SAN ANTONIO AREA SERVICE

Spiders

Texas has hundreds of spider species. Most are harmless and beneficial. The two that warrant professional attention in San Antonio are the brown recluse and the southern black widow.

Scientific name: Loxosceles reclusa (brown recluse), Latrodectus mactans (southern black widow)  Service area: San Antonio + within ~15 miles (Helotes, Stone Oak, Leon Springs, Fair Oaks Ranch).

At a glance

Size	Brown recluse: 6–20 mm; black widow: 8–13 mm
Color	Brown recluse: light brown with a violin-shape on its back; black widow: glossy black with red hourglass
Active period	Year-round indoors; spring/summer outdoors
Habitat in homes	Brown recluse: undisturbed indoor spots — closets, attics, shoes; black widow: woodpiles, garages, outdoor sheds, under decks
Famous trait	Brown recluse hides in clothing left on the floor; black widow has the most recognizable warning marking of any North American spider

Identification

Brown recluse: violin/fiddle outline on back, six eyes (most spiders have 8). Black widow: glossy black with bright red hourglass on underside of abdomen.

Risk profile

Brown recluse bites cause necrotic lesions in some people. Black widow bites are systemically painful (cramping, sweating) but rarely fatal — get medical attention, especially for kids and elderly. Both spiders bite only when pressed against skin.

How we treat it

Exclusion + targeted spray. We treat hiding spots (cracks, baseboards, under decks, around woodpiles), apply residuals to entry points, and recommend de-cluttering and shake-out-shoes habits. Glue boards in known hot spots help us monitor.

Towns where we treat this

This is a San Antonio area service. We cover the close-to-office radius (within ~15 miles).