Contrary to all the hysteria surrounding brown recluse spiders and the dangers they pose to humans, residents in Southern California don’t need to fret over the brown recluse spider.

Brown recluse spiders simply do not live in any area of Southern California, including:

• Palm Springs
• Coachella Valley
• San Diego
• Orange County
• Riverside
• San Marcos
• Los Angeles

Time for a deep sigh of relief, right? Don’t exhale just yet. Although there are no brown recluse spiders nearby, we do have a few spiders crawling amongst us that can be dangerous to our well-being.

At Lloyd, we want to settle the debate once and for all: The spider you are seeing in the warmer areas of SoCal simply isn’t a brown recluse, but rather, it’s likely a desert recluse—which is very similar to the demonized brown recluse.

Additionally, Southern California features spiders like brown widows and black widows, although these spiders rarely bite humans unless aggressively handled or provoked. Bites are so rare that there hasn’t been a single bite amongst our field staff who tangle with them far more than a normal person would.

While we may be free from the dangers of the brown recluse, we have plenty of other spiders that should be on our radar as we’re in our yards, around our homes, or out and about. To better identify the exact species of spiders you might encounter, our pest control experts have put together this guide on all things dangerous spiders in Southern California.

Desert Recluse vs. Brown Recluse: What’s the Difference?

Southern California Recluse Characteristics

Both the desert recluse (L. Deserta) and the brown recluse (L. Reclusa) belong to the family Loxosceles, meaning “with slanting legs” in Greek. These spiders feature similar color variations, but the brown recluse typically features darker markings on their bodies than the desert recluse.

The brown and desert recluse spiders feature:

• Light tan, dark brown, or yellowish-brown color
• Uniform color across cephalothorax (fused head and thorax), abdomen, and legs
• Oval abdomens

Brown recluse and desert recluse spiders are known for their “reclusive” behaviors, avoiding potential predators at all costs. Because they are nocturnal, they do most of their hunting at night and hide during the day.

Violin or Fiddle-Shaped Markings

As the brown recluse’s claim to fame, they feature a violin-like marking on the top of their cephalothorax. Confusingly enough, some desert recluse spiders can possess similar violin-like markings on their backs, but not always. If they do, their violin mark will be much lighter.

Recluse Venom

The brown recluse and the desert recluse both cause Loxoscelism by injecting a small dose of venom—known as sphingomyelinase D, a dermonecrosis-causing enzyme—while striking their prey or a would-be predator. In layman’s terms, necrosis-causing enzymes cause human tissue to deteriorate, meaning severe bites can eat away at your flesh.

While desert recluses contain the same type of venom as brown recluses, the chances of you being bitten by one are extremely slim—and the chance of being mortally wounded by one is even slimmer.

In fact, there hasn’t been a single reported death caused by a desert recluse bite in Southern California. Additionally, most bites from these recluses won’t inject you with enough venom to eat away at your skin. Recluse bites typically go away on their own, leaving little to no harm done.

Regardless of this fact, if you think you’ve been bitten by a desert recluse, it’s important to seek out medical attention. Often, suspected recluse bites are bites from other arthropods or undiagnosed diseases and bacterial infections.

Brown Widows

Scientifically known as Latrodectus geometricus, the brown widow spider has been spinning webs across Southern California since the early 2000s. Thought to have evolved from Africa but discovered in South America, these arachnids are venomous and come in a variety of colors, making them difficult to distinguish from their eery cousin, the black widow.

Brown Widow Characteristics

The brown widow comes in a variety of brownish colors throughout its life stages.

Spiderlings and Adolescents

Brown widow spiderlings and adolescents look almost identical to their black widow counterparts, as they feature:

• Tan legs
• Tan cephalothorax with a black stripe
• White, rounded abdomen with black spots

To differentiate the two, always remember that brown widow spiderlings and adolescents usually have more brown on them—or lighter brownish variations—than their black widow counterparts.

Female Brown Widows

The female brown widow spider can look strikingly like an immature female black widow, especially once both spiders are about half grown. It’s important to note that immature female black widows have an orange-colored, longitudinal stripe that runs up the abdomen, while the immature brown widow has a darker, blotchier longitudinal stripe that only goes about halfway up the abdomen.

Common female brown widow features include:

• Light- to dark-brown cephalothorax and abdomen
• Tan and brown-banded legs
• Orange hourglass shapes on abdomens

While these characteristics resemble the most common variations of adult female brown widows, their colors can differentiate drastically. Some adult females can be so dark brown that they appear like black widows, with slightly reddish- or yellowish-orange hourglass markings.

Male Brown Widows

Adult male brown widows are significantly smaller than females and their black widow counterparts, featuring similar colorations as brown widow spiderlings with two large papal bulbs—copulatory organs of the male spider—near the front limbs.

For a highly detailed, comprehensive list of brown widow identifiers, check out UC Riverside’s guide on how to identify brown widow spiders.

Brown Widow Egg Sacs

Known as the easiest way to identify brown widows, their egg sacs are tan and spherical with sharp, silk points sticking out of them. These sacs help differentiate from the black widow’s, as their eggs feature white, smooth, and round surfaces.

Brown Widow Venom

Brown widows have a neurotoxic venom—a venom that affects nerve-muscle function—that causes Latrodectism, which can include symptoms like:

• Pain
• Muscle rigidity
• Vomiting
• Sweating

Thankfully, brown widows simply don’t have the power or the neurotoxin reserves to cause Latrodectism in most human bite victims. Brown widow bites often aren’t fatal either, as the effects of the toxin remain in the bite area and surrounding tissue. Normally, brown widow bites leave behind a red mark typical of a spider bite, healing on its own over time.

Western Black Widows

Arguably the most recognizable spider on the planet, the black widow—or Latrodectus hesperus—is a fear-inducing arachnid with a bigger dose of venom than the brown widow or recluse.

Black Widow Characteristics

Physical characteristics of adult female black widows include:

• Bright red, hourglass-like abdominal mark
• Shiny black pigment across abdomens, cephalothorax, and legs
• Rounded abdomen

Also, when female black widows have consumed a large meal, their bodies can become so enlarged and stretched that they take on a brown or plum hue.

Immature Female and Male Black Widows

Much like the brown widow, immature female and male black widows are tan with brown-banded legs. These black widows feature a white abdomen with brown markings and are significantly smaller than the adult female widow.

Black Widow Venom

Although bites from adult female black widows are rare, they can pack a serious punch. With a larger venom reservoir and stronger biting muscles than brown widows, these spiders deliver a dose of neurotoxin into their prey and potential predators. It’s important to note that neurotoxins do not function like dermonecrosis-causing enzymes, meaning their bites do not cause flesh to deteriorate.

Although a black widow bite is often painless—or simply feels like a pinprick—human bite victims will begin to feel symptoms within an hour. These bites appear as small red marks that sometimes feature red streaking away from the wound.

According to UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, symptoms include:

• Rigid stomach muscles, which some medical professionals have misdiagnosed as appendicitis
• Sweating, sometimes of just the bitten body part, such as a bite to the hand that results in only the arm sweating profusely
• Pain that can be local, radiating, or regional
• Urine retention
• Numbness, agitation, fever, and patchy paralysis (less common)

While these are the most severe symptoms of a black widow bite, most human bite victims experience flu-like symptoms that last a few days.

Note: If you suspect a black widow bite—or spotted a black widow biting you—seek professional medical attention.

How to Protect Your Family from These Dangerous Spiders

All spiders—including brown widows, black widows, and the desert recluse—are fond of spaces like covered barbecues, covered patio furniture, and the inside of garden shoes that are often stored outside or in a garage.

It makes sense to exercise extra care when uncovering patio furniture or turning on the gas to the barbecue to make sure you’re not grabbing at any of these spiders. Also, if you store any shoes outside of your house, make sure you shake them before slipping into them.

Professional Spider Control in Southern California

At Lloyd Pest Control, we want you to know that there aren’t brown recluse spiders in Southern California, but there are a few other spiders—like desert recluses, brown widows, and black widows—that call SoCal home.

With more than eight decades of experience treating pest pressures in Southern California, we have professional spider treatments and pest barriers that can help. Contact us today for a free instant quote. But never forget that perhaps the best way to rid yourself of a spider is a swift whack with the bottom of a shoe. And don’t worry if you miss the first time; they won’t chase you. We promise!

The post Are There Brown Recluse Spiders in Southern California? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

But are they dangerous? For the most part, no. Still, as Southern California’s spider control experts, we’d like to tell you about the few spider species you should look out for.

The Three Venomous Species of Spiders

In our region, there are three main species of spiders that are actually venomous: the brown widow, black widow, and desert recluse.

Black Widows

Black widows are the spiders that routinely haunt us in our sleep. Perhaps the most notorious venomous spider, the black widow is easily identifiable by its shiny black body, severely jagged legs, and signature rust-colored hourglass shape on its abdomen. Female black widows have the strongest bite; adult male black widows are smaller and have much smaller venom reserves than the ladies. Black widows account for most of the venomous spider bites in Southern California, which often require medical care.

Brown Widows

Brown widows are non-native to Southern California, and relatively new to the region. Like their name implies, these guys are in the same family as the black widow, but the similarities end there. Brown widows look a lot different (they’re brown, obviously), and they’re far less dangerous. Their venom is fairly potent, but they inject so little that a bite typically poses no serious consequence besides pain and a small mark.

Desert Recluses

The infamous brown recluse isn’t native to our area, but its close relative in the desert recluse is. It’s the only spider in the area apart from the black widow to have medically significant venom, but there have only been a few confirmed sightings here. Symptoms of a desert recluse bite include necrosis (dead tissue) and open, ulcerating sores. Although you have a better chance of winning the lottery than being bit by this spider, in the rare chance that you do, seek medical treatment immediately.

Avoid Harmful Spider Bites with Lloyd Pest Control

These three species of spiders (and the brown recluse that you’ll likely never see) prefer to be left alone – that’s what makes them unlikely to bite you in the first place. Still, you don’t want to take any risks if they manage to become your new roommates. The last thing you want is to deal with a venomous bite (trust us, they’re not fun).

If these eight-legged pests and their obvious health concerns do show up, contact Lloyd Pest Control for professional spider prevention in Southern California.

The post Which Spiders Are Venomous? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Why Spiders Come Indoors

While shelter from the cold brings many pests indoors, it’s not a motivator for spiders. Arachnids can endure near-freezing temperatures, and with our Southern California winters rarely dropping below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they don’t need our warm buildings. In fact, most species aren’t even adapted for indoor conditions, as they’re too dry and have too few insects to eat. So, why do they come in?

The truth is that spiders don’t always come inside on purpose. When mating, male spiders become more mobile, making them likely to accidentally wander into homes and businesses. There are a few species (namely, house spiders) adapted to the indoors, spending most – if not all – of their lives within buildings. But many others may show up on your property, from the dreaded black widows and desert recluses to multiple types of sac spiders.

The Truth About Their Presence

Before we make spiders out to be the most dastardly pests in existence, we should state that they are fairly beneficial. Think of them more as your friendly, neighborhood spiders (remind you of any web-slinging superheroes?) than the ones from that terrifying movie Arachnophobia. While they’re still icky and may inflict a painful bite, spiders do eat many common indoor pests, including:

• Roaches
• Earwigs
• Flies
• Mosquitoes
• Moths

So, knowing this benefit spiders provide, the question becomes, “How do I stop them without letting the pests they eat run rampant?” The answer is simple: Be strategic.

Slipping Through the Cracks

Spiders – like most other pests – get indoors by exploiting available openings. While it’s easy to think that keeping doors and windows closed is enough, small holes and gaps are equally vulnerable. Sealing the following often-overlooked places can keep out not only arachnids, but many of the bugs they eat as well:

• Door and window gaps
• Broken door and window screens
• Cracks in walls
• Attic and basement vents

Strategies: Caulking is an effective way to seal any cracks or gaps. You might also consider installing door sweeps on all your doors to keep spiders from squeezing under them. If you notice any screens that are broken, get them fixed or replaced. Also, installing wire mesh on your vents is a good idea; the tiny holes allow air to ventilate but keep spiders and other pests out.

A Place to Hide

Taking away entry points is a great start; still, no home is 100 percent insulated from outside intrusions. Eventually, you may have an infestation on your hands, and you won’t know it immediately. Remember that spider you spotted in your basement? It likely didn’t show up yesterday. Don’t freak out too much, but it may have been there for weeks, or even months. It’s fair to say that spiders are fantastic at hide-and-seek. Be proactive, and keep them from winning.

Strategies: Spiders love dark places with lots of clutter, like basements, garages, attics, or closets – clean them out if they seem at risk. Vacuuming and sanitizing discourages the building of spiderwebs. Outside, remove firewood and foliage to keep them away from your property. By doing all of this, you’re also making it unlikely other pests will find nesting places, either.

The Food Chain’s Chilling Impact

As we stated earlier, spiders are beneficial because they eliminate other annoying (and often harmful) pests. As carnivores, they consume 16 times more meat than we do each year – estimates are as high as 800 million metric tons worldwide. That just goes to show how important the presence of other pests is to their survival in your home or business.

But if you don’t want them in or around your property (and we totally understand if you don’t), the solution is obvious. Get rid of other pests’ food sources, and you’ll be getting rid of spiders’ food sources at the same time.

Strategies: Every food group supports pests of some sort. Roaches crave sweets, meats, and starches; earwigs gravitate toward fruits and vegetables; and flies go for just about everything. Taking away their access to food and water is crucial. Cleaning up spills, keeping containers closed, and fixing leaks are the most effective ways to prevent pests – and resultantly, spiders – from flocking to your home or business.

When All Else Fails

Even by using all these previous strategies, you might still have spiders show up. Despite our best efforts, they’re still experts at entering, hiding, and hunting (it’s not always easy to stop pesky insects like flies and mosquitoes, as you probably know from experience). As a result, you may still run into spiders and need to take more drastic measures to stop them. Yes, we’re talking about confronting them head-on.

Strategies: “Contact kill” is a great way to get rid of spiders; grab your nearest newspaper, shoe, or other object you don’t mind getting guts on, and smash them on sight. If you’re nimble (or brave) enough, catching them in a jar to release outside also works. However, spraying your home with pesticide isn’t as effective, as the chemicals only get on spiders’ legs and are not ingested.

A big issue with spider killing is that the species you’re taking on might be venomous. For all you know, you could be dealing with black widows or desert recluses. To be safe (both figuratively and literally), you may be better off calling in a professional at this point.

Say Goodbye to Spiders with Professional Help

Even with the ecological benefits spiders provide, you may still want them gone. In addition to their downright ghastly appearance, their potentially hazardous bites are a good reason to get professionals to do the job. At Lloyd Pest Control, we’ll safely eliminate the most problematic species while also offering specific preventative tips. Contact us to get a free quote for spider control for your Southern California home or business.

The post So Long, Spiders: Making Infestations a Thing of the Past first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Every year, as summer turns to fall, the other technicians and I are given a moment to catch our breath.  The ants – which represent about 65% of our emergency calls each year generally stop trying to invade Southern California homes by late October.  Right around Thanksgiving, though, the winter pests come knocking – rats, mice, spiders.  They want in.  Here are some tips to keep them out.

TIPS TO SAFEGUARD YOUR YARD

Cover your trash cans.  And keep them away from your home.   Trash cans attract rats, mice, and larger pests like raccoons and opossums.  Ants and roaches are also big fans of your trash – don’t let their parade take a detour into your living space.

Move wood piles.   Move any wood piles (or clutter piles) away from your home.  Pests very much appreciate piles of stuff, and wood piles provide perfect shelter for rodents, black widows – and especially termites.

Adjust sprinklers.  Switch from your summer watering schedule.  Too much water in the yard makes attracts spiders, slugs, snails and other pests.

Remove fallen fruit.  I always recommend to my customers that they pick up all fruit that has fallen to the ground to prevent rats, mice and other pests from being attracted to the scent of decaying fruit.

Store your pet food.  Don’t leave pet food out overnight because it – you guessed it – attracts pests of all stripes.  (This also really applies to pet food on the inside of your the home.)

SEAL OFF PEST ENTRY POINTS TO YOUR HOME

Trim overhanging branches.  Tree branches that hang over your roof create a superhighway for pests – especially roof rats, which love the quiet shelter of attics.

Maintain your roof.  Broken tiles, missing shingles, and roofing soft spots provide opportunities for pests to get in.  While you’re up there, check your chimney, too – and make sure that the flue is clear before the first use of season.

Weather-strip your doors.  If you can see light beneath your front door, rodents can probably squeeze right through (this also applies to garage doors!).  Weather-stripping is cheap and easy to attach.  This is also a good time of year to make sure that your windows are properly sealed, too.  This keeps out cold – and roaches and earwigs and spiders!

Repair vent screens.  In my experience, about 50% of all interior rodent problems start with damaged or missing vent screens (to crawl spaces, garages, and attics).  It’s much cheaper to replace vent screens than it is to chase rodents!

Make sure your dog door shuts properly.  The good ones often use magnets to seal themselves shut.  A loose dog door puts out the welcome mat for rodents – and opossums, skunks, and raccoons.

It will take very little effort to keep this winter’s pests out of your home.  Minimizing the things that attract bugs to your yard – and sealing the entry points to your living space – will make for a much more pleasant holiday season, and guarantee you many a silent night.  If pests do somehow breach your perimeter, though, don’t hesitate to give me a call.  Happy holidays.

The post Keep Out the Bad Bugs (and Little 4-Legged Beasts) of Winter first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Spiders

Spiders can be found in California throughout the year, but they are spotlighted at Halloween for a few reasons. Not only are some spiders venomous, but they also tend to build webs in dark and vacant spaces, like scary abandoned houses. Spiders tend to move indoors during the colder months to protect their webs and babies from frigid winter winds. Fortunately, our Halloween pest control experts in San Diego can help you scare these creep-crawlies away with ease.

Cockroaches

Like spiders, different types of insects are often used in Halloween decorations. The cockroach is a prime example. Online, you’ll find tons of ads for bags of plastic cockroaches to use as creepy Halloween decor. You’ll even find recipes for Halloween treats that look like the pest. Cockroaches have probably won this Halloween honor because of their association with the dead. Their deadly image comes primarily from their connection to disease and unsanitary conditions (although they can live anywhere). It’s also perpetuated by the death’s head cockroach, a specific breed of roach with an eerie skull-like marking on its head. There are several types of cockroaches in Southern California. If real cockroaches are invading your home instead of fake ones, make sure to give Lloyd a call for a little Halloween pest control treatment!

Rats

Rats are also linked to both Halloween and death. This dates back to the days of the plague. Mice and rats carried the deadly plague from house to house and town to town before pest control or modern medicine were available. A particularly violent outbreak known as the Black Death killed an estimated 75-100 million people in Europe and the Mediterranean, solidifying the rat’s historical association with death. Rats are still known to spread disease and destroy property today. So, while plastic rats are a necessary Halloween gag, no one wants real live rats in their house. Fortunately, rats in Southern California today can be easily and quickly eliminated with the help of our certified, Halloween pest control experts at Lloyd!

In fact, pest control in Southern California can keep your home free of spooky spiders, bugs, rats or mice throughout the entire year. Contact Lloyd Pest Control for all your pest control needs. Halloween or not, we are not afraid of your dark attic, musty basement or creepy closets. Get rid of scary Halloween pests before they get rid of you!

The post Halloween Pest Control: When Halloween Decor Becomes Reality first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Some ants protect their nests with their heads

Aside from being able to carry objects 50 times their own body weight, ants display another behavior that is quite spectacular. head to protect its colony from unwanted guests.

Ants use to live alongside the dinosaurs over 130 million years ago. Fossilized evidence of ants and other insects have been found in lumps of amber, or plant resin.

Termites are less dirty than you might think

Termites, though they can be disastrous to your home, are actually a benefit to the environment. Termites are vital to earth’s decomposition of tough plant fibers. But that’s not what’s so cool about these pests.

Much of a termite’s life is spent cleaning other termites in the colony!

Bacteria and fungal infections can make quick work of termite colonies, which is why they spend such a great deal of time grooming each other to keep the colony clean. A termite’s antennae enable the termite to detect infections while they clean.

Bed bugs hide before you know they’ve bitten you

Over the past few years bed bugs have grown as a menace throughout Southern California and the entire country.

Bed bugs inject anti-coagulants and anesthetics into your skin so they can feed and hide before you even know they are around. The bed bug’s saliva acts as an anesthetic thus masking the bite and increasing the speed of the feeding process.

Spiders limbs work like that of a machine

While it’s true that almost every spider in the world is venomous, most spiders teeth are either too small or lack the potency of venom to harm people. But it’s not just the fangs and the venom that scare people. Spiders have a strange way of moving, which, as it turns out isn’t that different, mechanically speaking, than the more familiar movement of a common construction site excavator.

Spiders can control blood pressure in their limbs using a combination of hemolymph (arthropod blood) and extensor muscles located in the three hip joints, which allows them to move, and even jump in the case of jumping spiders.

Bees will create a new queen from existing larvae

Often, the only silver lining to a bee sting is the assumed knowledge that after a single sting, the bee dies.  The truth, however, is that honeybees don’t always die after stinging something. A bee stinger may become caught in a human’s skin but many other surfaces anima skins are more forgiving and will endure multiple stings without harm to the bee itself.

But despite all this seemingly violent behavior, bees are extraordinarily community driven. As a queen bee dies, she emits a pheromone that will cause worker bees to immediately create a new queen from existing larvae.

Fleas and brushes have something in common

Your dog or cat may disagree, but the flea is quite a magnificent creature. Not only can a flea jump 8-10 inches vertically (making it one of the best jumpers of any animal, relative to body size), and not only can the flea’s hard body withstand incredible pressure, but the common flea is in some ways similar to the common hair.

 The flea’s body is covered with hard plates called Sclerites. In the same why that a hair brush is designed to easily part the hair on your head, the flea’s hard body plates (called Sclerites) have hairs that point away from its head allowing it to easily crawl through your dog or cat’s fur.

Cockroaches just want to be loved…sort of

You may know that cockroaches can live for weeks without their heads, but did you know that they like to be touched? Cockroaches are thigmotropic, which means they like solid objects coming in contact with their bodies.

Despite how interesting these pests may be, they can be damaging to our home and health. That’s where Lloyd Pest Control comes in. Our elimination service covers Southern California with more than 200 radio-dispatched trucks, 200 licensed technicians, supervisors, a Quality Control staff, an entomologist, and a biologist. For more information about each of these pests and their eradication, contact Lloyd Pest Control today at 1.800.223.2847.

The post 7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Pests first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Creatures were stirring, including a mouse
Neither of us had a clue how they got here
Our house is infested I told my dear
The children were awake stirring in their beds
While visions of spiders danced in their heads
When out in the room there was a pitter patter
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter
The tree was crawling with insects below
A Christmas tree can have pests but how could I know
More rapid than cheetahs the ants they came
And marched to the kitchen in search of sugar cane
To the top of the ceiling! To the top of the wall!
How on earth could I get rid of them all!
What could I possibly have done differently?

Lloyd Pest Control

When buying a tree you should check for bugs and shake gently
Bring a flashlight to the lot in order to see
That no insects have infested the greenery
These few simple things are easy to do
And will help to prevent pests from bugging you
The bugs on the tree are seldom harmful
But exposed food in your house will make it an armful
So be careful to check the tree before you buy
Because a tree full of bugs might make you cry
We hope you have a joyous Holiday Season
A house without pests is a wonderful reason
To Celebrate
The Holiday

Happy Holidays from Lloyd Pest Control

Click here for a humorous post titled “Should I worry about bugs in my Christmas tree?”

The post above is an adaptation of the original work “Twas the night before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore

The post Twas the night before Christmas first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

The post Printable: The 4 Arachnids to Avoid first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.