How To Get Rid Of Spiders
There are pests that are harmful and many that are harmless, but all types of pests sometimes like to make their way into your home. Granted, not all of us like to share our space with creepy crawlers or those eight-legged friends we call spiders. Knowing how to get rid of spiders in your home is the first step in preventing them and helps you refrain from jumping at the sight of them.
Will I see more spiders during the cooler months?
Spiders are unable to produce their own heat, therefore they are dependent on environmental temperatures for survival. During the cooler months, you can expect to see spiders (and several other types of pests) trying to move indoors in order to stay warm. If they can’t find their way indoors, it’s common for them to “hunker down” by building themselves a silk sac or to nest underneath rocks or leaves.
Why are spiders hard to get rid of?
Spiders are either found in their webs or hidden in cracks and crevices making them hard to spot and ultimately hard to get rid of. Their webs can also be difficult to find or reach.
Common Places to Find Spiders
There are several areas inside your home where spiders will migrate to keep warm and undisturbed…
- Underneath furniture
- Inside storage items (such as cardboard boxes)
- Baseboards
- Window moldings
- Ceilings
- Closets
- Sink cabinets
Spiders can also be found in your garage, shed or barn.
Common Household Spiders in the Cooler Months
Brown Recluse
· Tan to dark brown color and about 1/4 to 1/2 inches in length
· Identified by a dark brown violin shape on their back
· Will bite if it feels trapped
· Can be found in almost any undisturbed area – more commonly in boxes, paper, clothing and shoes
· Bites can take three or more hours to develop and about three weeks to heal
· If bitten, keep an eye on the bite and symptoms – this spider’s venom can cause severe allergic reactions
House Spider
· Yellowish brown with dirty white abdomen and several dark stripes meeting at an angle
· 1/8 to 3/16 inches in length
· This spider gets its name because it’s usually the spider most often encountered indoors
· They are more of a nuisance pest, as they do not pose a threat to humans
· Most likely to spin a web in upper corners of ceilings, under furniture, in closets, angles of window frames, basements, garages and crawl spaces
Long-Bodied Cellar Spiders AKA “Daddy Longlegs”
· Six to nine millimeters in length with long skinny legs and a small body
· Pale yellow to light brown or gray in color
· These spiders are considered a nuisance pest, as they do not pose a threat to humans
· You can typically find this spider in dark and damp places including corners of eaves, windows and ceilings in cellars, basements, crawlspaces and garages.
INTERESTING FACT
You may have heard that this spider’s venom is one of the deadliest but that their short fangs keep them from injecting it into humans. BUT, today, there is no research proving this to be true.
Wolf Spider
· Usually dark brown in color with paler stripes or markings
· 1/4 to 1 3/8 inches long
· Spiders are typically dormant during the winter season, but this type of spider stays active even in the coldest of temperatures
· Wolf spiders will enter structures in search of prey – they aren’t inclined to be permanent residents but once inside, they often stay
· Can often be found near the floor level along walls and underneath furniture
How to Get Rid of Spiders
One of the easiest ways to immediately get rid of spiders is to use a vacuum cleaner. By doing so, you’re not only getting rid of the spider but also its web and any eggs. After you have vacuumed, we recommend that you empty your vacuum cleaner into a trash bag and dispose of outside your home.
If you find a spider nearby and don’t want to kill it or use a vacuum, you could scoop it up with a glass or your hands and then release it outside. Always release the spider at least 10 feet away from your home so it does not sneak back inside.
Tips to Prevent Spiders
There are several things you can do to prevent spiders from entering your home, including:
1. Use yellow lights instead of white lights. Yellow lights reduce the numbers of spiders and other insects that are typically attracted to white lights.
2. Use a dehumidifier in basements, cellars and crawl spaces. Most spiders thrive in moisture. By having a dehumidifier, you are removing excess moisture and humidity in the air – making your space less ideal for spiders to live.
3. If you have firewood outside, store it at least 20 feet away from your home and on a raised structure. By doing so, you are deterring spiders from hiding in it.
4. Inside your home, keep your clothes and shoes from piling up on the floor. This type of clutter is the type of place spiders look to hide.
5. When storing things in your basement, garage, attic or other dark areas, use tightly sealed plastic boxes. By doing so, you are preventing spiders from making that storage box their home and even from reproducing.