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Have you ever wondered what spiders you’re likely to come across in California? Or are just trying to identify one that you’ve found in your home? Here’s a list of the most common spiders found in California.

Tarantula: While tarantulas are pretty common in California, they can’t kill you like many people think. They do have venom, but it’s poisonous only to small animals. Tarantulas are sometimes found in pool filters and in gardens. Male tarantulas come out most often in the fall, when they go on the search for females.

Sow-Bug Killer: As their name suggest, this spider kills sows bugs, or pill bugs, and can be found in trees and under bark, where these bugs live.

Daddy Long Legs: Most people have encountered a Daddy Long Legs in their life, and can recognize them immediately. Their webs aren’t the distinctive spider webs that you would normally think of but rather, draping long tangles of web. Daddy Long Legs, while very common, are perfectly harmless.

Black Widow: Black Widow spiders are present in California and are the only spiders whose venom humans should fear, as it can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. Black Widows are known for the hourglass shape their body has, which in a true Black Widow will be orange or red. However, the body isn’t always a perfect hourglass shape.

American House Spider: These spiders as the name would suggest, are very common in America and like to camp out in people’s homes. The scientific name for them is the Achearanea tepediorum.

Cross orbweaver: These spiders are more commonly known as garden spiders, and they can become quite large and intimidating in the late fall. They’re usually seen hanging from their orb-webs, which they constantly work on, throughout the year but are more prominent in the September – November months.

Silver garden spiders: These spiders have a very silvery look to them and also build orb webs. They are distinctive with their eight legs that are paired together, giving the look that they actually only have four legs.

Money spiders: These spiders build large, flat webs from which they hang. These spiders are especially prominent in the Bay Area in the spring.

Salticidae: These spiders are distinctive because they do not make webs and because their most familiar characteristic is that they jump. They are usually black with white specks.

For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to our website.

Last month the California Department of Food and Agriculture extended quarantine in Riverside Country and Coachella Valley in order to isolate pests which have attacked local citrus trees.  The Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) is a pest which spreads the botanical disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB).  HLB first appeared in the U.S. in 2005 in the state of Florida.  Since then it has spread to each of the 30 states that produce citrus crops. 

The adult psyllids can be easily recognized feeding on leaves and mating.  Once they have mated the females will lay their eggs (between 800-1,000 per female) on new leaf buds.  Because of this the quarantine does not include the actual fruit, but any of the leaves or stems attached to the fruit must be removed before it can be shipped.

The ACP damages the plants in two ways.  1.  It feeds off the young plant growth; and 2. It passes on the Huanglongbing virus which destroys the plant’s ability to product fruit, and eventually kills the entire tree.  With California’s $1.2 billion citrus industry at stake, state officials are convinced that the quarantine is not a knee-jerk reaction. 

The CDFA has made every effort to contain the ACP, and is encouraging individuals to eat their own home-grown citrus produce and not to attempt to transport it outside the quarantined area.  Even though none of the ACP’s tested have been positive for Huanglongbing disease, CDFA officials are certain that it is a matter of time before it appears on the scene. 

If you suspect your personal citrus trees or other plants are infected with the Asian Citrus Psyllid, call the Agricultural Commissioner’s office at 760-482-4314 and report it. 

For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.