There are spiders in Las Vegas, Henderson, Blue Diamond, Summerlin, and Boulder City that make it difficult to know just how much of a risk they pose.
Commonly Confused Spiders in Clark County
When it comes to knowing whether or not the 8 legged critter crawling on your 8 year old is venomous or just a creepy crawly is a very real concern for those living in Clark County, Nevada. There are a few spiders in Las Vegas and the surrounding areas (Henderson, Blue Diamond, Summerlin, and Boulder City) that make it more difficult than others to know just how much of a risk they pose. The most deceptive of the group is the Black Widow vs. the False Widow. There is also much debate as to the Desert Brown Spider vs. the Brown Recluse, often being called the Desert Brown Recluse. Neither of which makes it much better as both have a necrotic bite. The last bunch in the group are the Domestic House Spider, Giant House Spider, and Wolf Spider. While these guys are less of a threat to your life, they can have an unsavory affect on your home or work space.
Black Widows vs. The False Widow
A.) Is a Mature Female Black Widow B.) Is a Mature Female False Widow
This first confusing arachnid partnership to look at in Clark County is the Black Widow vs. The False Black widow. Both of these 8 legged home invaders are rather small, with the females averaging 10-15mm. Now keep in mind it is the female bite you need to worry about when talking about Latrodectus, the family of spiders also known as True Widows. The False Widow and the True Black Widow are both tiny, with shiny black, globular bodies. The major key in identifying whether or not the spider could really cause some issues is the distinct red hourglass or opposing triangles found on the True Widow. A less clear but sometimes good indicator as to the venomous capacity of the spider is the color of its legs. The False Widow can be seen to have light brown or orangish legs, however some say this is not always the case. Another thing to keep in mind is that the False Widow is still venomous, just much less potent than the True Black Widow. According to WebMD, the black widow spider makes a venom that affects your nervous system. Some people are slightly affected by it, but others may have a severe response. Right away, you may feel severe pain, burning, swelling, and redness at the site. In contrast the False Widows bite is less of an affair, usually the only symptom is pain at the site which may radiate away from the bite. Now considering how close you would need to get to positively identify one of these tiny widows, we recommend seeking professional help in identifying and removing them.
Desert Brown Spider vs The Brown Recluse Spider
Now the name Brown Recluse Spider, should, and probably does bring to mind an 8 legged brown monster hiding in wait to bite you with its powerful necrotic venom. So identifying these terrifying arachnids is an understandable piece of knowledge to have when living in Clark County, a place known for its dangerous spiders and scorpions. The easiest way to identify which arachnid has blessed you with its presence in this case is color. The Brown Recluse is a much darker shade than the Desert Brown Spider, which is a much lighter shade. A violin shape is sometimes used to identify the Brown Recluse, however some researchers say that the Desert Brown Spider can also display such patterns in their coloring. Now the good news is that the Brown Recluse is not often found in the Nevada desert,
Complete distribution range of wild and domestic Loxosceles reclusa.
however that doesn't mean there is not a close cousin in the area. The Brown Desert Spider is also of the Loxosceles genus, thus giving the Desert Brown Spider the moniker “Desert Brown Recluse”. This means, unfortunately if you find what you think may be either one of these guys, you need to give them a wide berth and make sure to call professionals. Here at Fortified Pest Management we are well versed in dealing with these infestations regardless of species and would be more than happy to provide a free in home or place of business inspection.
The Wolf Spider, The Giant, and Domestic House Spider
These three unpleasant house guests are probably the nicest out of our list, as they either very rarely bite humans (The Domestic House Spider), or their venom is to weak to affect humans on a regular basis (The Giant House, and Wolf Spiders), now this does not mean that it is impossible to have an adverse reaction to one of these bites, just very rare in humans. It is important to note that Wolf Spider bites can in fact be very bad for your dog though, so in the hopes of keeping our 4 legged friends safe from the 8 legged ones, here is the best trick for identifying a Wolf Spider. You may not like it, but it is the eyes. If you can stomach getting close enough, look to see if you can find 8 eyes, 4 in a row on the bottom, 2 large eyes above the row, with 2 medium eyes out to the side on the top of its head.
Wolf Spider eye layout
Now that we get to the house spiders we can breathe a sigh of relief. These are the arachnids that your tree hugging friends tell you to be nice to. The Domestic House Spider is rather small, only ¼ to ⅜ inches in size. They are very fast and unless given no other options will always choose to flee, instead of fighting or getting aggressive. They also play a large role in keeping your home or workplace free of small pests, as well as keeping plants and crops free from other insect infestations. They have also been known to take care of their own.
On that note we get to the Giant House Spider, which looks very similar, however as the name suggests its much larger, reaching up to 4 inch leg spans. They can provide very similar benefits as the Domestic House Spider, plus a very special one for those living within the Clark County borders, they kill Hobo Spiders. We will be covering these bizarre spiders in the future, just know it is better to have Giant House Spiders than Hobo Spiders running around your kids play room. That being said, whether you have an issue with less threatening arachnid house guests like the House Spiders or the Wolf Spider, or you are fending off hordes of Desert Recluses and Black Windows, Fortified Pest Management is here to help. Remember, Fortified Pest Management is fully Licensed, Bonded and Insured. We are family owned, Pet Friendly and ALWAYS come with a 100% Money Back Guarantee. Whether you need a residential or professional estimate we are here to help. From Pigeons to Roof Rats,Spiders to Termites, Scorpions to Bed Bugs we will help you sleep better at night.
