Unwanted House Guests
Cooler weather sends insects and other creatures in search of over-wintering sites. Their presence, especially spiders, raises concerns about bites and possible poisonings. There are two spiders that are considered poisonous to humans, the black widow and the brown recluse. Both are found in Nebraska and can be identified by key markings.
The black widow has a red shaped hour glass on the underside of her abdomen.
The brown recluse spider is about ½ inch in size and has a violin shaped design on the top of the back. Both spiders have been reported in Nebraska but on rare occasions.
Other large spiders often enter a house in the fall and tend to create more concern.
Wolf spiders are large, fast moving spiders that can startle anyone. Their bodies range in size from one-half inch and with the legs, can be up to two inches in length. These spiders are covered with short hairs and appear fuzzy. They are typically brown to gray in color with various markings or lines. Wolf spider mothers carry their large egg sacs around with them. When the young spiderlings hatch they climb onto the mother's back and ride around until partially grown. A female wolf spider covered with spiderlings obviously appears even larger when first noticed. Wolf spiders are often confused with brown recluse spiders, but they lack the unmistakable violin-shaped marking behind the head that identifies the brown recluse. Wolf spiders are not poisonous, but as with all spiders, bites may cause reactions in certain individuals.
Wet and cooler weather has increased the activity of millipedes or thousand-legged worms.
Millipedes are dark brown, cylindrical, segmented, worm-like creatures with many short legs that coil up when disturbed. They are often found crawling on the sides of homes or invading basements. Millipede eggs are deposited in masses in the soil. They mature the second year after hatching and some species live for several years. Populations are encouraged by wet conditions and the overuse of mulch in gardens and landscapes. If millipedes are abundant in mulches in landscape plantings near homes, they may enter the home through cracks and crevices. Once inside, they usually die unless basements are very moist. Entry into homes is most common after heavy spring rains saturate the soil or in fall when they are seeking hibernation sites.
In spite of this fall invasion, wolf spiders and millipedes are not considered house pests and generally do not become established in homes. To reduce their entry into homes, remove mulch or reduce its thickness close to the homes foundation, keep cracks and crevices caulked, and door and window screens tight.
Use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the invasion of these unwanted guests.
