Philadelphia residents frequently come face-to-face with broad-faced sac spiders. The most common place to see them is outdoors, especially when people happen to look underneath a board or stone that is lying on the ground. Sometimes, these arachnids will conceal themselves beneath a windowsill or behind the siding on the exterior of a building too. They also may come inside and make themselves at home.
This region is particularly welcoming to broad-faced sac spiders. In fact, this is a hardy species that can be found as far south as Georgia and Alabama and well into Canada. Both near and far, the broad-faced sac spider is a well-known species. Its most distinguishing characteristic is the painful bite that it sometimes delivers when it feels threatened or cornered. This bite can be more troubling than most spider bites that are suffered in the local area. Prone to secondary infections, these bites can cause serious health problems if they are not properly treated.
Most broad-faced sac spiders are content to live outdoors through the summer, but colder conditions in the fall may drive them indoors. Still, it is possible to encounter members of the species in residential and commercial buildings in any season, especially if those buildings are not sealed up against pests.
In buildings where insects are thriving, spiders are certain to follow. Some of the insects on which they feed are considered relatively harmless by people, but others are not. When spiders are feeding on carpenter ants, termites and other potentially destructive or dangerous pests, it is definitely time to call in the services of a licensed exterminator because they can treat all pest problems at once.
When an infestation is suspected, it is best to act quickly. This enables the pest management professional to address the problems before they cause serious harm.
WHAT DO BROAD-FACED SAC SPIDERS LOOK LIKE?
At about three-eighths of an inch in length, the adult female broad-faced sac spider is relatively large. If her legs are included in her length, then she may measure as much as five-eighths of an inch or more. Males are not able to attain the same size.
Broad-faced sac spiders may be identified by their slightly shiny red or brown cephalothorax. The abdomen typically is a dull gray or tan. These spiders may have legs of brown, tan or red, with the front legs being darker and thicker than the rear legs.
WHAT DO BROAD FACED SAC SPIDERS EAT?
Like most spiders, members of this species are beneficial to people and the environment. This is because they consume a wide selection of insects and other arachnids, many of which are considered pests.
Some spiders are web spinners while others are hunters, with broad-faced sac spiders falling into the latter category. They move with startling speed, running and pouncing to capture prey that may be larger than them. A single bite injects venom into the prey, which leads to immediate incapacitation.
WHERE DO BROAD-FACED SAC SPIDERS LIVE?
Across the eastern half of the United States, this spider is a fairly common sight. It prefers to live in conditions that are dry and warm. This habitat may be found in many outdoor places in the summer, but as fall arrives and temperatures drop and rain begins to fall, the broad-faced sac spider may have to look elsewhere for shelter.
This is when it is most likely to come indoors to seek a nesting alternative to its usual habitat of leaf litter. Broad-faced sac spiders also may be spotted living beneath a rock or a piece of lumber. A dry, rolled-up leaf is the perfect hiding spot, and some members of the species simply will conceal themselves within a plant.
Philadelphia buildings are perfect places for broad-faced sac spiders to live. Sheds, garages, attics, basements and crawl spaces provide the likeliest living quarters because they are dark, dry, quiet and undisturbed. Many of these places have dense insect populations, making them ideal spider habitats.
It's also worth knowing that these and other spiders breed in the fall. Most eggs are laid in the months of September and October. Each sac may contain between 30 and 50 eggs, which demonstrates how easy it is for a broad-faced sac spider infestation to get out of hand.
WHAT DO BROAD-FACED SAC SPIDERS EAT?
The broad-faced sac spider has a venomous bite that it uses to incapacitate its prey. Because of this, it can feast on larger spiders and insects. It commonly eats flies, crickets, roaches, and moths. It is also a scavenger. It can often be found feasting on dead spiders and insects.
DAMAGE CAUSE BY BROAD-FACED SAC SPIDERS
Broad-faced sac spiders may bite people, but they are not destructive. Property owners do not have to worry about damage arising from an infestation. The same cannot be said for the pest species on which the spiders are feeding, making prompt attention from an exterminator a necessity.
ARE BROAD-FACED SAC SPIDERS AGGRESSIVE?
This species actually is relatively shy, preferring to avoid encounters with people. That is one of the reasons why it chooses such out-of-the-way places in which to live, even when it is making its home in man-made structures.
Still, people and broad-faced sac spiders may accidentally confront each other, and the arachnid will react with aggression. Its bite is known to be particularly painful when compared to other spider bites.
DO BROAD-FACED SAC SPIDERS CARRY DISEASE?
Members of this species naturally produce venom that they transfer to bite victims. While this venom immediately incapacitates bugs, it has little effect on people. A small percentage of the human population may have an allergy to this venom, but the effects generally are not lasting or serious.
Some bites may give way to larger problems with a secondary infection. Arising when a broad-faced sac spider bites a person after feeding on a dead arthropod, these infections can be serious if they are not quickly treated.
HOW TO DETECT BROAD-FACED SAC SPIDERS
Signs of a broad faced sac spider infestation include:
• Spider-silk sleeping cocoons are found indoors • Spiders and insects are a common sight in many rooms • People are the victims of numerous painful spider bites
HOW TO PREVENT BROAD-FACED SAC SPIDERS
To help prevent broad faced sac spider issues the following steps should be taken:
• Keep building interiors cleaner with more frequent vacuuming and dusting • Eliminate clutter from garages, sheds, attics, basements and other storage rooms • Get rid of yard debris piles • Ask an exterminator to perform regular treatments to eliminate food for spiders • Store woodpiles at least 20 feet away from man-made structures • Use caulk, weather stripping and other measures to seal up cracks in building exteriors • Clean building exteriors with a power washer on at least an annual basis • Place screens on all doors and windows
HOW TO TREAT FOR SPIDERS
Spider treatment involves the detection and elimination of all webs. If this is not done, the spiders are likely to re-infest the structure. Generally, it is not possible to completely eliminate spiders with do-it-yourself products. As such, successful spider eradication should be left for a pest control professional who has the tools and experience to get the job done safely and effectively.
At Newtown Termite & Pest Control, Inc., we don't take your spider problems lightly. That's why we use a multifaceted process including the treatment of wall voids, attics, and cracks and crevices throughout the premise with gels, dusts, and other specialized products.
