The Lone Star State is known for its diverse wildlife. This variety extends beyond animals like wildcats and armadillos. It also means that homeowners need to watch out for venomous spiders in Texas.
Many people aren’t big fans of spiders, but it’s important to keep in mind that few spiders commonly found in Texas pose any real risk. Most of them, like the southern house spider, would simply rather be left alone and aren’t much of a threat.
However, black widow, pictured above, and brown recluse spiders are concerning species to have on your property. Learn how to identify these venomous spiders in Texas, how to prevent them and what you should do if you encounter them.
What Texas Homeowners Need to Know
A Texas homeowner should know that managing spider populations starts with knowledge and prevention. The good news is that out of the roughly 900 species in Texas, only two of them are venomous: the black widow and the brown recluse, pictured above.
Both of these species are relatively shy, so encounters usually only happen if the spider feels trapped or threatened. This often occurs if they’ve made themselves at home in clothing, inside storage boxes or on outdoor furniture. A person may react in a way that causes the spider to instinctively protect itself, leading to a potential bite.
Still, it’s not always easy to recognize spiders when many of them look alike, and the majority are harmless. It’s also reassuring to know that bites from brown recluse and black widows are rare. You should always seek immediate medical treatment if you suspect a bite from a venomous spider.
The Venomous Spiders You May Encounter in Texas
- The black widow (Latrodectus mactans)
- The brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)
Take a closer look so that you can differentiate them from common house or garden spiders.
Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans)
The black widow is one of the most notorious and well-recognized venomous spiders in the country. They typically only bite when disturbed or if they’re defending an egg sac.
The female black widow has a glossy, jet-black body, but even more striking is the red or orange hourglass-shaped marking on the underside of her abdomen. The body of a female black widow measures about a half-inch in length. Males are smaller and generally less concerning, since they aren’t usually aggressive.
Black widows prefer dark, undisturbed parts of a home, where they spin irregularly shaped webs. You’ll find black widows wherever they can live peacefully within an enclosed environment, such as garages, sheds, underneath stairs, inside stacked firewood and hiding amongst boxes.
Interestingly, black widows have been increasingly displaced by brown widows. This is a positive, as brown widow venom is less medically concerning than black widow venom.
Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa)
Brown recluse spiders, like the name implies, are also shy spiders. Unlike black widows, these arachnids are more challenging to confirm without professional help. They don’t have any obvious markings, so they’re more likely to be confused with a harmless brown spider.
The most distinct feature of a brown recluse is a dark-brown, violin-shaped mark on its back. It also has six eyes, arranged in three pairs, which is different from most spiders that have eight eyes in two pairs. Otherwise, they don’t have many other markings that make them obviously different from other species of a similar size and color.
Brown recluses are also relatively small, with a body length of a quarter to half an inch. They’re a nocturnal species and don’t show themselves if they can help it. They also don’t spin large webs to catch prey; they’d much rather spin small, messy webs in strategic locations where they can protect themselves. This is usually in cluttered and less-disturbed areas, like closets, inside shoes or in storage boxes.
Preventing Spiders Around Your Home
To keep spiders from getting comfortable in and around your home, you’ll need:
- Indoor prevention
- Outdoor prevention
- Professional treatment
The best approach to handling venomous spiders in Texas is prevention. The goal should be to make your home and property less attractive to these species and cut off any access to areas they might want to make their webs. This requires you to focus on maintenance inside and outside your home to achieve the highest level of protection.
Indoor Prevention
Keep the interior of your home clean and clutter-free. Pests of all sorts love hiding in clutter, but venomous spiders in Texas may see these places as safe from you bothering them. Here are a few other things you should do inside your home:
- Regular vacuuming behind furniture and in corners
- Decluttering storage spaces and avoiding new clutter from forming
- Shaking out clothing and shoes, especially those stored in garages or sheds
- Installing door sweeps and sealing gaps
Taking these steps will not only protect you from any existing venomous spiders, but it’ll also manage the potential for future populations.
Outdoor Prevention
Spiders enter your home from outside, so it only makes sense to take a proactive approach to your yard and landscaping. Here’s what experts recommend focusing on to prevent venomous spider populations:
- Clear debris, brush and woodpiles
- Reduce outdoor lighting to manage other insects, which are a spider’s food source
- Always check kids’ play equipment and outdoor furniture before use
- Maintain lawn edges and foundation gaps
The two approaches are similar, but outdoor prevention is more about cutting off food supply and access points. This way, they won’t see your property as a good place to live, making it even less likely that they’ll end up in your home, shed or garage.
Professional Treatment
DIY efforts aren’t always enough. If you find yourself in a situation where you have venomous spiders in Texas, the best solution is to schedule an inspection with a licensed pest control specialist. This is essential if you find multiple signs of spiders.
Many professional pest control specialists follow an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. This is a comprehensive method that prioritizes long-term solutions over simply treating pests with products. Not only is this often gentler for your property, but it’s also more likely to address the core issue and remove the spider population for longer.
This treatment approach starts with a thorough inspection to determine the species and scope of the issue. The pest control specialist will typically follow this up with a highly customized plan, often combining a targeted perimeter treatment and exclusion tactics to manage both the spiders and the insects they feed on.
What to Do if You Find a Venomous Spider
It can be alarming to see a venomous spider on your property, but it’s important to stay calm. A cautious approach is always the best way to handle this situation. These two species are rarely aggressive unless agitated, so you can avoid a bite if you take the right steps.
Do not touch or crush the spider. This is one of the most common mistakes, and it’s also the number one way to provoke the spider into biting you out of self-defense.
Review what you’ve learned about black widows and brown recluses. Study the spider’s markings and behavior from a distance. The moment you suspect yours to be potentially venomous, contact local pest control for identification.
When in doubt, leave the spider be and contact a pest control professional for help. Remember, these spiders are shy and generally non-aggressive unless you disrupt them. Taking a step back is often the smartest way to handle an encounter.
What Our Customers Say
“Very grateful and thankful for ABC and their staff!! Our pest control specialist was Fidencio Perez and he did a fantastic awesome job!! He was very professional and explained in-depth detail of the services and the chemicals being used to treat our ants, spiders, roaches and insects in general. He was very helpful and was a class act and represented ABC to their highest quality standards. Really appreciate Fidencio and the ABC team for their coordination and execution! Thank you so much!!!”
— Anthony G.
When to Call in a Professional
An ongoing problem with venomous spiders in Texas is something you want to take seriously. The best way to do that is to contact a professional. Some of the most common signs you should call a pest control specialist include:
- Frequent webs in secluded areas
- Egg sacs
- Persistent spider activity
- Spider populations around your property
Taking action when you spot webs and egg sacs can help prevent encounters with a venomous spider. It’s a reminder that you don’t need to physically see the spiders to have an infestation.
Look for pest control specialists who follow Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. IPM is an approach that uses inspection, exclusion and targeted treatments to solve pest control problems.
Frequently Asked Questions About Venomous Spiders
Are there any other venomous spiders in Texas besides the black widow and brown recluse?
What should I do if I find a black widow or brown recluse in my house?
How often should I schedule pest inspections?
ABC Can Help With Spiders
Only two spiders in Texas are medically concerning: black widows and brown recluses. Luckily, most encounters are entirely preventable, and most populations can be controlled with the right amount of prevention and management tactics.
If you suspect you have a bite from a venomous spider, seek prompt medical help. If you’re bitten by a spider and can’t be sure it’s not a black widow or brown recluse, it’s best to err on the side of caution.
Most importantly, regular inspections and professional service can significantly reduce the risk of encounters with venomous spiders in Texas. If you’re looking for long-term management of these pests, focus on finding a local company that focuses on exclusion. Contact the experienced team at ABC Home & Commercial Services today.
