spiders

HOW TO CONTROL SPIDERS

Crawling insects and spiders are effectively controlled by treating surfaces with residual insecticide. Insects and spiders that contact treated surfaces are rapidly killed and in many cases the surfaces become repellent to insects and so acts as a barrier to insect pests.

To get rid of spiders follow these steps:

Inside

> If the areas to be treated are dusty or greasy it is good practise to clean these down first to prevent runs and for the best effect of the treatment. Cover or remove all fish tanks, pets, food, food utensils, food preparation surfaces, clothes, toys and bedding. Pull furniture away from walls so that you can get a clear run of spraying rather than having to stop to move each item of furniture.

> For long term control, apply NO SPIDERS or NO BUGS SUPER as a coarse mist around the edges of rooms, against skirting boards and kick boards. Pay particular attention to places where insect pests might gain entry to each room. 

> In hard to reach places, such as roof voids, use NO BUGS BUG BOMB or NO BUGS BORAFUME which quickly kill insects present at time of release.

Outside

Spiders can be controlled before they get a chance to enter your home.

> Choose a still day with a forecast of dry conditions for the next 6 hours. Apply NO SPIDERS or NO BUGS SUPER as a coarse mist to exterior walls, window frames, door frames, vents, pergolas and other surfaces which pest insects and spiders might contact.

> Spraying the exterior with NO SPIDERS or NO BUGS SUPER acts as a barrier to many pests and will prevent the unsightly appearance of spider webbing build up around the home. Spray a band around the base of all external walls. Pay particular attention to doorways and around windows and vents. For spiders pay attention to gutters and downpipes and other areas where spiders hide or build webs.

Check out how to identify bite marks here.

Note: Daddy Long Legs Spiders often cause problems by building untidy webs in the corners and on ceilings in the home. Their long legs and tiny bodies enable them to with stand walking on insecticide treated surfaces and can be more difficult to control for this reason. But direct spraying of the spiders or use of Kiwicare fumigators will control them.

About

There are many people with a fear of spiders. All spider produce venom but there are few spiders in New Zealand that can cause harm to humans. They include the white tail spider, the Australian Redbackand the native katipo.

Many spiders produce webs and webbing that can be unsightly around the eaves and gutters of houses or on fences and furniture.

Did you know?

Spiders differ from insects in possessing 8 legs instead of 6 and only two main body parts, head and thorax. The thorax is a fusion on the thorax and abdomen found separate in insects. Spiders have multiple pairs of eyes, 4 pairs of legs, mouth parts and silk spinning spinnerets.

Female spiders are very good mothers and are often seen tending their egg sacs, "ovoid papery balls", containing up to 200 - 300 young at a time. After the first moult the young spiders are totally independent.

Spider silk has many uses. They use it to weave webs and silk snares, catch prey, escape from danger, survive winters draped in silk 'sleeping bag', build nests for young, send and receive vibrating signals, truss up prey for storage, and "transportation" via silken ropes, parachutes or balloons (often aided by the wind; special insect traps on aircraft have collected spiders from altitudes of nearly 5 kilometres).

Palps, "short leg like organs" exist on either side of the head. Used like hands, these palps are specialised for mating and enable the male to deposit his semen into the female sex organ.

For more information on spiders and their identification check out the Landcare Research or Te Papa websites.

• Spider Bites
• Bug, Insect, Spider?
• Mixing and Diluting Spray Concentrates
• Have a Bug Free Summer with NO Bugs Super
• Other Risks from Bugs
• Integrated Pest Management
• Stop Crawling Insect and Spider Pests
• How to Avoid Stings and Bites

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