Spiders

There are about 40,000 different species of spider. They differ from insects in having 8 legs instead of 6 and two body sections instead of 3. Some species are ground dwelling, while others live above ground in and on plants and buildings. They prefer warm temperatures and moderate humidity.

Most spiders eat small insects, some use a web to trap their meal while others like the Australian White Tailed Spider rely only on predation. Being hunters, they are swift moving and scurry away when disturbed. Spiders can cause anxiety or phobias.

The bites of some spiders can be dangerous. The Funnelweb is one of the most dangerous and the Redback is also poisonous to humans. In recent years, the development of anti-venom for these two has reduced bite fatalities. The White Tailed Spider has been implicated in the development of ulcers that are difficult to cure.

Fleas

Fleas are usually found on cats, dogs, carpets, furniture, dusty floors, sandy sub floors, and even grassy areas. The bodies of adult fleas are laterally compressed, enabling them to move quickly and easily through dense hair or fur, and each of the six legs has a pair of claws at the tip to enable them to remain attached to the host, regardless of scratching. The hind legs are well developed to facilitate jumping onto a passing host.

Fleas only inhabit warm-blooded animals and both male and female adults survive on blood meals. Adult fleas do not spend their entire time on the host and often drop off between feeds.

When a flea infestation occurs in a domestic residence, the bites are usually observed on the ankles and lower parts of the legs as small red spots, which is due to the injection of flea saliva at the time of biting to prevent the blood coagulating and can cause severe irritation.

For absolute peace of mind call Albany Pest Control now on (08) 9842 3339.