The unwelcome widow

The hot summer is upon us and since our recent (rare) storm, there’s been a stronger presence of bugs around the home.  I’m usually not phased by the usual insects and spiders, but this kind is a bit unsettling when found outside the front porch:

The front railing has lots of buggy hideout spots under the top rail between the vertical slats

The front porch has been a popular place for stringing webs.  Only recently have I found out who the popular slingers have been, once I started spraying around all edges and crevices of the front porch and railing with our standby Ortho Home Defense MAX before sweeping off the webs:

…as she lays dying.

A black widow spider with her trademark “I’m not that kind of girl” red hourglass marking.  She’s the second one I found today in the front, and the third all together in the past week in the front porch.  Add that to the one I sprayed in the back yard.

I recently did a broadcast lawn/landscape spray with Spectracide Triazicide but I thinks a second and/or third application won’t hurt.

I don’t really think I have to try very hard to nudge you to take action (and appropriate precautions with children and pets) on preventive pest control.  General Pest Control is a layered approach:

1. Make your home the least attractive as possible for bugs: keep all floors clean and areas free of debris.
2. Barrier spray inside (minimum in wet area like bathrooms and kitchens) and outside home perimeter spray.  A solution such as Ortho Home Defense MAX is a good affordable product for Spot, Inside and Outside Perimeter applications.
3. Outside barrier in the yard space surrounding the home. Spectracide Triazicide comes in a value sized package if you have your own hose-attached Hose-End Sprayer, or available with applicator built-in. (Spectracide Triazicide-Ready to Spray)
4. For those that happen to get through open doors and windows, lay these Victor Poison-Free Insect Magnet Traps in strategic locations to attract those critters to check-in, but never check-out.

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