The Spider Letter (1)
“I’ve certainly been seeing lots of spiders lately,” is the most common response whenever a residential customer is questioned by a PMP as to pest problems in or around the home. During certain times of the year, spiders effectively saturate many outdoor environments and some indoor areas, as well, causing much consternation to those sensitive of their presence. Spiders produce many offspring, anywhere from 60-400 hatchlings per egg sac (and typically multiple egg sacs). The hatchling spiders in turn disperse quickly (in many instances by spinning on a strand of silk, and drifting along with any available wind current-this is known as “ballooning”), Relatively few juvenile spider survive long enough to become a nuisance to humanity, as parent and sibling spiders, as well as virtually any other creature larger than they will consume them. Nonetheless, the relative few survivors can still number quite highly, And spiders are a prominent life-form on any landscape. Because of the sheer numbers involved, their dispersion via drifting and long-legged anatomy, spiders have always presented a challenge for the structural pest control industry. Nevertheless, through diligent control efforts, the presence of spiders can be greatly reduced in and around any residence. The process is simply a continual one.