The Bug Man’s Top 10 Spider Facts

Searching for spiders in Central TN - The Bug Man

The Bug Man’s technicians are no strangers to spiders. We’ve helped many different home and business owners around Central TN put a stop to their spider infestations. You can’t help but learn a lot during the spider extermination process, both about spiders and the people that want them gone. There are a lot of arachnophobes out there! We believe that if you learn more about spiders, you might be less afraid of them and more intrigued by them. Read on to hear our exterminators’ favorite spider facts!

The Bug Man’s Top 10 Facts About Spiders

  1. Most spider bites won’t hurt you: There are only a select few spiders around Central TN with enough venom to seriously harm a human. Although all spiders are venomous, most of them only need enough venom necessary to kill small bugs.
  2. There are spiders everywhere: Not just around the world, around you, too! Research suggests that you’re likely within 10 feet of the nearest spider at any time. Don’t worry, though. Spiders would much rather stay hidden than bother you.
  3. Thousands of spider species have been found: Over 35,000 species of spiders have been documented, and experts believe that they’ll find many more in years to come.
  4. Male spiders give presents: When a male fancies a female, he might capture and wrap an insect in silk to present to her as a gift. Some dishonest spiders have been observed cutting corners by wrapping up leaves or other junk instead.
  5. They also dance: Some male spiders perform a dance routine consisting of arm-waving and scurrying movements as part of their courtship practice.
  6. Female spiders will attack males: Some female spiders will kill and save the body of their mate after copulation to be able to provide food to her offspring later.
  7. Spider silk has many purposes: Spiders don’t just use their silk to spin webs. They also create transportation lines, tunnels, nests to hide in, and use it as a floating device.
  8. Spider silk trumps steel: If you were to cut a piece of silk down to the dimensions of a string of spider silk, it would be 5 times weaker!
  9. Silk starts as a liquid: Before coming into contact with air, spider silk sits as a liquid in the spinning gland. It is solidified after it is ejected. This makes its strength all the more impressive!
  10. Spider muscles are quite different from ours: Spiders can’t extend their legs out with the same muscular mechanism that draws them in. Instead, they pump a special fluid through their legs that also allows them to jump great distances.

Do You Still Need Spider Control?

We hope you’ve come away from this with a few new spider facts to take with you going forward. However, we understand that even if you think they’re interesting, having hordes of them in your home or business can be quite distressing. If you need spider removal services, reach out to our team at The Bug Man. Our spider exterminators will provide you with a free quote if you contact us today!

What Just Bit Me? How to Identify Common Bug Bites

What mosquitoes look like in Central TN - The Bug Man

Having bug bites is never a good feeling, especially when you never catch the critter that did it to you. Lots of anxiety can stem from not knowing what kind of biting pest is living in your home. It is also easy to wake up from a night of sleep with bug bites and misidentify them, leading to a longer process of pest removal. If you are trying to find out which kind of pest in Central TN is biting you, keep reading for top insight from The Bug Man.

Pests that Bite to Draw Blood

Some pests that draw blood might not look as frightening as other bugs, but are able to pass on dangerous diseases through their bites. This makes it crucial to be able to identify the bug bites on your skin. Some pests that draw blood in Central TN are:

  1. Mosquitoes: After a mosquito bites you, a raised, white welt will form right away. The bite will then spread out into a larger, red, itchy lump. Most mosquitoes in our area do not carry diseases, but in tropical and some subtropical regions, mosquitoes can carry malaria and Zika virus, along with many other serious diseases.
  2. Ticks: Tick bites can look nearly indistinguishable from a mosquito bite, or like much smaller, darker prick marks. If you notice a tick bite shortly after they find you, you will still see it digging into your skin. Ticks can spread Lyme disease, so if you find a tick on your skin, remove it right away to decrease your chances of contracting it.
  3. Fleas: While they prefer to pester our pets, fleas bite humans, too. You might not even be able to notice a tick bite upon impact, but it will be itchy afterward. Ticks do not spread diseases to humans, but their bites can become infected if excessively scratched.
  4. Bed bugs: Bed bug bites appear overnight. If you wake up with zigzag patterns of tiny red bumps on exposed skin, you are in the middle of a bed bug infestation. Although their bites don’t pass on diseases, they can sometimes transfer diseases to humans that they carry on their bodies through their travels.

Other Bug Bites in Central TN

There are plenty of other pests that bite in our area, but the four mentioned earlier are the most likely offenders. Some bugs in Central TN either seldom bite or their bites yield negligible results. Cockroaches, centipedes, and ants fall into this category. These insects rarely bite, and the effects of their bites don’t often extend beyond an annoyance.

Some spiders in the region can dish out painful bites, but again, they are rarely provoked enough to bite. These spiders include wolf spiders, brown recluses, and black widows. The black widow has the most dangerous bite of the three—if you sustain a black widow bite, seek medical attention right away.

How to Stay Safe from Bug Bites

If you are looking to stay safe from bug bites this summer, ask your local pest control company about what they can do to help. Our pest experts at The Bug Man can perform a holistic inspection of your property to locate any biting pests and promptly remove them. We will also follow up as needed with pest prevention advice and return treatments to ensure that any infestations never return. Contact us today for a free quote!

Attack of the Spiders

Spiders on attack in middle Tennessee

Spiders on Attack in Middle Tennessee

Why do we have so many spiders, one may ask?  The answer to this question is a simple one.  Spiders feed on insects, and the hot summer days cause many insects to procreate, and this provides an ample food source for the spiders.  When you see spiders and spider webs, there are other insects in the vicinity.  The spiders are natural pest control.  Go green, grow spiders!  The problem is, most people prefer not to have spiders as pets.  So, we are tasked with controlling the spider population, and to do this we must control the other pests, too.

Brown Recluse and Black Widow Spiders, Oh My

Most spiders in middle Tennessee are pretty harmless.  The two spiders that have health importance in our area are the brown recluse spider and the black widow spider.  These two spiders can cause harm when they bite humans.  Most of the others are either unable to bite through human skin or the bite does not cause a major reaction.

Spiders are beneficial in nature and we believe that they serve an important role.  They help to reduce the insect population and also provide a food source for larger predators, such as birds, lizards, and frogs.  They only become a pest when they enter into an area that the spider is unwanted, undesired, or can cause harm or damage.  This is when pest control is necessary and you call The Bug Man.  Our trained technicians have the knowledge and training to identify the problem and provide the solution.

Treatments for Spiders

Treatment strategies for spider control can differ depending on the type of spider, level of infestation, and treatment locations.  With all pest services, we always recommend the removal of clutter, as this gives the pests areas to hide and these areas are very difficult to treat effectively.   One of the most successful treatment strategies for spider control is the use of insect monitors, also known as glue traps.  The monitors capture the spiders and other insects, help identify the level of infestation, what parts of the structure are infested, and remove every insect that is caught from the house.   When used as part of a full treatment plan, the insect monitors play an important role in keeping a home pest-free. The Bug Man’s certified technician will design a treatment stately for each situation after an inspection is complete.

Don’t worry… bee happy about beneficial insects!

kids love bugs

Children Embrace our beneficial insects. Shouldn’t you?

Children are so fun and curious about bugs!  Little Johnny often doesn’t think twice about picking up a spider by the leg and running to show his mommy. When he shows her his discovery, mom will often scream and run as far away as possible. Johnny will inevitably laugh, uncontrollably, while mom yells “Get that thing out of here!”

It’s a common story that we hear over and over.  There are so many exaggerated horror stories about various insects: Brown recluse spiders will cause your leg to fall off. Termites will eat your house down to the ground. You will surely die a terrible disease if bitten by a mosquito. Who knows where these stories come from or why. But, they create a fear in some folks that are hard to shake.

The honey bee and other beneficial insects have an important role in our environment

Take the honey bee, for example.   They are the pollinators for our food crops. Their population has been in a steady decline in recent years due to a number of factors such as viruses, parasites, poor nutrition, limited access to clean water and exposure to pesticides. WHAT??? Exposure to pesticides?? Yes, it is true. We all (including us) have a huge responsibility in taking care to protect the honey bee and other beneficial insects.

In the spring you will sometimes see huge swarms of bees in the bushes and flowering trees. Sometimes they will stick around for a few minutes and then be gone. Sometimes they will stay for a few days. It’s easy to grab that jug of bug juice or call an exterminator to get rid of them. But, if they are not in an area that will harm you or your loved ones then it is usually best to leave them to collect the pollen. The additional benefit is that your plants and flowers will be even more beautiful later on.

There are a variety of other insects that are beneficial. Usually, most people first think of ladybugs or the asian lady beetle. Absolutely! Did you know that there are more than 400 species of the lady beetles in North America? There are also lacewings, parasitic wasps, spiders, tachinid flies, pirate bugs (aaaargh!) and ground beetles, just to name a few.

Protecting the environment and people at the same time

As a pest control professional, our goal is to protect your home from a pest invasion. If there is a pest problem in your living space then, yes, there is a cause for concern. You will want to eliminate the problem to prevent disease and illness/injury in your family. But, if we can keep your environment safe without having a negative impact on the rest of Murfreesboro, middle Tennessee, and beyond, then we are all winning.

What Pests Eat When They Are In Your House: A Food Chain Factoid

What Pests Eat When They Are In Your House

Have you ever stopped to wonder what bugs eat? You know you see ants in your kitchen from time to time, but what are they after? And what in the world do spiders think they can find inside your house? What’s so delicious about hanging out in the corners of your rooms?

 

Here’s a quick food chain factoid for what pests eat when they are in your house!

 

 

Crickets: Fabrics, especially those full of perspiration

Cockroaches: Sweets, cheeses, meats, grease, and starches. Vegetables and fruits. Household items like leather, beer, glue, dried skin, books, paper, human dander, and a lot more

Brown Recluse Spiders: Other bugs, like cockroaches and crickets

Black Widow Spiders: Their mates! (Actually, that’s a myth. They don’t eat their mates). But they do eat other insects.

Carpenter Bees: Wood! Nope. They actually don’t eat wood. They just bore into wood to lay their eggs. They eat pollen.

Ants: Sweets, eggs, oils, and fats

Bed Bugs: You. They feast on you for a blood meal. They will also dine on animals.

 

Fruit Flies: Decaying fruits and vegetables

House Flies: Liquids. They can also turn solids into liquids and then eat the liquid form of that food.

Silverfish: Paper, glue, clothing, flour, and oats

House Centipedes: Flies, spiders, and plant tissue

Fleas: Cats, dogs and humans

Rodents: Grains, fruits, seeds, chocolate, random items in your trashcan

Termites: Cellulose: A polysaccharide consisting of long unbranched chains of linked glucose units: the main constituent of plant cell walls and used in making paper, rayon, and film

After reading this diverse list of what pests eat, it makes a lot of sense that they’d look for food inside your home. To keep pests out, call The Bug Man. You can reach us by phone at 615.217.7284 or find us online at Facebook.com/TheBugManTN orTwitter.com/TheBugManTN.

The Bug Man Finds a Black Widow Spider in an Unexpected Location

Black Widow Spider in an Unexpected Location

A black widow spider is tricky and elusive. It invokes terror into many Murfreesboro-ans, Smyrna-ans, Antioch-ans, Lebanon-ans, La Vergne-ans, and most hum-ans in general. Let’s face it, black widow spiders get a bad rap most of the time!

In order to help our office staff become more familiar with what our technicians do out in the field, we occasionally take field trips with the technicians to see how and why they do what they do.

As the writer of this blog, I love learning more about our pest control process so I can speak to our customers in an informed, yet understandable way.

On my latest field trip with technician Daniel Lambert, I learned a lot! I’ll be sharing pictures and videos from my field trip adventure over the next several weeks. Today’s topic is: the black widow spider.

When we arrived on the scene, one of the first things Daniel did was get rid of the webs on the exterior of the home with a brush. This simple, yet effective action added quite the cosmetic upgrade to the home.

One of the bonuses of hiring a pest control professional like The Bug Man is getting the expertise of the technician.

Our technicians are trained to expect the unexpected and look for problem pests that could potentially harm our beloved customers.

As we were making our way around the house to inspect, Daniel pointed to a plastic drainage container under the gutter and said, “I bet there’s a black widow spider under there. I almost always find a black widow under those.”

As I looked on, Daniel swiftly picked up the drain and flipped it over. And, to his credit, there was in fact a black widow spider underneath it. And, wow! It was a hoss! A large, round, ugly-looking-behemoth arachnid.

Black widow spider

Here’s a closer view of the angry 8-legger. Notice how some of it’s legs are raised in an attack-like stance. Eeek!

Angry black widow spider

Shortly after this photo was taken, the angry black widow became a formerly-angry and currently-dead black widow.

Thanks for letting me re-live my field trip with you, blog reader. I’ll keep you posted on what else happened on this knowledge adventure. Check back next week. If you’ve got questions, please post them in the comments below.