Why you need to call Pest Control Cape Town for Spiders

The Western Cape has a rich ecosystem containing many indigenous species of spiders. Even though these spiders perform a vital role in insect population control, many of them pose a legitimate health and safety risk to us humans. 

Most spiders do not pose a threat to our safety but there are plenty that do. With the summer months around the corner, it would help to be aware of which of spiders are worthy of your concern. Knowing what spiders are able to cause harm to humans will protect you and your family from the dangers presented by these arachnids. And knowing how dangerous particular spiders are, can inform your decision on whether or not assistance from a pest control company is necessary.

Remember that deaths resulting from spider bites are incredibly rare. As a matter of fact, South Africa is yet to record its first case of fatality resulting from a spider bite. If you are unable to identify a spider that has bitten you, professional medical advice can be dispensed by the poison unit of Tygerberg Hospital. If it is possible, take a picture of the spider and identify it via Google Lens. See below how to use google lens:

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Venomous Spiders Found in the Western Cape

In order to better deal with arachnids, homeowners could benefit from developing an understanding of what sort of spiders are found in the Western Cape, how they look, and the kinds of environments they lurk in. The most dangerous spiders that pose a legitimate risk to your health and safety are those that are venomous. If you would like to know what species of spiders to be wary of, here is a list of the most common venomous spiders found in the Western Cape:

Baboon spiders:

These arachnids rank amongst the Western Cape’s most notorious venomous animals. They boast a fairly large body with thick brown fur. In terms of size, they can get up to 6 cm in length. In general, they prefer lightly wooded environments far away from areas populated by humans.

Fortunately, baboon spiders rarely explore human spaces because they deliver painful bites. Even though the neurotoxin in their venom is not lethal to us, getting bitten by one would cause a person to experience severe pain. Even worse, this pain can last anywhere between 10 to 40 hours. In the meantime, all you can do is take pain medication.

The excruciating pain of its bite aside, the baboon spider cannot kill humans. However, dog owners should be wary of the fact that the neurotoxin carried in the venom of baboon spiders is potentially lethal to canines. According to statistical research, roughly 20% of dogs die when bitten by a baboon spider.

Rain spiders:

If you live in Cape Town and surrounds, you have probably come across or been in the vicinity of rain spiders many a time. These common arachnids love to nest in dry spaces or the corners of your ceilings during the rainy seasons. You can easily identify these medium-sized spiders by their fuzzy brown fur.

The features of their heads can be described as flat and along their legs, you can see an alternating pattern of light and dark brown bands. Rain spiders are typically docile in demeanor and do not actively seek out larger prey. Instead, they feed primarily on insects and sometimes small vertebrates.

Rain spiders do not spin webs to catch their prey. Instead, they prefer actively hunting their prey down by chasing it. Rain spiders will only spin webs when constructing a nest. When it comes to pest control, Cape Town has plenty to thank the rain spider for. These creatures’ diet is comprised of many creepy crawlies and critters that we humans often detest, preventing their neighborhoods from becoming infested with pests.

You should not feel alarmed if you find a rain spider in your house. It will eventually find its way out and as far away as it can get from the lights and the noise you generate inside your home. However, they are prone to dashing at humans attempting to bite when provoked.

In the event that someone is bitten by a rain spider, a doctor would not be necessary to administer treatment. The pain from the bite itself may border on mild in severity and the area might begin to itch as it starts recovering. A rain spider’s bite is akin to a bee sting.

Black button spiders:

These spiders are considered to be amongst the most dangerous arachnids found in the Western Cape. Not only does their venom contain deadly neurotoxins but they are also found commonly throughout the province, increasing the likelihood of encountering them. Pest control Cape Town may be required to deal with an infestation of these spiders.

Black button spiders construct three-dimensional webs inside which they live and catch prey. Unless provoked by external influences, black button spiders are sedentary creatures that do not leave the perch of their webs. They tend to create webbed nests in shaded spaces such as the undersides of rocks and stones.

They are also known to create nests in tall grass or bushes as well. The ideal nesting space for a black button spider would be somewhere far away from people where their environments are not directly impacted by the presence of humans. When they reach adulthood, these spiders are black with a bulbous abdomen and thin spindly legs. On the dorsal (upper) side of their abdomens, you can see a collection of bright red patterns.

Typically, an adult black button spider measures 0,64 cm long. As aforementioned, the bite from a black button spider will administer a strong neurotoxin that is dangerous to humans. Symptoms following a bite from this spider include pain, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, and respiratory issues.

Unlike with the baboon spider’s bite, people bitten by a black button spider will require medical attention immediately. Bitten individuals need to be treated by a hospital’s poison unit. In bad cases, it may even be necessary to administer the appropriate anti-venom. Professional pest control Cape Town specialists should be called in to safely contain and eradicate black button spiders from households.

Sac spiders:

These spiders are what you would call free-living. What this means is that they do not construct webs in which to live. Instead, they explore their surroundings freely – often ending up in our homes! For sac spider pest control Cape Town residents can use strong aerosol insecticides.

Sac spiders are not very big and tend to creep into our houses where any cool and dry spot can be used as a home. You might see them hiding behind picture frames, deep under your bed, under your neglected underwear, or amongst the dust behind your furniture. You can easily identify a sac spider by its consistently cream-white carapace.

The two rows of eyes on its head are black and sit atop two thick claws. You will be able to notice that its front legs are in fact the longest of its 8 limbs. Wherever a sac spider decides to reside within your home, you are likely to find silk sacs. They build these sacs so that they may lay their eggs inside. Their bites are painful but not lethal. Their venom contains cytotoxins that can cause mild tissue damage to the bitten area.

Brown button spiders:

Much like the black button spiders, brown button spiders are prolific throughout the Western Cape province. Their webs are also spun three-dimensionally but, however, they are known to inhabit small spaces closer to and even inside human households. If you look at their egg sacs, you can see the characteristic spikes that line their abdomens.

As their name suggests, brown button spiders are brown in color. Their legs are striped in alternating patterns of brown and cream. The abdomens of brown button spiders can either be cream or brown. Brown button spiders pose very little threat to humans even when occupying the same space.

If they feel attacked, they are more likely to leave than become aggressive. Typically, they only bite people when picked up or placed on the surface of a person’s skin. For brown button spider’s residents should clean the crevices of their homes regularly.

There is a neurotoxin present in their venom which can cause mildly severe pain when bitten by one. The symptoms of a bite are similar to that of a black button spider and hospitalization may still be necessary (more so in the case of kids). However, their venom does not match the severity of a black button spider bite.

Violin Spiders:

Similar to the sac spider, violin spiders are free-living and do not need to build web structures. In general people do not have to worry too much about these spiders. This is because they are generally found 100 km outside of the city. Violin spiders are common elsewhere in South Africa.

The bodies of violin spiders are small and either brown or grey in color. On top of their carapaces, you can sometimes see a pattern in the rough shape of a violin – hence the name. Their legs are thin and long. Some violin spiders have dark abdominal spots.

They are typically non-confrontational when encountering larger animals, including humans. When humans approach violin spiders, they tend to flee to safer spaces. Much like most spiders, they will only bite people if they are physically agitated (e.g., picked up).

Violin spider bites also deliver cytotoxins, similar to sac spider bites. People bitten by violin spiders can expect to experience tissue damage around the bite area. A common additional effect of a violin spider’s bite is necrosis.

Necrosis refers to the death of body tissues. This non-reversible condition can lead to the development of gangrene. This means that particularly serious violin spider bites can lead to the loss of large parts of tissue, including fingers and toes.

Contact Us for Spider Pest Control Services.

A safe home is a happy home, and anybody can see the sense in protecting their properties from the outside elements. If you are experiencing trouble with critters, diggers, and crawlers, you can reach out to us here and Pest Managers for excellent pest control services and advice.

Our highly specialized team can deal with any type of pest control issue you are dealing with. We can rid your property of insects, rodents, birds, and lice just to name a few. We also offer disinfection services for the removal of pathogenic agents from work and living spaces.