Spider Exterminator in Odessa, TX

The Two Spiders That Matter in Texas

The Texas Department of State Health Services says Texas has two venomous spiders. Both live in the Permian Basin.

Black widow

DSHS describes the female black widow as jet black with a round, shiny belly and a red or yellow hourglass on the underside. Males are smaller, brown and easy to miss. Black widows build messy, tangled webs close to the ground. Around Odessa homes, look in:

• Electric and water meter boxes
• Under the lip of block walls and fence rails
• Woodpiles, stacked pallets and old lumber
• Garage corners, shelves and behind storage bins
• The bottom of patio furniture and kids' outdoor toys

Their venom affects the nerves. Read more in our black widow guide.

Brown recluse

DSHS says the brown recluse is golden brown with a dark, fiddle shaped mark on the front of its body. Its venom can damage skin around a bite. Recluses hide in quiet, dry places: closets, boxes in the garage, attics, and shoes or clothes left on the floor. They wander at night, which is why people sometimes find one in a bathtub or sink in the morning.

Neither one hunts people

DSHS is clear that neither spider is aggressive. They bite when they are trapped against skin, like when you pull on a work glove or roll onto one in bed. That is good news, because a few habits cut your risk a lot.

Why Spiders Move In

Spiders follow food. In Odessa, the bugs they eat gather in a few predictable places:

• Porch and garage lights. Lights pull in moths and beetles all night, and spiders build webs right next to the bulb.
• Block walls and rock beds. Crickets and roaches hide in the gaps, and spiders follow them.
• Clutter. Boxes, stacked pots and old tires give recluses and widows dark, still places to rest.
• Gaps under doors. A worn door sweep or garage seal lets spiders and their prey walk right in.

Cool fall nights also push spiders and other bugs toward the warm side of the house.

Spider Pest Control You Can Do Today

DSHS suggests using a vacuum to remove spiders, webs and egg sacs from inside the house. Here is what else helps:

• Wear gloves when you move firewood, lumber, rocks or boxes.
• Shake out shoes, gloves and clothes that sat in the garage.
• Pull beds a few inches away from the wall and keep bedding off the floor.
• Store garage items in sealed plastic bins, not cardboard boxes.
• Swap bright white porch bulbs for yellow bug lights.
• Replace worn door sweeps and garage door seals.
• Keep woodpiles off the ground and away from the house.

Safe Around Kids and Pets

Your technician will follow the EPA label on every product, which sets where it can go and when people and pets can return. Indoors, most work is done in cracks, voids and the garage, away from places kids and pets touch. Ask your technician how long to wait before letting pets back into treated areas.