Spiders

[keikoasmom]

Last fall, as usual, we had spiders who wanted to move indoors. Initially, I didn't worry, all I saw was
a few Wolf spiders. They don't usually bite, and there were only a couple.
A month ago, I was a bit freaked out (is it instinctive?) and asked my environmental scientist son to
look at the webs under one of the cage stands that I can't get down to. I saw some odd webs. He said it
was only a white, harmless spider.....
But the webs looks suspiciously like Black Widow webs to me.
Then I saw similar webs in my office and one bathroom. Of course, they are where I cant get to them.
I have a bad knee (surgery next week) and at the same time, am afraid to spray due to toxicity.
I have used diluted melaleuca (tea tree oil) to keep the little creeps out of my bedroom, but I do
worry about the birds.
Is there a bug spray that doesn't leave a residue? My birds don't get down on the floor....
well, almost never. Not back where the web is....

I have a macaw who walks between the rooms, but never went under that cage.

Any ideas?

 

[Shezbug]

Diatomaceous Earth General Fact Sheet

npic.orst.edu

 

[Birdbabe]

Black widow webs are very " sticky" if your familiar with them, you'll know...when you touch it..they usually come out at night, and your best hunting them with a flashlight, and a good thing to squash them with! They are fast! You need to be faster,,Have your son help you, also look for egg sacks, a small " cottony " white or beige thing.. dont spray,,,hunt,,, hope you don't have widows!..

 

[Mavet]

Spider researcher here! Can you post some photos of the webs, or better yet the spiders, so I can help you ID them?

 

[Shezbug]

Spider researcher here! Can you post some photos of the webs, or better yet the spiders, so I can help you ID them?

Ohhhh can I send you a pic of a spider a little later today to see what you think it might be?

 

[keikoasmom]

Not Black Widows, my son was right. He's a bit of an etymologist himself.
But same type of body, but brown and the back part was tannish with stripes maybe.
Very small, so a bit hard to make out. I caught it, and texted son Marc, asking if I
should kill it. His phone wasn't working that weekend, so I went ahead and killed it.
But did I say that these spiders have killed the nasty carpet beetles I have?
They are so annoying, and I think they came in on peanuts or bird seed. I've been hunting
those little ba$***ds or over a year and tried killing them with diatomaceous earth and tea tree oil....
but not much success until the spiders moved in.

 

[keikoasmom]

Spider researcher here! Can you post some photos of the webs, or better yet the spiders, so I can help you ID them?

I'm sorry, after my surgery, I couldn't get into this room easily, my small office, and haven't seen those webs after I
sprayed with Tea Tree Oil (very, very diluted:a few drops to a liter of water) when the birds were not in the room, and
my birds never go on the floor, where I sprayed.