Spider advice

“It was yellow around the bite and there was a big bruise. This never happened before,” he emailed me.

“I am convinced it was a somewhat venomous spider bite. While I normally have a reaction to any bug bites, this last one, taking so long to heal, made me question what I, and possibly others can do (about spiders).”

Nicholson even took a trip to the doctor's office to ensure the stubborn wound wasn't a result of Lyme disease but spiders do not transmit this.

Although he prefers not to use insecticides, he feels it is a must in areas that he uses frequently outside. This year he’s even found them inside setting up lodging.

He’s looking for natural ways to remove/eliminate/lessen the spider population around his home.

Nicholson supplied me with a photo of the spider and his cobwebbed euonymus hedge, which I forwarded to Calum Ewing, director of museum operations at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.

“That is an interesting hedge indeed and it seems to be very popular with the local spiders - much more so that the one adjacent to it,” said Ewing.

“I suspect that it is a different type of hedge and is attracting more insects, therefore more insect predators (like spiders).”

Ewing identified webs from at least three different families of spiders: Orb Weavers (family Araneidae), Sheet Web Weavers (Family Linyphiidae) and Funnel Web Weavers (Family Agelenidae).

None of these spiders, which are native to Nova Scotia, are dangerously venomous, although some can give painful bites.

A few groups (Sac spiders and some Funnel web weavers) can give bites that are slow to heal and can lead to other complications (eg. long lasting soreness, muscle aches, etc.).

“Others can give bites that are very painful, yet disappear in a couple of days, much like a wasp sting,” said Ewing.

As with wasp and bee stings, there is always the danger that some individuals may have more extreme reactions or allergic complications.

Sanitation is critical in spider control. Remove webs with a broom or vacuum and crush egg sacs. Use a high-pressure spray on the outside of the house to knock down and destroy webs and spiders. Seal any openings or spaces, including entry points for water pipes and electrical lines and install tight-fitting screens as needed where spiders can enter.

Clean up woodpiles, trash, rocks, compost piles, old boards and other debris around the house foundation where spiders often live. Use yellow or sodium vapor light bulbs at outside entrances to reduce night-flying insects (prey), which attract spiders. Keep vegetation cut low near buildings.