeps.
Maintain cleanliness and reduce clutter around the house.
Properly store food and trash in air-tight containers.
Check for cracks and crevices around the structure.
Seal up potential entry points around the property.
Sweep away any cobwebs you find on the property.

While all of the tips listed above can be extremely helpful in reducing your exposure to spiders and pests in general, your best bet is still to go with regular services from pest professionals.

Native Pest Management offers extensive Spider Control and prevention solutions that provide year-round protection from pest infestation.