Most spiders found in Northwest Indiana homes are not dangerous to pets or people. The only species that you need to watch out for is the black widow, which tends to stay in undisturbed low spots.
As far as dogs and cats are concerned, most spiders are toys. They love chasing them, so when they do that, and especially when they eat them, homeowners start asking questions about whether this is okay. Realistically, most spiders you are going to find in your home are not a threat to pets.
Most house spiders are small and they have fangs that are meant to eat insects. These fangs are seldom big enough to get through a dog’s coat or skin. Even when they manage to bite a nose or paw pad, the venom is not medically significant, and the result is usually brief irritation. Similarly, eating them is also a non-event. Stomach acid breaks down a spider like it’s any other insect. Cats eat them all the time with no consequences.
Black widows are the ones to worry about. They live mostly in undisturbed dark places like garages, crawl spaces, sheds, under stored flowerpots, in meter boxes, and under woodpiles. They’re likely not building webs in your living rooms. Brown recluses are established in the southern part of the state, but they’re uncommon in the northwest corner.
If your pet is bitten by a black widow or brown recluse, watch for swelling, pain, tremors, restlessness, vomiting, or a slow-healing lesion. Then call your vet.
If you want to get spiders in check, clear clutter in storage areas and use sealed bins rather than cardboard. Switch exterior lights to warm-toned bulbs to draw fewer insects, which spiders eat. Seal gaps around windows and doors, pipes and cables. And if you see webs, vacuum them up.
If spiders keep turning up inside your home, Mosquito Squad of Northwest Indiana can help. Mosquito Squad's home and yard coverage treats the foundation and entry points where spiders and the insects they eat get in. This will help you protect the spaces your pets use.
