Spiders that Live in the Alvin, Houston and Galveston Area of Texas

Texas is a great place to live. Galveston has long been the beach getaway for Texans, and Houston is a cultural epicenter that supplies museums, live music, and well-known education facilities. It’s no wonder that many people choose to live in the suburbs of these two cities, with some of the more popular areas being Alvin, Sugarland, and The Woodlands.

Texas is also home to no less than 74 species of arachnids, and while most of them are harmless, some can carry serious consequences if you’re bitten. Alvin Pest Control specializes in pest control, whether you have a standard house and garden spiders or venomous spiders Let’s take a look at the most common spiders found in this region of Texas, and what you should do if you find them in your home.

Most Common Spiders

• Black Widow: One of the two potentially harmful spiders found in Texas, Black Widows like to hide in dark, quiet places. You’re far more likely to encounter them outside than inside your house for this reason, but they have been known to nest in attics and basements. Black Widows aren’t typically aggressive and only bite if unintentionally disturbed, such as when gardening. Crawl Spaces, attics, garages and basements should be inspected and treated regularly to deter entry. Black widows are small and predominantly black with a red hourglass shape on their abdomen. Their bites can be debilitating and potentially fatal.
• Brown Recluse: Unlike Black Widows, Brown Recluse spiders prefer to nest in out-of-the-way areas within your home. Usually found in attics, behind walls and in basements, these spiders are rarely seen during the day. At night, they emerge from their hiding spaces to hunt. This makes them more of a bite risk for homeowners, as you may not notice their presence until it is too late. These spiders may bite if you step on them in the night or roll on them while you’re sleeping. Brown Recluse spiders can be identified by their light brown, oval bodies and characteristic ‘stripe’ of darker brown at the head and leg tips. Brown Recluse venom can cause necrotic tissue damage in some individuals.
• Garden Spiders: While they may look frightening with their relatively large bodies, bright colors and large webs, Garden spiders are not venomous. They prefer to live in foliage and can benefit plants by eating other pests. However, if you notice a large colony, pest control should be sought to control the population.
• Wolf Spider: Commonly mistaken for a Brown Recluse, Wolf spiders are much larger than the recluse. They tend to live outdoors and are one of the only spiders that does not spin webs.

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If you need help with spider identification and control, contact Alvin Pest Control. With 49 years in pest control services, we’ll be able to help you quickly identify and eliminate any spider infestation in your home.