What control methods are available to deal with spiders in your home ?
1. Regular cleaning: Keep your home clean and clutter-free. Regularly vacuum and dust to remove spider webs, eggs, and hiding places. Pay attention to corners, ceilings, and other areas where spiders tend to build their webs. Immediately empty the vacuum cleaner and dispose of the bag outdoors.
2. Seal entry points: Inspect your home for any gaps, cracks, or openings that spiders can use to enter. Seal these entry points with caulk to help prevent access.
3. Remove outdoor debris: Clear away any outdoor debris, such as woodpiles, leaves, or vegetation, that may attract spiders to your home. Trim shrubs and plants away from the exterior walls to reduce their hiding spots.
4. Use spider repellents: Apply spider repellents or deterrents in areas where spiders are commonly found. These can be in the form of sprays, natural oils (like peppermint or citrus), or commercially available spider repellent products.
5. Reduce insect population: Spiders are attracted to other insects as a food source. Minimize the presence of insects in your home by using screens on windows and doors, fixing any plumbing leaks, and keeping food stored properly.
6. Move Spiders to New Homes: This method may not be for anyone squeamish about spiders, and it definitely should not be tried if there’s any likelihood you are dealing with a seriously poisonous spider. But for gentle-hearted homeowners, it is possible to carefully and gently trap a spider in a box or jar and move it somewhere that makes it less of a nuisance. Moving to the garden or to an abandoned shed, barn, or other building will allow the creature to continue its insect-hunting ways without bothering you or your family. Be aware, however, that the spider may well seek another warm indoor spot once the winter approaches.
7. Treat Cracks and Crevices: Spraying with chemical pesticides is very effective with spiders. Focus with treating the cracks and holes through which spiders pass with a residual pesticide designed for spiders. There are several spray and powder products sold as Ant-and Spider killers will work, but it will take patience and repeated application.
8. Organic Pesticides: There are a variety of organic, non-toxic products that will help in your battle against spiders. Most of these products are based on peppermint oil or another natural substance.
9. Sticky Traps: A variety of sticky traps are available to trap spiders and other pests. Most of these products do not contain any attractant materials, but a spider that sees flies or other insects struggling in a sticky trap will likely check it out. You will need to set plenty of these traps around your house; focus on areas where you have seen spiders passing through.
