Wolf Spiders in Knoxville?

Wolf spiders are scary looking dudes. No kidding. Generally brown, gray, or black with dark markings (usually stripes), they have bulging black eyes that, in effect, seem to almost glow in the dark. Sometimes over an inch long, these creepy critters, that resemble a tarantula, live in almost every part of the world, but are most common in grasslands and meadows. Unlike most spiders, they do not create webs to catch food. Instead they use their strong bodies, camouflage coloring, speedy movements, and sharp eyesight to violently hunt down their prey in the dark of night. If these predators are threatened, they will bite humans; but their venom is not particularly harmful to people. However, there are other reasons you don’t want these creepy critters inside your home.

Where Wolf Spiders Should Not Be:

A mother wolf spider–as though she alone isn’t creepy enough–carries her egg sacs on her back until the babies are ready to come forth. When the egg sacs open, Mom allows the baby spiders to stay on her back for a couple of weeks until they are ready to go it alone. Imagine the panic of squishing one of these monsters only to release dozens of previously unnoticed babies. Can you say ‘horror’?! So, although they are not particularly harmful to humans, do you really want to live with something like this? We didn’t think so.

How to Keep Wolf Spiders Out:

There are several things you can do to keep wolf spiders (and other spiders) out of your house.

  • Clear vegetation away from your house.
  • Move rocks, wood, or lumber piles away from outside walls.
  • Discontinue outdoor lighting or replace bulbs with yellow lights, which don’t attract insects.
  • Patch holes in screens and apply weather stripping to all windows and doors.
  • Make sure all door sweeps are tight and in good working condition.
  • Seal all gaps and cracks on outside walls using a caulking gun.
  • Seal around all electrical wires, cables, and plumbing.
  • Repair any holes or cracks found in basements or crawl spaces.
  • Work your way up, inside the house, sealing all gaps and cracks.
  • Keep your house clean.

Some homeowners are tempted to use insecticides to kill spiders, but be aware that this can go very bad, very quickly, especially if you spray a mother spider. Plus, over the counter sprays are not nearly as effective at killing spiders with commercial pesticides. When you need spider control that works, give Active Pest Control a call. Here at Active Pest Control, we have a license to kill…wolf spiders, that is. With us, you’ll have year-round protection from wolf spiders and a host of other creepy critters that stalk in the night.