There are over 35,000 species of spiders worldwide, with about 3,000 occuring in North America. Many species of spiders are household pests. Wherever their food is available, spiders are likely to be found. All spiders are predators, feeding mainly on insects and other small arthropods. A thorough inspection of the building or household.
Accurate identification is important for both pest management and medical reasons.
This consists of making sure that the building or home is in good physical condition, and properly screened and sealed to reduce entry. Also, in homes changing the bulbs near the entrances to yellow bulbs, may be of some help in reducing attractiveness. A thorough housecleaning should be done twice each year. If a broom is used for the removal, then it is suggested that if a spider is present on the web that an appropriate labeled flusher be used for a quick contact kill before removal of the web. If desired, chemical control consists of the application of appropriately labeled dusts, wettable powders, microencapsulated, or lacquer pesticides in typical spider harborages.