Our Pest guide

Norway Rat - Rattus Norvegicus

Color: BLACK, GRAY, BROWN Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 10-12 inches (4″ Tail) Characteristics: Small eyes & long tail

Norway rats live in fields, farmlands, structures, and woodpiles in the Calgary area. Because much of Alberta is agricultural farmland and has a harsh climate, the rats need to live as close to humans as they possibly can. Structures and food sources are sought out in order for them to survive.

Rats are excellent climbers and often enter a building in the fall when outside food sources become scarce. They can gain entry to a home through a hole the size of a quarter. Because they are opportunistic scavengers, the Norway Rat is host to several pathogens and diseases. Rats are also known to be fond of chewing through wiring, a definite fire hazard.

Raccoon - Procyon Lotor

Color: GRAY, BROWN, BLACK MARKING AROUND EYES Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 8 - 20 lbs LEGS: Four

Female raccoons will often commune together at feeding locations or for sleeping while male raccoons are more solitary. A raccoon’s habitat has become urban, yet they stay close to trees and buildings as they find safety in climbing. They take up residence in Calgary’s abandoned buildings, attics, and woodland areas and sometimes inside occupied homes.

Though raccoons will eat insects, amphibians, fish, berries, fruit, nuts, and smaller mammals, raccoons are also foragers that love human garbage. Living alongside humans yields bigger food stores. They are one of the most recognizable and destructive animals in all of Canada. Most notoriously enjoying garbages and recycling.

Skunk - Mephitidae

Color: BLACK BODY WITH WHITE, GRAY, OFF-WHITE Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 5 -8 lbs Legs: Four Shape: Oblong body with a long, bushy tail

The most common skunk in Alberta is the Striped Skunk. They will live in residential Calgary areas, forests, fields, and any mixture of the above. They create their dens with their strong front legs and claws but are also opportunistic, using the area under decks and stairs as well.

When surprised or threatened, the skunk releases a small amount of liquid through their anal glands. The spray can shoot nearly ten feet and is extremely hard to remove, carrying a distinctively unpleasant odor. The skunk is also the primary carrier of rabies in many parts of Alberta, though few of them carry rabies in this region. They often fall into window wells due to their poor vision.

Deer Mouse - Peromyscus Maniculatus

Color: BROWN with WHITE feet & a WHITE UNDERBELLY Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 5 -8 lbs Legs: Four Shape: Round-shape with round ears

The deer mouse prefers the outdoors in sheltered areas of Calgary, such as hollow logs and piles of debris. They can squeeze in through spaces as small as a pencil, so it is almost impossible to find their route indoors. This is why prevention is essential for effective mouse control.

When the deer mouse comes indoors, it prefers undisturbed areas such as attics. The deer mouse transmits the potentially fatal Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome through contact with mouse carcasses, or by breathing in aerosolized urine droplets of infected deer mice.

Pocket Gopher - Geomyidae

Color: TAN BROWN with WHITE feet and WHITE UNDERBELLY Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 5 - 10 lbs Legs: Four Characteristics: Large front teeth & big, pocketed cheeks

The pocket gopher is subterranean and reclusive, as are other gophers in the Calgary area. However, it is a solitary animal and is recognized for its tell-tale mounds of dirt left above ground. You might think someone has rototilled your yard!

This is a very destructive animal to yards and gardens moving systematically through them, looking for roots and weeds to eat.

Pigeon- Columbidae

Color: DARK to LIGHT GRAY Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 3 - 8lbs Flying: Yes

Pigeons are feral (a domesticated animal gone back to being wild) and are very determined birds. They live near humans in the Calgary area due to the abundance of food. A pigeon will roost and nest on signs, storefronts, apartment buildings, and other lofty urban places.

These birds leave liquid splatters of droppings everywhere. Water contamination has been traced back to pigeon carcasses and feces in water towers near roosting sites. The waste from these birds is very corrosive. Pigeon droppings deteriorate concrete, limestone, and metal.

Richardson’s Ground Squirrel (Gopher) - Spermophilus Richardsonii

Color: TAN/BROWN with WHITE UNDERBELLY Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 5 - 12 inches LEGS: Four Characteristics: Large front teeth & big, puffy cheeks

Gophers are subterranean rodents that can devour or destroy your lawn, garden, or crops. They live in colonies in the Calgary area, so where there is one, there will be more. That said, most people see the damage they leave behind rather than the gopher itself because they are reclusive. They are active during all parts of the day and hibernate during the winter months.

What makes gophers such a nuisance is their voracious appetite and their digging. They leave holes in your lawn and pastures with the tunnels that they dig underground. This can cause animals to break their legs on the uneven ground, and flowerbeds and gardens are destroyed from the roots up.

Squirrel - Sciuridae

Color: RED, BROWN, BLACK, GRAY Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Tail: Long & fluffy Legs: Four

When living in the Calgary area trees, squirrels are not harmful. Still, they can be very messy, chase away desired wildlife such as birds, and invade your home. Squirrels can squeeze through small gaps, often chewing to get in, and will set up their nests in your walls and attic.

Squirrels can die in hard to reach places, leaving a smell that permeates the house. Their urine and droppings smell and will seep into the wood in your attic. Squirrels rip up insulation, gnaw through many structural materials, and bring in debris.

Squirrels build their nests out of dry, easily ignitable materials such as twigs, hair, and cloth and have been known to chew on wires. In this, they create an environment of fuel and igniter, a definite safety hazard. Many people attempt to use mouse poison if they are in an attic; this is not only illegal but ineffective.

Rock Porcupine - Erethizon Dorsatum

Color: BROWN & WHITE Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 20 lbs Legs: Four Characteristics: Sharp hair-like quills. Short front legs & longer back legs

Porcupines are large nocturnal rodents, which will create a den in any area it feels is safe. This includes the underside of decks, sheds, garages, and other outbuildings within the Calgary area. Porcupines are primarily herbivores. They feed on the soft layer of bark on trees and other types of foraged roots, sticks, and root vegetables. This is a particular worry because porcupines prefer trees with smooth bark like most decorative yard trees have.

The porcupine is not a deliberate nuisance to humans or animals. Still, its destructive appetite and the unappealing pain of quill exposure have humans seeing this animal like an unwanted guest. Quills are a particularly serious threat to dogs as dogs are aggressive and curious, and the barbs, once in a dog’s snout, are not easily removed.

Vole - Microtus

Color: Dark grey-brown Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 5 – 8 Inches long Legs: Four shape: Round Characteristics: stocky body with short stubby legs and stubby tail

These small varmints are primarily troublesome for Calgary home and business owners. Though Voles may be mistaken as a field mouse because of their appearance, they are more closely related to the muskrat. Voles are small stout creatures, with small beady eyes that burrow in your yard.

Voles are known for tunneling underground, causing severe damage to your landscaping. They stay below the surface of the ground and burrow beneath the snow, using it as insulation during the winter. The voles gnaw through the root systems of your trees, shrubs, and lawns, all while eating your vegetation.

It won’t be evident that a vole problem is occurring until the snow melts and you find your lawn is covered in chewed out tracks and your trees have stopped thriving. When the weather warms up they move further underground and don’t pose as much of a problem.

Honey Bee - Apis Mellifera

Color: GOLDEN YELLOW with BROWN BANDS Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 1 - 2 inches Legs: SIX Shape: Oval Antennae: Yes Flying: Yes

Calgary’s honey bees are an essential and beneficial insect because of their role in pollination. Honey bees pollinate more than 100 crops in Canada. They produce honey from the pollen and nectar of the plants they pollinate. They store the honey in honeycombs in their nests, which are often located in tree crevices but are occasionally built in attics or chimneys.

A honeybee is part of an extremely large colony, and their sting can be not only painful but produce an allergic reaction in the person a hive attacks. Bees are different from wasps - a similar looking predatory pest that can sting you more than once.

Bumblebee- Bombus Lapidarius

Color: BLACK with YELLOW stripes Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Legs: six Shape: Oval Antennae: Yes Flying: Yes

Bumblebees often nest in the ground in gardens and lawns, but can be found above ground around patio areas or decks and will sometimes build their nest in soffits of attics in the Calgary area. The bumblebee sting is one of the most painful.

Bumblebees who are disturbed will buzz loudly and aggressively, and give chase to the nest invaders for a considerable distance.

Blowfly - Calliphoridae

Color: METALLIC BLUE/GREEN  with BLACK head Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 1cm  Legs: six Shape: Oval Antennae: No Flying: Yes

The blowflies lay their eggs in rotting meat, dung, carrion, and open wounds. Also called bluebottle, they are a tenacious house guest in the Calgary area, coming in open windows and doors, cracks, and holes. Blowflies spread their germs to surfaces, food, and people.

Because they are indiscriminate eaters, the blowfly is host to diseases originating from dung and rotten flesh. They commonly carry dysentery, anthrax, and jaundice. Interestingly, the larvae of the blowfly raised in sterile conditions are used to consume dead tissue in humans and animals to promote healing.

Carpenter Ant - Camponotus

Color: RED to BLACK Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 5/8 inch Legs: six Shape: Segmented; Oval Antennae: Yes Flying: Yes

Carpenter ants excavate deteriorating, moist wood to build their nests, but do not actually eat the wood. The excess wood is deposited outside entrances to the colony in small piles of sawdust. Often the colony will extend its nest into adjacent, sound wood, resulting in smooth tunnels inside the wood.

In the Calgary area, carpenter ants are found in porch pillars and roofs, window sills, live and dead trees, rotting logs and stumps, and wood in contact with soil. They will enter homes through wet, damaged wood, and if they gain entry to a structure, they pose a property threat that needs to be remedied.

Carpenter Bee- Xylocopa Virginica

Color: BLUE-BLACK GREEN or PURPLE METALLIC SHEEN on the abdomen Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Look: similar to bumblebees, but often no yellow stripes

Size: 1 Inch Legs: Four Antennae: Yes Flying: Yes

Carpenter bees are active in Canada. Resembling bumblebees, they are different in that the top of their abdomen is hairless, often shiny, black, and has no yellow stripe. Additionally, the carpenter bee is a solitary insect. Males are noticeably aggressive in behavior and have a white spot on their faces. Luckily, they do not possess stingers and are harmless. The females do have stingers but are mainly docile.

The carpenter bee bores into dry, seasoned, and untreated wood surfaces, preferring softwoods such as cedar, pine, and fir. In the Calgary area, they nest in nail holes and unpainted wood. Therefore, they are commonly found in porch and shed ceilings, railings, overhead trim, wooden patio furniture, fence posts, wooden shingles, siding, window sills, and doors. Besides theconstant buzzing, they can damage wood through their nest building.

Centipede- Scutigera

Color: Body- BROWN to GRAYISH-YELLOW three DARK STRIPES on top Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: up to 1 1/2 inches long Shape: Long, flattened, segmented bodies

Legs: One pair per segment | 15 pairs encircled by dark and white bands

Antennae: No Flying: No

Centipedes prefer residing in damp portions of basements, closets, crawl spaces, and bathrooms. In the Calgary area, house centipedes feed on small insects, larvae, and spiders.

Clothes Moth- Tinea Pellionella

Color: LIGHT GRAY to CHAMPAGNE each front wing has THREE INDISTINCT DARKER SPOTS

Caterpillar- Color: CREAMY WHITE with a BROWN HEAD Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 1/4 inch long body | Caterpillar: 1/2 inch long at maturity

Clothes moth’s larva (caterpillars) mainly damage animal items such as wool, fur, silk, and feathers. Textiles injured by clothes moths have holes eaten through them by tiny, white larvae, and furs will have noticeably loose hairs. However, only the catapillar feeds.

Materials in storage or kept in the dark places such as a closet, attic, or drawer are most at risk by these insects. The adults enter through cracks around doors and windows in the Calgary area as they seek to avoid daylight.

Cluster Fly- Pollenia

Color: BLACK Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 7 mm LEGS: Six Shape: Oval Antennae: No Flying: Yes

These large, black flies are predominantly a house pest from late fall to early spring in the Calgary area. As the day cools off, the flies that clustered in the sun on the house wall, crawl in through crevices and cracks, open windows and doors and under eaves.

Cluster flies begin as parasites within the bodies of earthworms, so they do not breed indoors. However, they do hibernate in their hiding place, coming out of hibernation as the sun or indoor heat warms them. Their crawling brings them into the house by way of electrical outlets, window pulley holes, and small openings around windows, moldings, and baseboards.

Cockroach- Blattaria

American Cockroach – Color: REDDISH-BROWN wings and LIGHT MARKINGS on its thorax

German Cockroach – Color: LIGHT BROWN with two DARK STRIPES down its back

Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: (American Cockroach) 1 - 1.5 inches | (German Cockroach) 1/2 - 5/8 inches

LEGS: Six Antennae: Yes Flying: Yes

Cockroaches are present in many areas of Calgary and Alberta. They like dark, damp places where food is in good supply. They are active under sinks, stoves, fridges, and inside cupboards. Because they feed on a wide variety of foods, it is difficult to cut off their food supply.

Cockroaches favor starchy, sugary items but will also eat book bindings, linens, and leather while foraging at night. They can even survive a month or more without any food. Their presence alone is distasteful enough, but they also transfer a distinctly acrid odor that permeates everything they touch.

Worst of all, they can transmit bacteria responsible for diseases like food poisoning, cholera, dysentery, salmonella, and strep. Exposure to these and cockroach allergens is a significant health concern for parents of asthmatic children.

Cornfield Ant- Lasius Alienus

Color: YELLOW-BROWN to very DARK BROWN Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 2 – 3.5 mm Antennae: Yes | 12 segments Flying: Yes

The cornfield ant is found predominantly in outdoor locations. To the untrained eye, they are recognizable by their habits more so than by their appearance. In the Calgary area, cornfield ants build visible, crater-like nests near or underneath bricks, stones, sidewalks, cracks in the pavement, and rotting logs. They also leave tell-tale piles of soil where they have excavated.

Often a pest to the putting green and immaculate yard, they will also make themselves busy foraging sweets and meats from the home or business.

Earwig - Dermaptera

Color: DARK BROWN Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 1 Inch Legs: SIX Shape: Long. NarrowAntennae: Yes Flying: no

The long clippers on their backsides easily identify an earwig. Earwigs hide during the day and feed on leaves, flowers, fruits, mold, and insects at night. These insects live together in the Calgary area in large numbers.

They can be found under piles of lawn debris, mulch, or in tree holes. They gain entry to a structure through exterior cracks. An earwig’s menacing appearance and their tendency to cluster in large numbers can be alarming to a homeowner.

Millipede- Diplopoda

Millipede- Diplopoda

Color: TAN, DARK REDDISH BROWN Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 2.5 – 6 cm Shape: Somewhat rounded | Worm-like Legs: 2 on each segment | more than 15 pairs Antennae: No Flying: No

Greenhouse millipede

Color: LIGHT TAN Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Characteristics: Small ridges along the sides of each body segment

Millipedes live in damp locations such as in potted houseplants, greenhouses, garages, basements and lower levels. They feed on damp and decaying vegetable matter and prefer to stay in moist locations but may wander into any part of the house.

Being most active at night, they can enter a home through cracks, doors, and windows. However, they are commonly found under woodpiles, leaves, and other organic debris in the Calgary area. Not dangerous, they are an alarming and unwanted house guest.

Fruit Fly- Drosophila Melanogaster

Color: TAN/LIGHT abdomen with RED eyes Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 3mm LEGS: Six Antennae: Yes- with a feathery bristle Flying: Yes

BeFruit flies are small irritating pests commonly found in Calgary homes, restaurants, and other facilities where food is processed. Fruit flies feed on decaying fruits and vegetables and tend to concentrate on the food source.

They are found on moist, decaying matter that has been stationary for several days. Fruit flies are found in unsanitary conditions, so they are a potential health concern.

Hornet-Baldface- Dolichovespula Maculata

American Cockroach – Color: BLACK with CREAM-COLORED markings on the front of the head & at the end of the abdomen

Size: 7-8 inchLegs: SIX Shape: Oblong, 2 segmentsAntennae: Yes Flying: Yes

Hornet colonies are contained within a nest of paper-like material made from chewed wood mixed with saliva. Hornet nests are usually in wooded areas in Calgary, attached to a tree branch, but they may attach to shrubs, soffits, and house siding. Although hornets are beneficial predators that feed on other insects such as filth flies and blowflies, a nearby nest is cause for alarm.

A peak population of 100 to 400 hornets by the end of summer must be prevented as hornets are aggressive protectors of their nest and pose a significant risk to the homeowner and any pets. Hornets are very protective of their colony and will usually attack if someone approaches within 3 feet of the nest.

House Fly- Musca Domestica

Color: DARK GRAY Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 1/4 inch Shape: Oval Antennae: Yes Flying: Yes

The most common fly found around Calgary homes, an adult house fly usually lives between 15 and 25 days. They are only able to feed on liquids but can turn many solid foods into a liquid for them to eat.

House flies taste with their feet, so they are always on the move, migrating up to 20 miles to find food. These insects have been known to carry over 100 different kinds of disease-causing germs, which makes them terrible house guests

House Moth - Endrosis Sarcitrella 

Color: WHITE, BROWN, GRAY Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 6mm – 2cm Legs: SIX Antennae: Yes Flying: YES

The house moth eats grains, fruit, rotting wood, old textiles, and cereals. Attracted to light, they can be seen in groups around any light source at dusk in the Calgary area.

Though not harmful, they can be a general nuisance when enjoying a summer evening and attract predators such as spiders and bats. The house moth also leaves unsightly cocoons and a reddish-brown fluid on buildings, which can be difficult to remove off of windows, walls.

Indianmeal Moth - Plodia Interpunctella

Color: Bi-colored wings- 2/3 COPPER or BRONZE & 1/3 LIGHT GRAY Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Caterpillar: CREAM with YELLOW-GREEN or PINKISH shades DARK BROWN head

Size: 1/4 – 3/8 inch Caterpillar: up to 2/3 inch

This moth is a stored product pest, found in homes and grocery stores. During the caterpillar stage, it feeds on nuts, herbs, coarsely ground grains, and fruits, which are accessible as the caterpillars are capable of chewing through plastic bags and thin cardboard.

The caterpillars can seriously damage food items, and the adult moths are an irritant as they fly through the store. All stages of the Indianmeal moth may be found in Calgary area homes and businesses.

Mosquito

Color: VARIES PALE BROWN with WHITE stripes across abdomen Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 1/4 – 3/8 inches Antennae: YesFlying: YES

Applied by our professional pest control professionals around your home and throughout your backyard, this trusted, and dependable mosquito control solution eliminates mosquitoes on contact and continues working for up to 21 days, depending on the impact of rain and weather elements.

For optimum protection, season-long control is highly recommended every 21 days. Martin’s Pest Control will remind you in advance of an upcoming service and leave you notice that we’ve been there. You don’t even need to be home during the application.

Martin’s Pest Control protects your family (and pets) from the nuisance and danger of mosquitoes. We focus on the areas of your property where mosquitoes and ticks are most likely to feed and harbor. Once applied, Martin’s Pest Control provides even greater protection as mosquitoes attempt to feed and rest on the grass and plants, as the residue from the treatment will knock them down, too..

Natural mosquito control

If you prefer to avoid all synthetics, Martin’s Pest Control offers an all-natural solution as an ideal alternative for mosquito control.

While our Barrier Protection Spray works primarily as a mosquito and tick eliminator, our all-natural treatment eliminates pests on contact. It then continues as a repellent for up to 14 days.

Our all-natural mosquito treatment is applied to the areas of your property that mosquitoes are known to harbor and feed. It is made up of natural plant juices and has a fragrance that dissipates within a few hours of application. Since this all-natural mosquito control breaks down more quickly, it should be applied every 14 days for continuous protection (as opposed to the 21-day cycle of our Barrier Protection Spray).

This all-natural repellent is not quite as effective as our traditional mosquito control solutions. However, depending on your yard and needs, it may be right for you. And, of course, if you’re not 100% satisfied, we’ll make it right with another spray as soon as possible.

Effective & timely mosquito control for all outdoor events

Are you planning an outdoor wedding, graduation party, or another outdoor event? Don’t let buzzing, biting mosquitoes ruin your special day. Our special events spray will keep mosquitoes off your guest list.

About 24-48 hours before guests’ arrival, we’ll lay down a barrier spray that includes extra protection against biting, stinging insects. It’s precisely what you need for a perfect party. The benefits of it include:

• It greatly reduces the number of mosquitoes that might otherwise bite guests or hover around food.
• Dries in 30 minutes, leaving no odor or visible residue.
• It is applied long before your food and dinnerware arrive, so there’s no opportunity for contamination.
• It provides protection day and night through your entire event.

Pavement Ant- Tetramorium Caespitum

Color: DARK BROWN, BLACK Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 1/8 inches LEGS: SixShape: Segmented | Oval Antennae: Yes, long & pronouncedFlying: YES

Pavement ants make their nests in or under cracks in the pavement. They can infest structures, eating almost anything, including insects, seeds, fruit, honey, bread, meats, nuts, and cheese.

Like other ants, pavement ants can contaminate food with their constant foraging. Though they are not aggressive, pavement ants can bite and sting and cause a general unease to those sharing the patio with them.

Pharaoh Ant- Monomorium Paharaonis

Color: PALE YELLOW to REDDISH BROWN with back end a little darker Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 2mm LEGS: SixShape: Oval Flying: No

Antennae: Yes, it ends in a club with three progressively longer segments

Pharaoh ants can lay 400 or more eggs in a lifetime with an egg reaching maturity in 38 to 45 days. Because they live in heated buildings in the Calgary region, the Pharoah ant continually breeds. Colonies grow as large as 2,500.

Because this ant is so tiny, it can nest in creative locations such as in laundry, furniture, and food. More commonly, it is found in wall crevices, behind baseboards, in garbage cans, light fixtures, etc. They are drawn to dark, warm areas near hot water pipes in bathrooms, kitchens, and hospitals. Pharaoh ants will create a trail and use it to forage.

They will be seen in lines, like little highways across floors, from their nest site to their food source. In areas such as hospitals, their small size means they can access wounds and sterile instruments. The result is a mechanical spread of infection and interference in the administering of drip medicines and electrical pulses.

Pharaoh Ant- Monomorium Paharaonis

Color:TAN/LIGHT abdomen BLACK/BROWN EYES Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 3mm LEGS: SixShape: Oval Flying: Yes Antennae: No

Unique Characteristics: Pronounce humped area behind the head

These flies are often mistaken for fruit flies, so pay careful attention to identifying factors and habits. Phorid flies tend to thoroughly disperse through buildings because they can develop on a variety of decaying materials, both plant, and animal.

A typical food source in Calgary restaurants is the damp, organic material that builds up in drains. Phorid flies are found in unsanitary conditions, and thus give evidence of a health concern. In a 3-4 week life cycle, a phorid fly will lay a few hundred eggs. With this in mind, a misdiagnosed fly will quickly result in an epidemic population increase, which can be both embarrassing and costly to eliminate.

Sow Bug- Armadillidium Vulgare

Color:LIGHT GRAYS Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 6mm – 1cm LEGS: Multiple Shape: Oval | Flat Flying: No Antennae: No

Sowbugs are crustaceans that live in damp habitats within the Calgary area. They feed on decaying vegetable matter. You will find them under dead leaves, rocks, boards, mulch, and other objects on moist ground.

Dark, damp areas of the house may become breeding sites for sowbugs. Evidence of sowbugs in the home routinely suggests there is a moisture control issue that needs correcting.

Spider- Araneae

Color:BROWN, BLACK, GRAY MIXTURE Region: Calgary, AB, Canada

Size: 1mm – 4cm LEGS: EightShape: RoundFlying: No Antennae: No

There are about 3,000 species in Canada, many of which are spiders that are common in Calgary. All spiders are predators, feeding mainly on insects. You can find them on siding and decks, in boathouses, children’s play structures, and dog houses in the Calgary area. Some spiders become nuisance pests around the home when their webs accumulate or gather dust and debris after the spider has left the site.

Because not all spiders remove or recycle their webs, their webbing tends to accumulate over time in unsightly tangles. These webs are sticky, matted, and are difficult to remove. Also, some spiders have a venom that is dangerous and uncomfortable for humans and animals.

Brown Recluse Spider- Loxosceles Reclusa

The brown recluse spider (Loxosceles Reclusa) is a poisonous spider that is light brown in color. It is about 1/2 inch in length, has a violin-shaped marking on the mid-section. While most spiders have eight eyes, the brown recluse has six. These spiders make irregular and sticky webs that they use for shelter rather than for trapping insects.

Female Black Widow Spider- Latrodectus Mactans

The female black widow spider (Latrodectus Mactans) is a poisonous spider in the Calgary area. It has a somewhat round, shiny black abdomen with red markings that resemble an hourglass on the underside.

BThe size of the body is around a 1/2 inch wide and 1 1/2 to 1 3/8 inches long. Five different species of the black widow spider are active in Canada. They generally live under rocks and fallen trees outside the home.

In and around the house, you’ll often find them in firewood piles, basements, crawlspaces, garages, and sheds. They feed on insects and other spiders that are trapped in their web. They are usually not aggressive spiders, but if handled or accidentally touched, they may bite.