SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) -There's an invasion taking place along the Wasatch Front of the eight legged variety. September and October are the months when all of the spiders outside try to move in. There are only a couple of species that are considered dangerous. Now is the time to set up you defenses against all of them.
Charlotte swensen has lived in her home for thirty years and she doesn't like what crawls into her basement every fall. "I don't like spiders coming into my basement and nesting. I have a lot of little grandchildren and great grandchildren and they don't like spiders and I don't like them either."
According to exterminator, Dan Lake this is the time of year when that is most likely to happen. "As it starts to get colder nothing can survive freezing cold weather and they are looking for a place to nest."
There are two spiders likely to cause the most problems in Utah, the Black widow and the Hobo spider. "The Hobo spider we have definitely seen a lot more of this year a lot of that has to do with the wet spring we have had."
Lake says the Hobo spider builds funnel webs wherever it can find a hole. "They tend to hide up in there and so that's generally where you will see a hobo spider."
He says given the opportunity, they will use the holes, to get inside. "Any drippy faucet and if there is a big gap right here I mean that's an open highway for bugs to make it in."
Most people know the dangers of the Black Widow's bite, but Lake says the venom of a Hobo can also be very dangerous. "A flesh eating venom and it really can do some serious damage depending on where you are bit and how many times you are bit. It’s definitely a concern.
Charlotte says she feels a lot better knowing she's done a preemptive strike. "Every once in awhile you see a dead one, and you think oh, good, he's gone."
Lake says if you can't afford a professional exterminator, over the counter products can help. He also recommends sealing up all of the holes around your house, including the weather stripping around doors and windows.
