Spiders are a growing concern for the residents of Rockwall, Forney, Heath and Royce City (just to name a few areas). The last thing you want to do when walking out your door is to walk through a spider’s web or when relaxing with family, inside, seeing a spider running across the floor. Did you know, there is over 6000 species of spiders and jumping spiders make up over 600 of those species, making them the largest spider family?

Jumping spiders are fascinating. With 4 pairs of eyes that are capable of focusing in on details, being able to detect something 10 feet away with their sensory hairs, spin a web of silk and able to jump 50 times their body length. How amazing is that?

The Phidippus spider is the most common and largest jumping spider in Texas and is black with gray stripes around its short legs.  The Salticus spider, aka the zebra spider, is gray with black and white stripes on their legs.

When these spiders are ready to jump, they force blood into their legs and contract their upper body forcing their legs to catapult them into the air. For longer jumps they spin a web and create a line of silk called a “dragline”. This allows the jumping spider to land safely. This is the only time a jumping spider will spin a web.

Jumping spiders hunt for their food; they don’t spin webs to capture their meals. They will attack their prey and inject a venom into them, paralyzing them. Jumping spiders don’t usually attack or bite humans but if you are unfortunate to get bitten, their venom is not harmful and you may only experience a red bump and itch at the bite site.

Flying in off the wind, anywhere you live in Texas you are going to experience spiders of some kind. Call Safe Earth Pest Control today and let us spin our web of defense on all your pest control needs. 214-321-2847