For many people, there is nothing more terrifying than a spider infestation and knowing the answer to how much is pest control for spiders (spider extermination cost) is one of the first questions.
Anywhere between 3 percent to 15 percent of Americans have Arachnophobia, or a debilitating fear and revulsion whenever they see or are in proximity to spiders.1
Although most spider species are not dangerous to human beings, wanting them removed as quickly as possible from your home is understandable.2
Unless you have dangerous species of spiders invading your home, such as Black Widow spiders, you may want to wait to compare exterminator prices.
However, this comprehensive guide explains the factors that impact the answer to, how much is pest control for spiders, by outlining spider extermination cost based on the type of spider and the severity of the infestation.
How Much Do Exterminators Cost? (Average Spider Exterminator Cost)
The cost to hire a spider exterminator can range anywhere between $50 to $500 depending on the severity of the infestation, although the typical average charge can cost about $300.3
A typical spider extermination usually will not end in one visit.
The amount of money you will pay for a spider exterminator will depend on two main types of extermination methods: proactive and reactive extermination techniques.
Depending on the type of extermination technique required, and the necessary frequency of the extermination treatments, you could easily spend hundreds on spider extermination expenses, if not more.
You may incur higher spider exterminator cost if you require multiple visits and treatments to solve the problem.
Multiple Spider Treatment Costs
So, when to call an exterminator for spiders? The larger your home and property and the larger the infestation, the more you are likely to pay an exterminator. If you have a large infestation in a large property with voluminous cubic feet capacity for an exterminator to inspect and treat, then the spider extermination cost could be as much as $1,000 for a single visit.3
Monthly spider extermination treatments can cost you anywhere between $600 to $1,250 per year. Spider extermination treatments portioned out on a quarterly basis can cost anywhere between $350 to $750.3
Spider Pest Control Methods
Spiders are instinctively intelligent creatures who are patient and customize their web-ensnaring traps based on the movement of prey and their learned experiences. Spiders will always find a way to survive and have existed on the planet for 386 million years according to scientific records.2
Most spider extermination specialists will start their work via a consultation and then by inspecting the home, property, and areas to be treated. Most exterminators will use industrial-strength pesticides and insecticide sprays in suspected areas of infestation.
A spider exterminator may need to assess the species of the spider to make sure it is not a species with a venomous bite that could potentially harm humans. However, in the likely event that your spider infestation does not involve rarer and dangerous species, the exterminator will typically use the same extermination method via pesticide spraying.
In other words, the pest control for black widows and extermination methods for how to get rid of brown recluse spiders will be the same as any other species of spiders. The extermination may employ extra protection methods when dealing with more dangerous spider species.
Spider exterminator cost services will be determined by the use of two extermination methods, proactive and reactive extermination.
Spider Exterminator Cost By Type (Proactive Vs Reactive Spider Control)
A reactive extermination treatment involves exterminating an existing spider infestation via the use of industrial-strength insecticide and pesticide sprays. Reactive spider extermination methods are usually the kind of one-off visits that cost about $300.
Proactive extermination techniques usually involve multiple visits and are designed to prevent spider infestations in the first place. You can also use proactive extermination after a reactive extermination to prevent further infestations.
However, proactive extermination methods will require multiple visits over months and years and can cost you hundreds or thousands annually.
Proactive extermination involves the exterminator checking for crevices and openings that allow spiders easy access into your home. The exterminator will then use caulk, steel wool, or weather-stripping components to seal off any spider entry points into your home.
The exterminator will then spray any suspected areas of spider infestation with industrial-strength pesticides and insecticides.
Spider Spray Indoor
Both proactive and reactive spider extermination types will require the use of industrial pesticides and insecticide sprays being applied indoors.
Spider extermination companies that specialize in using organic preventive extermination methods may apply essential peppermint and tea tree oils around suspected areas of spider infestation since these oils are known to repel spiders.
DIY Spider Extermination Methods
Unless you have hundreds or thousands of spiders crawling around your home at one time, then you probably don’t necessarily need to contact an exterminator.
Spiders may just be the best exterminator of other household pests that you are creeped out by. Spiders eat flies, roaches, bed bugs, ants, beetles, grasshoppers, fabric-eating moths, mealybugs, and many other types of small household pests.18
You might unwittingly cause a population explosion of newer and diverse pest populations in your home that were previously kept in check by the spiders.
To keep spider populations in check you can seal access ways into your home with caulk, steel wool, and weather stripping. Clear away cobwebs with towels or even a vacuum cleaner.
Look for spider egg sacs on cobwebs. Spider egg sacs look like small oval-shaped cocoons made of spider silk and contain dozens or hundreds of spider eggs. Vacuum or collect spider egg sacs in paper towels and throw them away if you find them.
Keep your home as clean as possible. Spiders are attracted to the flies, bugs, and insects that are attracted to the garbage and food that you leave lying around
You can save a lot of money with some simple DIY spider exterminator cost-control methods.
What Are Some Organic Ways To Kill Spiders?
Salt and vinegar will kill spiders on contact. You can mix a few teaspoons of salt with water in a spray bottle, or some vinegar and water in a spray bottle, and use it to kill spiders on contact.
Unfortunately, you have to actively seek out the spiders and spray the mixture on them.
(Image: Hans24)
This method will only organically kill the spiders you see, not the ones that hide from the spray
Garlic extract and peppermint or tea tree oil mixed with water will repel spiders too, but keep in mind that garlic extract is generally toxic to dogs.
You can lay down glue traps to catch spiders, but this is only a temporary solution if you don’t remove any hidden spider egg sacs.
Protect Yourself Against Spider Exterminator Service Fraud or Incompetency
Always compare local spider extermination cost services, their prices, and extermination methods. Never choose a spider exterminator based on their online review or on a whim.
Aside from that, here is some advice you should consider when choosing an exterminator service:
- Don’t be afraid to ask an exterminator about their experience, and skills, if they are registered and licensed to operate within the city or state, or if they are bonded and have workers’ compensation insurance.
- You don’t need any specialized skills to become an exterminator. Anyone can become an exterminator. An exterminator must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or a G.E.D.16
- An exterminator must have a general occupational business license to work. Vet the experience of an exterminator online, via the Better Business Bureau, ask the exterminator for proof of their past work, or get referrals from trusted friends and relatives.
- Ask the exterminator for a written list of the chemical sprays that they will use on your property. The chemical insecticides and pesticides used by exterminators are extremely toxic to humans and are proven to cause cancer and damage to the human nervous system and kidneys.17
Remember that unless you have a large infestation problem, it might be easier for you to evade the spider extermination cost and expenses by doing the job yourself.
Types of Spiders You May Encounter in Your Home
If you call an exterminator to eradicate a spider infestation from your home, the first thing they’ll do is perform a cursory inspection.
Most of the American-based spider species that you might find in your home will generally be small in size and harmless to humans. Almost all spiders have venom sacs and can bite, but you can survive most spider bites without any severe harm, excluding a few species.
There are probably about 60 spider species that you are likely to encounter in your home or on your property and only a few of them might be deadly enough to warrant a hospital visit if they bite you.9
Here are a few common house spider species and their level of lethality to humans. Firstly, here is a list of spiders with harmful venom bites that you are not likely to encounter in your home.
Dangerous and Venomous Spiders
Practically all spiders have a venom sac and can bite you. However, that does not make them all dangerous to humans.
Most of the house spiders you will encounter are small. A spider would have to be in your clothing or on an object you move to feel threatened enough to bite you.
Some spider fangs are too small or brittle to bite fully through human skin.9 You may have been bitten by spiders as you slept and didn’t even realize it.
Additionally, you must keep in mind that the venom dosage for most spiders is lethal to the relative size of their prey. Even if most house spider species bit you, you may not experience more than swelling, irritation, or slight aching pains at the injection areas.
Additionally, it must be noted that about three people die from spider bites annually, although other sources may double that estimate.9 Most people who die from venomous spider bites are small children or the elderly, people with physiologies less equipped to withstand venomous spider bites from relatively more dangerous arthropods.
However, if you are ever bitten by a black widow, hobo, or brown recluse spider, then you need to get immediate medical attention. The venomous bites from these spiders can cause painful headaches, muscle cramping, and severe worsening breathing difficulties.22
(Image: Ron Clausen25)
Hobo Spider
The hobo spider is brown-colored and native to the Pacific Northwest area of the United States. They can be identified by a distinctive grey-colored “V” shape pattern that can be found on their stomach.
You can find the hobo spider in crawl spaces, basements, in darkened areas, and under objects that can be picked up, like firewood piles. A bite from a hobo spider will cause you to suffer from a splitting headache that could last a week.
Due to arachnophobia and unverified testimonies, people believed that the bite of a hobo spider caused necrosis, or the flesh emanating from the bite to die. Recent research has proven this hysterical claim to be untrue.10
Black Widow
Black widow spiders are known for having a circular body pod shape, being black in color, and having a red-colored hourglass shape on its body. Black widow spider species are primarily native to the southern and western areas of the United States.
(Image: Konrad Summers26)
A bite from a black widow spider can cause you to experience severe pain and other medical problems, but you very likely won’t die from a bite.11
Elderly people, children, and people with severely compromised immune systems are more likely to die from a black widow spider bite than a healthy adult.11
A bite from a black widow might cause muscle cramps and spasms, nausea, fever, rising blood pressure, profuse sweating, and headache.21 A black widow bite is known to cause paralysis of the diaphragm, which can then cause labored and difficult breathing.
In very rare circumstances, a black widow bite could cause severe seizures and death.
Brown recluse spiders are brown-colored and can be recognized by the dark-colored violin-shaped symbol located on their heads.
The brown recluse spider can typically be found in the southern and midwestern states of the country. If you live in these parts of the country then you learn to recognize the aesthetics of the brown recluse spider.
The bite of the brown recluse can cause redness, inflammation, swelling, nausea, rashes, vomiting, dizziness, high fever, the formation of open sores emanating from the bite mark, and severe scarring.
The bite of the brown recluse spider can cause necrosis, or the decomposing death of healthy tissue emanating from the bite source.12 Some of those bitten by a brown recluse may develop necrosis at the bite source without immediate medical intervention.20
Still, a bite from a brown recluse spider rarely results in death. The last two recorded cases of people dying from the bite of a recluse spider involved a small boy and an elderly woman.
A 5-year-old Alabama boy died from a brown recluse spider bite in November 2014.13 A 58-year-old Detroit woman died from a brown recluse spider bite in July 2014 in a case medical experts also called rare.14
While these deaths are extremely tragic, the point is that the number of people who die from venomous spider bites usually number in the single digits annually. Government research studies have proven that a bite from the brown recluse spider will rarely end in a fatality.15
If you see any of these types of spiders, then that spider exterminator cost is justified. Barring such events, unless the infestation is noticeably large and numbering in the hundreds or thousands, then you may not necessarily need to call an exterminator.
Your home might just harbor some common house spider species like the Daddy Longlegs, which is one of the few species of spider that does not have a venom sac. While the Jumping Spider might bite you if it feels threatened or if you accidentally touch it, its bite won’t harm you.
Orb Weaver Spiders are the type of spiders that build large cobwebs to ensnare their prey. However, they will regularly tear down their own webs just to start again from scratch. A bite from this type of spider should not harm you.
Most of the spider species who take up residence in a home like yours are looking for a dark area to exist, spin their webs, and ensure prey as food. Most common house spiders are small in size and will probably go out of their way to avoid you once startled.
Still, if you are set on paying the spider extermination cost to eradicate an infestation problem, here is what you must know.
Reality of House Spiders
Before you ask yourself, “How much is pest control for spiders?” and potentially pay $300 for a one-off extermination visit, here is what you need to know about spiders in general. Learning these information could save you a lot of money on spider exterminator cost.
(Image: Steve Gale28)
Spiders, also known under the scientific classification Araneae, are technically air-breathing creatures known as arthropods.2 Arthropods can have anywhere between six to eight legs depending on the species, segmented pod-like bodies held aloft by their spindly legs, protruding fangs, venom that can be injected via its fangs, and spinneret glands that allow the creature to extrude silk from its body and spin webs.2
The main aesthetic difference between an arthropod and general insects is that arthropods, or spiders, don’t have antennae.
There could be as many as 50,300 distinct species of spiders that already exist in the world.2 Some experts believe that there may be tens of thousands of undiscovered spider species waiting to be discovered, and another 50,000 spider species could be identified and categorized within the next 100 years.4
Spiders are a globally ubiquitous species, which means that you will find them living on every continent and land mass in the world except for Antarctica. The modern spider as we know it probably evolved from an arthropod-like ancestor over 386 million years ago.2
Most arthropod species are predators that ambush and trap their prey in spider webs. Some larger species of arthropods are even known to prey on small lizards and small mammals like birds.2
Along with using their webs to trap prey, almost all spiders have venom that they can inject into prey to paralyze and kill them. They use a digestive-based enzyme that liquefies the bodies of their prey before consumption.23
Arthropods don’t have mandibles or the equivalent of jaws, so they use this method to slurp up their dissolved prey.
It is also important to note that there is a specific difference between arthropods and another scientific term you may be familiar with, arachnids.5 Scientifically speaking, while all arthropods can be classified as spiders, not all spiders are technically arachnids.
Camel spiders, harvest spiders, ticks, mites, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs are technically arachnids.5
The point of all this data is to help you understand that typical house spiders are efficient predators that are masters at trapping and eating other household pests. Arthropods hunt their prey by sensing vibrations and sight.2
A 2017 research study found that arthropods trap and eat anywhere between 400 million and up to 800 million tons of prey on a global basis annually.6
To appreciate this context, understand that human beings collectively eat about 400 million tons of meat-based protein and fish annually.6 Globally speaking, arthropods eat just as much or double the amount of food that human beings eat.
The point is that arthropods are an important component of the global ecological and animal food chain. You don’t have to be a scientist to appreciate that there are far more insects, bugs, and small animals on the planet than humans.
If spiders didn’t exist, your home would be overrun with a lot of tiny pests that would not be shy about making their presence known.
Even with all of these facts, most people are paralyzed by fear when they see spiders. People suffering from arachnophobia would rather ask themselves, “How much is pest control for spiders?” than sort the problem out themselves and save some money.
What Is Arachnophobia?
Spider infestations are a real thing.
Arachnophobia is an uncontrollable fear of spiders that in turn elicits an uncontrollable fear response.7 People who suffer from arachnophobia are prone to run away from spiders, avoid them, hyperventilate, cry, scream, suffer panic attacks, and other negative reactions upon seeing a spider.
Some experts believe that human beings developed arachnophobia as an evolutionary response to dealing with ancient arthropods.7 Other experts believe that arachnophobia is a learned fear response triggered by a prior negative experience with arthropods.
A 2014 research study found that arachnophobia sufferers were not afraid of touching or being bitten by a spider but of the creepy aesthetic movements of the arthropod.8 Many arachnophobes are simply creeped out by the swaying and erratic movements of their legs as they move, but a picture of a spider can elicit a panicked fear response in some.
Most of the house spiders that you encounter on your property are generally harmless. Additionally, unless you spot hundreds or thousands of spiders crawling around your home, they are probably beneficial to keep the number of pests in your home in check.
So, if there’s no infestation, consider leaving them alone as their benefits might outweigh the headache of thinking about spider exterminator cost or how much is pest control for spiders.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spider Exterminator Cost
What Percent of Spiders Are Dangerous to Humans?
Dangerous is a relative term when discussing spiders, spider venom, and spider bites as you are more likely to die from the bite of a black widow or brown recluse spider if you are a small child, elderly, have a compromised immune system, or are in bad health. Less than 2 percent of all known spider species can be considered dangerous under this metric.19
How Long Do Spiders Live?
Large hairy spiders like the tarantula can live for up to 25 years, but the typical spider can live for about 24 months.2 So, if you exterminate the current spider infestation without locating and removing hidden spider egg sacs, then you may have to hire an exterminator for preventative extermination work for multiple months.
When Should an Exterminator Be Called for a Spider Infestation?
If you notice dangerous spiders like the brown recluse or black widow spider infesting your home, then call for an exterminator. If you open a drawer or go into the attic and see hundreds or thousands of spiders congregating then call for an exterminator.
How Are Spiders Studied by Science?
Scientists regularly experiment on spiders to study their intelligence and to find ways to replicate the tensile strength of spider silk. Some believe that strategically introducing certain types of spiders as biological extermination agents in areas where malaria is rampant could help keep down the populations of mosquitoes that spread it.18
Read More About Spider Exterminator Cost
Exterminator Prices: Average Pest Control Price By State, Type of Bugs
Terminix Pricing Guide: How Much To Remove Common Pests? (Cost By Bug)
Pest Control for Black Widows: How To Get Rid of Black Widow Spiders (Signs)
How To Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders, Stop Infestation, and Treatment
When To Call an Exterminator For Spiders: 5 Signs for Spider Fumigation
References
1Cleveland Clinic. (2021, September 2). Arachnophobia (Fear of Spiders). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21852-arachnophobia-fear-of-spiders>
2Wikipedia. (2023, November 2023). Spiders. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider>
3HomeAdvisor. (2022, December 19). How Much Does It Cost To Exterminate Spiders? HomeAdvisor. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/environmental-safety/spider-extermination/ >
4Kooser, A. (2022, April 7). Scientists Say 50,000 Spider Species Have Now Been Discovered. CNET. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.cnet.com/science/biology/scientists-say-50000-spider-species-have-now-been-discovered/ >
5Wikipedia. (2023, November 10). Arachnid. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnid >
6Ingraham, C. (2017, March 28). Spiders could theoretically eat every human on Earth in one year. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/28/spiders-could-theoretically-eat-every-human-on-earth-in-one-year/>
7Wikipedia. (2023, September 13). Arachnophobia. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnophobia>
8Buddle, C. (2014, May 8). Explainer: why are we afraid of spiders? The Conversation. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://theconversation.com/explainer-why-are-we-afraid-of-spiders-26405 >
9Cleveland Clinic. (2021, January 8). Spider Bites. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16639-spider-bites>
10Vetter, R.S. (2015, November). Hobo Spider. U.C. IBM. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7488.html#:~:text=the%20hobo%20spider.-,MEDICAL%20ASPECTS,by%20a%20brown%20recluse%20spider>
11Holm, G. (2019, July 30). Poisoning Due to Black Widow Spider Venom (Black Widow Spider Bites) HealthLine. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.healthline.com/health/black-widow-spider#symptoms>
12Collins, D. (2022, February 8). Brown Recluse Spider Bite: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment. HealthLine. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.healthline.com/health/brown-recluse-bite-stages#symptoms-and-stages >
13Oliver, M. (2014, November 28). Albertville mom describes daylong descent to death of her son after spider bite. AL.Com. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.al.com/news/2014/11/mom_describes_daylong_descent.html#comments>
14CBS Detroit. (2014, July 18). Woman Dies After Bite From Rare Brown Recluse Spider In Michigan. CBS Detroit. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/woman-dies-after-bite-from-rare-brown-recluse-spider-in-michigan/>
15Anoka I.A., Robb E.L., & Baker M.B. (2023, August 7). Brown Recluse Spider Toxicity. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537045/ >
16Indeed. (2023, February 4). How To Become an Exterminator in 5 Steps (With Tips) Indeed. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-exterminator>
17EPA. (2023). Pesticides’ Impact on Indoor Air Quality. EPA. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/pesticides-impact-indoor-air-quality>
18Tuxbury, S. (2021, October 27). Spiders in the house? Put that blowtorch away. UMD. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://umdearborn.edu/news/spiders-house-put-blowtorch-away >
19Black Rosemary. (2019, September 12). Arachnophobia: Fear of Spiders and How to Overcome It. PsyCom. Retrieved October 5, 2023, from <https://www.psycom.net/arachnophobia-fear-of-spiders >
20Russell, H. (2017, April 21). Update on brown recluse spiders in Michigan. Michigan State University Extension. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from <https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/update_on_brown_recluse_spiders_in_michigan>
21Texas A&M University. (2023). Black Widow Spider. Urban and Structural Entomology Program at Texas A&M University. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from <https://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/spiders/black-widow-spider/>
22University of Rochester Medical Center. (2023). Spider Bites. University of Rochester Medical Center. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from <https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=85&ContentID=P00860>
23Utah State University. (2023). Loved or Loathed, Spiders are Important Ecosystem Providers. Utah State University Extension. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from <https://extension.usu.edu/pests/files/up-newsletter/2019/UtahPestsNews-summer19.pdf>
24Salt, Pepper, Vinegar Photo by Hans. (2010, November 30) / Pixabay Content License. Resized. Pixabay. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://pixabay.com/photos/salt-pepper-vinegar-oil-588/>
25Hobo spider in western Washington Photo by Ron Clausen. (2017, August 3) / CC BY 4.0 DEED | Attribution 4.0 International. Cropped and Resized. Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hobo_spider_in_western_Washington.jpg>
26Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans) The Western Widow Photo by Konrad Summers. (2008, August 26) / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED | Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic. Cropped and Resized. Flickr. Retrieved November 21, 2023, from <https://www.flickr.com/photos/tkksummers/2800388371/>
27Photo 193218870 | Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) Photo by threeagoutdoors. (2022, April 17) / CC BY 4.0 DEED | Attribution 4.0 International. Cropped and Resized. iNaturalist. Retrieved November 21, 2023, from <https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/193218870>
28A lot of yellow baby spiders Photo by Steve Gale. (2019, May 20) / Unsplash License. Resized. Unsplash. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://unsplash.com/photos/bunch-of-yellow-spiders-vjqbrJEQznU>