Date: 03/20/18

To: CEO of Terminix

From: Angie Boger
Subject: Safe Removal of Spider Infestations
Reference: Inquiry into the effects of spider extermination.
Action Required: Cessation of spider extermination or project termination by 07/20/18
Distribution List: Terminix exterminators

Alternative Spider Pest Control

Many homes find themselves subject to the occasional spider or spider infestation. Though not very
harmful, many home owners may wish to rid themselves of the spiders and call Terminix to deal
with the problem. It is important to safely remove spiders instead of killing them. Spiders are the
top predators of many insect pest species and are helpful to gardens and people. Most spiders are
not even harmful to humans. Endangering spiders through killing or spraying of insecticides does
more damage than safely releasing spiders into the outdoors. Pesticides often do not kill spiders
but instead damage their movements and behaviors. Pesticides also harm humans who are
exposed to them and are unnecessary for dealing with spiders. There are better techniques of
dealing with spiders inside of clients’ homes that exterminators should practice, such as capture
and release along with educating homeowners.

Summary
The safe release of spiders, instead of killing them with pesticides, is both cost effective and
environmentally beneficial. Most spider species are not harmful to humans with only 3 species that
have venom capable of affecting humans (Fosdick). Spiders eliminate other pests, which reduces
the need for insecticides. They also prevent the spread of disease and the destruction of plants by
consuming pests that carry diseases and feed on plants. Spiders are an important food source for
other insect eating species that live around homes. The use of pesticides to deal with spiders is
ineffective since it takes larger doses to kill spiders than regular insects (Fosdick). Spiders that
survive the pesticides are left with damaging effects to their movements and behaviors. These
effects cause difficulty in the spider’s ability to hunt and make webs (Pekar). Birds that eat these
spiders can also face possible deadly health effects. The heavier use of insecticide required to kill
spiders is both costly and dangerous to humans that may come into contact with the toxins.
Pesticides have serious health risks so they should be used in moderation and only when necessary.
Exterminators should instead trap spiders, release them outside, and educate clients on how to
prevent spiders from reentering their homes.
Spider Benefits
The majority of spiders pose little to no threat to humans. The black widow, the recluse, and the
yellow sac spider are the only spiders that have harmful venom and these spiders are not even
aggressive (Fosdick). Spiders eat as many insects as the weight of all humans on Earth each year.
Many of these insects eat plants or affect humans unfavorably (Fosdick). Spiders consume most of
the insects inside of a home when left alone. The pests they eat often tend to be disease carrying
insects like cockroaches and mosquitos. Spiders prevent the spread of disease by eating these pests
(“Spiders in the House – Friend or Foe?”). Spiders also kill other spiders, which prevents spider
infestations. Long-legged cellar spiders are even known to kill black widows (“Spiders in the House
– Friend or Foe?”). Spiders are also an important food source to other species such as birds and
spiders. These species also provide valuable pest control by eating insects around the home
(David). Spiders are even beneficial to gardens since they eat many plant pests but do not harm the
plants (Fosdick). By crawling from plant to plant, spiders spread pollen and help pollinate plants in
gardens and flowerbeds (David).

Harms of Pesticide
Spiders
Pesticides often do not kill spiders but instead have adverse effects on them. Usually, these effects
are widely noticed in their behaviors. The locomotive skills of spiders often become impaired for a
while after doses of pesticide. Spiders have been observed with reduced movement, and sometimes
even leg paralysis, lasting from hours to days after they’ve been sprayed with pesticides. Some
spiders even have uncoordinated movements after pesticide exposure (Pekar). These movement
difficulties also affect the spider’s ability to hunt. Pesticides have been shown to affect spider’s web
design, which directly affects their ability to catch prey (Pekar). A study has even shown that
jumping spiders have experienced personality changes when exposed to a widely used insecticide
called Phosmet. Male spiders experienced inability to explore their environment like they did
before and female spiders struggled with their ability to capture prey (“Pesticides: More Toxic than
Previously Thought?”). Insecticides such as neonicotinoids have been shown to damage birds as
well. Some insect-eating birds who consumed seeds that were sprayed with the insecticide died
within a few days (Thompson). It’s possible that birds would also experience health risks if they
were to eat spiders that have come into contact with pesticides.

People
The hazard of pesticides to people can be measured through toxicity multiplied by exposure
(“Potential Health Effects of Pesticides.”). This presents a large problem with killing spiders with
pesticides because spiders require a larger amount of pesticide at a higher toxicity to kill them
(Fosdick). As a result, the higher toxicity creates a larger hazard to humans. There would be a
lower exposure, since the people of the household would only be exposed briefly, but contact with
the pesticide could have dangerous effects. The symptoms of acute toxicity can appear shortly after
being exposed or within 48 hours (“Health Effects of Pesticides.”). If pesticides get on someone’s
skin, they can cause a response similar to an allergic reaction with inflammation and reddening of
the skin to even blisters and rashes. Pesticides can also have systemic effects from being absorbed
into the body which include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache, and intestinal disorders. Changes
in heart rate, difficulty breathing, seizures, comas, and death can occur in worse cases of poisoning
(“Potential Health Effects of Pesticides.”).

Conclusion
Spiders pose little to no threat to humans. They benefit people through the consumption
of insect pests that destroy plants and spread diseases to humans. Spiders also keep away
other spiders that people would not want inside their homes. Outside of the home, spiders
provide an important food source for birds and lizards that play an active role in pest
control. Dealing with spiders inside of a home by using pesticide is ineffective. It takes a
large amount of pesticide to deal with spiders and pesticides harm a spider’s ability to
move and hunt. Pesticides also have negative health effects on humans that are likely to
occur with the high toxicity needed to kill spiders. It is better to deal with spider
infestations through means other than killing them, especially when the method of killing
them is through the use of pesticides.

Recommendation
Spiders need to be captured and released instead of killed through the use of pesticides.
After the spiders in the home are successfully caught and released by an exterminator, the
webs must be safely destroyed to avoid the spider returning to them. Certain measures
need to be made in order to keep spiders out of the home after they are released. To keep
spiders out, it is necessary to know what attracts them into a home to begin with. Spiders
are often attracted inside of a home by:
 Insects
 Warmth
 Water
 Privacy
 Trash
The most important of these factors that attract spiders are insects inside the home (“What
Attracts Spiders to Your House.”). Exterminators should deal with this through a light use
of insecticide, after the spider has been removed, to kill any insects in the home that
spiders would be attracted to. Spiders will often seek warmth in the winter but are kept
out by sealing any openings that would allow them inside. Spiders enjoy their privacy in
small dark places so it is important to seal up any cracks or crevices that spiders can crawl
into. By doing so, this eliminates some of the dark spaces that would attract a spider to
make its home there. Some spiders that require water will drink from sinks and bathtubs,
so you must seal any possible leaks that might attract a thirsty spider (“What Attracts
Spiders to Your House.”). Lastly, it is crucial that the house is kept clean of any trash or
debris that attract insects or make good homes for spiders. Frequent dusting and
vacuuming will remove any webs or insects from areas and keep spiders from making their
homes there. An exterminator should help clients by informing them of these ways to
continually keep spiders out of their home and teaching them how to do so on their own.
 Works Cited
Fosdick, Dean. “Spiders Are among Most Effective Predators of Plant Pests.” Phys.org,
Phys.org, 14 June 2016, phys.org/news/2016-06-spiders-effective-predators-pests.html.
“Spiders in the House – Friend or Foe?” Bayer Advanced, SBM Life Science Corp,
www.bayeradvanced.com/articles/spiders-in-the-house-and-what-to-do-about-them.
Pekar, Stano. Spider Ecophysiology. Edited by Wolfgang Nentwig, Springer-Verlag, 2013,
www.researchgate.net/publication/269988822_Side_Effect_of_Synthetic_Pesticides_on_
Spiders.
“Potential Health Effects of Pesticides.” Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania State University,
extension.psu.edu/potential-health-effects-of-pesticides.
“Health Effects of Pesticides.” Pesticide Action Network UK, Pesticide Action Network,
www.pan-uk.org/health-effects-of-pesticides/.
“What Attracts Spiders to Your House.” Panther Pest Control, Panther Pest Control, 5 Feb. 2014,
www.pantherpestcontrol.co.uk/news/attracts-spiders-house/.
David, L. C. “How to Remove Spiders from Your Home Without Killing Them.” Dengarden,
Dengarden, 10 Nov. 2016, dengarden.com/pest-control/How-to-Remove-Spiders-from-
Your-Home-Without-Killing-Them.
Thompson, Helen. “Popular Pesticides Linked to Drops in Bird Populations.” Smithsonian.com,
Smithsonian Institution, 10 July 2014, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-
nature/popular-pesticides-linked-drops-bird-population-180951971/.
“Pesticides: More Toxic than Previously Thought?” McGill Newsroom, McGill University, 6
Aug. 2015, www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/pesticides-more-toxic-previously-
thought-254401.