Although spiders can be beneficial for keeping other insect populations in control around your house and most spiders are generally harmless, their presence in your home can be unnerving. Spider infestations can be troublesome and a nuisance in your life and the first step to taking care of the problem is to understand where spiders come from. Spiders frequently enter dwellings in search of food or shelter. Sometimes spiders can accidently be brought in from firewood that was stored outside or from the laundry that was hung out to dry. Spiders are attracted to dark spaces with little human traffic so they catch their prey in peace, making some basements and attics a perfect place for them to call home. Having a stable food source is also important for spiders when picking a place to stay, so sometimes controlling other insect populations may help reduce your spider population.
Knowing where to look for spiders is a good start, but managing their population is another battle. Inspect your basement, crawl space, and attic while looking for webs or even spider eggs. To help keep your house spider free, below are a couple steps we recommend
- Remove vegetation away from the perimeter of your house so they cannot hide there.
- Try and keep cracks in the outside walls and windows filled in to prevent them from entering.
- Try and keep spaces where spiders might be clutter free, like removing old boxes.
- Keep a tidy house since clean homes give spiders fewer places to hide.
If you do find webs or sacs, vacuuming them away can be an effective measure of removing them. Again, while these may prove to be effective in reducing the population of spiders, total exclusion from your home is nearly impossible. Also keep in mind that while most spiders are harmless, some are dangerous, so identification is important.
If you see an unusual amount of spider activity in your home, please contact Cooper for a free evaluation. Spider Treatment can be performed as a One Time Service, but it is also covered under the Home Traditional and Home Intensive quarterly maintenance services.
