The Fear Factor | Central Arkansas

Fear Factor

In North America, there are over 3,000 species of spiders. This means that you’re probably sitting near a spider right now. Before you jump up and scream, keep in mind that it depends on where you are that a spider could be lurking. If you are sitting in the grass, a spider friend is likely nearby. However, if you’re sitting inside a well-sealed home, the eight-legged pest shouldn’t be near.

At Clark Exterminating, we’re always around spiders. Homeowners trust us to take care of them the right way.  Not all spiders are dangerous, but a spider infestation of any breed is unsettling. We’ve been getting rid of spiders in Little Rock, Benton, Hot Springs, and Central Arkansas for the past 34 years and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

Believe it or not, spiders are helpful to humans. They get rid of smaller pests such as cockroaches and crickets. Despite this positive attribute, words like “terrifying” and “disgusting” come to mind when talking about these pests. It’s no wonder they are one of the most feared insects in the United States.

Speaking of fear, one spider dominates when it comes to the “fear factor” – the brown recluse. Many North Americans are afraid of this particular eight-legged creature that’s found in the south from Texas to Georgia and in the central Midwest from Ohio to Nebraska.

Rick Vetter, a research associate at the University of California, embarked on a five-year study investigating claims of brown recluse findings in North America. He asked for people to send him spiders they believed were brown recluses. After investigating 1,773 spiders, shockingly, only 21 percent of them were actual brown recluse spiders. You can identify a brown recluse by checking for a dark brown violin-shaped marking on their back.

There aren’t as many brown recluses found in North America as you may have thought. So, that’s a relief, right?  Yes, but, there’s still a chance that you may run into one and if you do, steer clear. They don’t bite instinctively, but they will bite if they feel threatened. Their venom causes the skin around the bite mark to die, causing it to turn into an open ulcer. These bites can trigger restlessness, intense pain for up to eight hours, and fever.

This type of spider is nocturnal and, hence the name, like to be a true “recluse.” They’re not likely to be near you unless you go near them. They often camp out under rocks and in piles of wood. If they travel indoors, they stay in uninhabited areas such as storage rooms where there might be boxes or piles of papers.

Now that you know more about them, you will know where to relax freely and where to wander with caution. It may not be a brown recluse, but you might be near one of the other 2,999 species spinning webs, eating bugs, and scaring North Americans daily. Of course, if you stumble upon what you think is a brown recluse or any other spider problem, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Since we’ve been serving Central Arkansas for over 30 years, they have a reason to fear us, too!

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