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Spider issues aren't difficult to deal with. There are several ways to eliminate them from your home.
December 28, 2021
23 min read time
This information is reviewed by an independent pest control expert.
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There are many spider species on earth, most of which are not dangerous to humans. Nonetheless, they are a sight for sore eyes.
If you have a spider infestation at home and don’t know how to get rid of them, I suggest you keep reading.
In this article, I’ll be giving you useful tips on how to get rid of spiders.
Table of Contents
Spiders are 8-legged creatures that feed on bugs such as earwigs, cockroaches, moths, flies, and mosquitoes.
They spin webs that serve as their homes and lay their egg sacs. The webs are also traps for the bugs they intend to eat.
These webs are often spun around the high corners of ceilings and tree branches. When they are away from their webs, you can find them around damp areas. Under the kitchen sink is one of such places, especially if it has a leaking pipe.
They aren’t particularly dangerous to humans, but they are nuisance pests. Their webs make your home look horrid.
These pests prefer crawling along wall surfaces and often hide in-between the cracks in them. There are about 3,000 species of spiders in the United States alone.
Spiders are 8-legged creatures that feed on bugs such as earwigs, cockroaches, moths, flies, and mosquitoes.
They spin webs that serve as their homes and lay their egg sacs. The webs are also traps for the bugs they intend to eat.
These webs are often spun around the high corners of ceilings and tree branches. When they are away from their webs, you can find them around damp areas. Under the kitchen sink is one of such places, especially if it has a leaking pipe.
They aren’t particularly dangerous to humans, but they are nuisance pests. Their webs make your home look horrid.
These pests prefer crawling along wall surfaces and often hide in-between the cracks in them. There are about 3,000 species of spiders in the United States alone.
They aren’t difficult pests to get rid of, and you can do it all by yourself.
Knowing their attractions is the first step to learning how to get rid of spiders.
Like all other pests, some things can attract spiders into your home. Food is a significant factor, but so is moisture.
If you have leaking pipes, be it under the kitchen or toilet sink, spiders will be attracted to it.
Besides needing the moisture themselves, they can also find other insects around those damp areas. These insects serve as food for spiders.
Another thing that can prompt a spider to enter your home is harsh outdoor weather. If it gets too hot or cold outside, spiders often seek shelter indoors.
They can make their way in through cracks in the attic, pipes, or open windows.
They like dark and secluded areas, so piles of wood, cardboard boxes, or old books can also attract them.
Spiders usually have no interest in harming people and would only bite if they are threatened.
However, most domestic spider bites aren’t dangerous. All spider species have venom, but they are mostly fatal to prey insects and not humans.
Not to say there aren’t any dangerous spiders, because there are. The black widow, brown recluse, and the funnel-web spider all have hazardous bites.
If a spider ever bites you, then identifying the species would help you determine what kind of treatment you will need.
If a less venomous spider bites you, the first thing to do is to wash the bite area with soap to clear the venom. You can use ice to press the area to ease the pain. You can also use essential oils for immediate treatment at home.
If you’re bitten by a more venomous spider species like the brown recluse, the first thing you need to do is call a doctor.
You can also use antivenin and other antibiotics to neutralize the venom and disinfect the bite area before getting to the hospital.
There are many ways to prevent spiders from coming into your home. Let’s take a look at them one by one.
1. Seal Off Entry Points To Your House
As we have already mentioned, spiders can seek shelter in your home if the outdoor weather conditions become unbearable. The temperature inside your home is ideal for them, and they will find ways to get in. They may also come in search of food and water.
Denying them entry in the first place is the best way to avoid an encounter with spiders. If you often leave your doors and windows open, chances are spiders, and other pests will enter your house. The solution to this would be installing mesh screens by all your windows to prevent spiders from coming in.
The screens should be tightly woven so the spiders won’t be able to squeeze through.
Occasionally, they can also enter your home through cracks in the walls and your attic. If there are breaches, spiders can crawl through and gain entry. You can use caulk to seal the cracks to keep them at bay.
Patch up or replace any broken pipes, especially the ones that lead straight into your kitchen or bathroom.
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2. Remove Hiding Spots And Food source
Spiders will make a home of your yard if it is filled with hiding areas. Compost piles and bushy areas are among their favorite outdoor hiding spots.
Remember, overgrown bushes and heaps can attract other insects to your home, and spiders may come looking for them. To make the area unattractive for the spiders, clear out deadwood heaps and trim your garden bushes.
The less junk and hiding spaces you have around your home, the less the spider population will be.
3. Reduce Outdoor Lights
Most insects are attracted to lightings, so a good remedy would be to reduce the amount you have outside your house.
Lighting indeed helps your house look better and improves visibility at night, but reducing the amount will keep the insect population away.
You can install your lightings farther away from your home. This will still maintain visibility at night but will keep spiders away. Another tip would be to turn the lights off when you want to go to bed.
You can also use yellow sodium vapor lights as they are less attractive to a spider.
4. Get A Bug Zapper
A bug zapper is an ideal weapon to use against spiders. Bug zappers are death traps for insects. They have built-in lighting that attracts them, and they are electrocuted when they make contact.
You can place the zapper outside by the patio and other possible entry points to keep them away from your home.
5. Remove Dead Insects
Spiders don’t mind eating dead insects.
Therefore, if you have any lying around your deck, you have provided a free meal for them.
Bug zappers can kill pest insects, and that’s a good thing. But it also means the dead insects will be lying all over the floors.
Be sure to sweep or vacuum the insects away each morning. Keep your deck and patio clean at all times.
This tactic alone wouldn’t ensure that spiders will no longer enter your home, but it will help reduce their population and help you get rid of them.
The less food your home provides, the more uninterested spiders would be.
There are several non-toxic spider repellents you can use to get rid of spiders. You may already have some of them in your kitchen or bathroom.
Below is a list of non-toxic ways to get rid of spiders.
White vinegar can be used as a spider repellent. You can pour some vinegar into a spray bottle and apply it directly across the areas where the spiders are most active. These would include the windows, walls, under the sink, and across the ceiling.
Spiders do not like the smell of vinegar. Although you may find the smell offensive too
Peppermint oil is a much better spider repellent than vinegar, especially for those who are particular about sweet-smelling fragrances.
Peppermint oil is an essential oil that has an appealing smell to humans, but spiders hate it. You can sprinkle some drops of peppermint oil around their active areas to drive them off.
You can also add some to a pot of water and boil it. The steam will carry the scent all-around your home, and it will keep the spiders uncomfortable. On the other hand, you can also pour the solution into a spray bottle applying it in relevant areas.
This is a two-in-one win for you. In the first place, the oil gives your home a nice smell and secondly; it drives spiders away at the same time.
Another natural spider repellent is citrus. These include oranges, lemons, and lime. Spiders hate the smell of citrus and would stay as far away from it as possible.
You can get some lemon peels and squeeze the juice around the house. Make sure you apply across the areas where the spider nests and across their favorite crawl surfaces.
Citrus also has a pleasant smell, so it won’t bother you.
There is hardly an insect on Earth that can stand the smell of garlic. It is perfect for humans because of its medicinal properties, and it can also be used to drive pest insects away. Garlic contains sulfur, and it can be used to repel spiders.
You can buy garlic powder and mix in some water, then pour it into a spray bottle. Shake it thoroughly to blend it well before you spray around the web areas and other crawl spaces.
After the water has evaporated, the powder will remain. Spiders won’t come near any area that is laced with garlic.
You can also get some garlic cloves and crush them into a paste. Thoroughly mix with some water and sprinkle around their favorite areas.
If the spiders have already made their way into your home, eliminating them is the only option.
Follow the tips below.
1. Use Insecticides
This is one of the quickest yet the most effective ways to get rid of a spider.
A chemical-based insecticide will kill spiders in a matter of seconds after contact. They usually come in spray cans and can be applied directly to the spiders. You can also spray into the spaces in the infested room to kill the spiders.
You have to be careful when you spray chemical-based insecticides. They are poisonous to insects but aren’t good for humans either.
Put on a pair of rubber gloves to keep your fingers from making contact with the insecticide. A face mask would also be useful to keep you from inhaling the content.
Keep everyone out of the room that you’re spraying. Also, keep the spray bottle away from the reach of children and pets after use.
2. Bug Zapper
Like other insects, spiders are attracted to lights, and bug zappers have bright built-in lights. Unfortunately for the spiders, the zappers also electrocute them when they make contact.
If you have an indoor spider Infestation, you can install bug zappers in the areas of Infestation. It is a safe and effective way to eliminate spiders.
3. Swat Them
This is another method you can use to disinfect your home from house spiders. Strike them with a fly swatter as you spot them. This will kill them on the spot.
You can sweep them up or use a vacuum to dispose of them.
4. Vacuum
Get a mini vacuum cleaner and suck them up when you see them. You can also use the vacuum to get rid of spider webs.
Make sure you go all around the house and keep your eyes up in search of their webs. It would help if you also visited the attic in search of them. Ensure you always keep it clean and free of hiding spots.
Suck up all the webs you can find. Also, place the vacuum in front of all the cracks you can find since they are fond of hiding in such spaces.
Keeping your environment clean generally helps reduce spider populations.
Glue traps can catch spiders and other pest insects. They are small boards that are dry on one side and have glue on the other. Place the glue traps along their favorite crawl spaces to catch as many spiders as you can.
This isn’t the most effective form of spider control, but it helps reduce their population.
5. Call Pest Control
If you have a phobia for spiders and have no intention of coming close to them, the best way of eliminating them would be to call a professional pest control service to help you with the spider problem.
This will cost you more than a DIY approach, but working with professionals is very useful.
Pest control professionals are experts. Therefore, they would have no problems handling spiders in your home. Even though this would cost more than a DIY approach, many people still favor it.
On the other hand, the DIY approach would cost you less, but if you’re not an expert in pest control, you may not be able to handle a full-blown spider problem.
Spider issues aren’t difficult to deal with.
There are several ways to eliminate them from your home. Maintain a clean environment and seal entry points. You can also use natural deterrents against them. I hope this article on how to get rid of spiders has been helpful.
Take care!
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