SPIDER
EXTERMINATION

Spider extermination made easy by Elite Pest Control

Several species of spider are commonly found in Quebec. And while they are all important to the ecosystem, that doesn’t make it any easier to cope with finding a massive spider nest that will soon release hundreds of baby spiders into your environment.

An area of expertise

At Elite Pest Control, spider extermination is one of our specialties. Contact us to find out what kind of spiders are bothering you and what you can do to get rid of them.

As part of our spider removal service, we inspect your home, identify the source of the problem and remove the infestation. Our technicians will also help you plan a strategy to keep spiders away in the future.

How spiders get into your house

Not all spiders build webs; some stay on the ground to hunt for prey. Either type can enter your home to look for a warm place to spend the winter.

The most likely places to find spiders in your home are:

  • Indoors, in ceiling corners
  • Garage
  • Attic
  • Barn
  • Shed
  • Porch
  • Exterior walls, between soffits and siding

Identification

Wolf spiders: These burrowing arachnids are large (from 10 to 35 mm, legs not included) and solitary. The female carries her egg sac on the end of her abdomen and her hatchlings on her back.

Cellar spiders: Also known as the daddy-long-legs spider, this genus loves the damp conditions found in basements, where it likes to hang upside down in loose webs.

House spiders: You’ll find these arachnids indoors, waiting to lure insects into their webs. They like to hide out under furniture and in dark corners. They range from 4 to 9 mm in body length, and their front pair of legs is the longest.

Black widow spiders: Rare in Canada, the black widow prefers to spin small webs close to the ground, in dark spaces. It’s easily identified by its shiny black colour and red hourglass mark on the underside. It can bite, so spider removal should be done while wearing protective gloves.

Fishing spiders: Similar in appearance to the wolf spider, the fishing spider usually lives near aquatic environments. In Canada, it is also known as a dock spider and can occasionally get into homes. Because of its large size, it often frightens people.

Spiders rarely bite humans; doctors report that most cases of spider bites are misdiagnoses of other insect bites. As is the case with most wildlife in its natural setting, spiders are more afraid of humans than we are of them.

Are the spiders in Quebec dangerous?

Fortunately, the spiders in the areas we serve—Montreal, Gatineau, Trois-Rivières, Quebec City and on the North and South Shores—are not harmful. The Government of Canada goes as far as to say you can’t get poisoned from wild spiders in Quebec, and they don’t carry any diseases.

The kinds of spiders you are most likely to come across in Canada don’t have strong enough fangs to break the skin. If they do bite into skin, their venom isn’t toxic to humans. Occasionally, the proteins in a spider’s saliva may cause an allergic reaction on the skin and warrant a visit to the doctor.

They may not be dangerous, but masses of spiders and giant spider webs are unpleasant to look at and can make your home look unkempt and unmaintained.

How to get rid of spiders

Many people want to get rid of spiders simply because they are afraid of them—seeing them in your home can trigger deep fear and unease. There are two main theories about why arachnophobia has such a strong hold on some individuals:

  • Social conditioning. We learn from our parents and from popular culture that spiders are frightening creatures that lurk in the dark.
  • It’s in our DNA. Some researchers at New York City’s Columbia University speculate that our ancestors developed this fear because they were constantly threatened by venomous species of spiders.

Here is some advice from our professional exterminators about how to keep spiders away:

  • Clean your house often to keep away the insects that spiders like to feed on
  • Seal up small holes that can let spiders access the inside your house
  • Remove cobwebs regularly

Nobody wants to share their home with spiders, especially when you realize that a spider egg cocoon can hold up to 2,000 eggs! Contact Elite Pest Control today to learn more about spider extermination; we are ready to serve you at many locations throughout Quebec.