Finding a random spider in your house really isn’t that big of a deal, but when you start seeing spiders more frequently, you know it’s time to do something about the little pests. After all, they aren’t welcome, and it’s time they figured that out. The problem is, aside from squashing them or carrying them away from your house, you’re not sure how to protect your home from spiders.
So how do you get rid of spiders in your house? Don’t worry, it’s easier than you might think. You can do a lot of things on your own to rid your house of spiders and prevent them from coming into your home. Here are 5 steps to help you get rid of spiders in your house:
Step 1: Find Where the Spiders are Coming From
The first thing you’ll want to do to get rid of spiders in your house is to find out where they’re coming from. Are they carried in with your produce? Crawling in through gaps or cracks? Or are they attracted to other insects in your home? Take some time to figure out the most likely pathways for a spider to enter your home.
Once you know how the spiders are entering your house, find ways to block them out. For example, you could try washing your produce before entering the house or caulking the cracks and gaps in your home. Doing these things should help keep more spiders from entering your house.
Check your doorways and windows as well. You might find gaps that are letting spiders into your house. Try adding weather stripping if you do find gaps, or put screens in your windows to help keep the spiders and other insects out of your house.
Step 2: Remove Spiders’ Food Sources
When you’re wondering how you get rid of spiders in your house, it’s time to start checking for other insect infestations. Spiders don’t really like people, and they don’t eat human food. Other insects, however, might like hanging out around your food storage, garbage cans, or even your light sources. These insects are what the spiders eat, so spiders are drawn into your home by the promise of food.
Check around your home for other insects. Move your garbage cans away from doors so insects are less likely to enter your home and draw spiders with them. Make sure your pantry and food storage are stored properly so insects can’t and won’t get to them. Kill insects or take them away from your home.
Spiders don’t have a reason to enter your home if they don’t have a food source. Getting rid of their insect food sources will help diminish the spider population in your home. You’ll likely still find a random spider here and there, but the infestation should shrink.
Step 3: Clean Your Home Thoroughly
Once a spider enters your home, it’s going to look for a dark, quiet place to hang out where it won’t be disturbed. It will probably head for dark storage closets, stacked boxes, and other similar places.
Cleaning your house will help keep the spiders out of sight, but it’s good to clean in the corners and storage areas regularly as well. One of the best ways to rid your home of spiders is to vacuum up webs, egg sacs, and the spiders themselves. This will kill the spiders and prevent more from showing up.
Dispose of cardboard that isn’t being used as well. Some spiders like to live in cardboard, and a pile of cardboard could be hosting several spiders at a time. Piles of flower pots, chairs, and so on outside your house can also be places where spiders like to hide and those spiders may be more likely to enter your home later if they catch onto any insects living in your home. Keep these stacks clean and organized or move them away from your house so the spiders stay away too.
Step 4: Take Preventive Measures to Keep Spiders Out of Your House
After clearing out the spider problem, you’ll want to find ways to keep the spiders from coming back. Be careful choosing which methods you use to keep pests out of your home because some chemicals can be harmful to children, pets, and even yourself.
Some safe and natural ways to keep spiders out of your home include growing plants that spiders don’t like (lavender, eucalyptus, or mint are good options) and concentrated saltwater that will help kill spiders and keep them away. You can also try spraying homemade spider repellent sprays, like a mix of water and vinegar. For a more intense spider repellent, you could try a mix of essential oils like this article recommends. Spiders also don’t like citrus smells, so you can use the juice, oils, or peels to help ward off spiders as well.
When you use a spray or citrus smells, spray or rub it around doorways, windows, cracks, and any other places that spiders commonly hang out in your home. If you pot plants that repel spiders, place those plants in these areas as well. Any and all of these should make a difference in keeping spiders away.
Step 5: Use Home-friendly Spider Pest Control
How do you get rid of spiders in your house? You’ve tried homemade preventions and are still seeing more spiders than you’d like to? Homemade spider preventions can be helpful, but it isn’t as strong or reliable as professional pest control.
The best way to keep your home spider-free is to use a combination of homemade preventions and professional pest control. Choose your professional pest control carefully to make sure that none of it will be harmful to your home, family, or pets because switching spiders for harmful chemicals isn’t a better option.
Home is your most important place, and it’s important to keep it safe from even small dangers like spiders. So don’t be afraid to use all your resources – professional and DIY – that make your house the home you need it to be.