How to Get Rid of Spiders

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As with any pest, spiders are not welcome inside your home. They can be extremely beneficial outside, eating many common pests, especially those that will destroy your garden, but some can be dangerous to have around your home. To get rid of spiders, you have to clear your space, find and patch entry points, and bring in professionals (if you’re facing a full-blown infestation).

Over 50% of people in the United States have negative reactions when seeing a spider, so keeping them out of your home is a priority for many Americans. 

There are a few things you can do to help keep spiders out of your home, but the best way to ensure they stay out is to enlist the help of a trained professional.

Ways to Get Rid of Spiders

• Remove clutter: Spiders like to hide in household clutter. Removing their favorite hiding spots can help make your home an attractive place to live.
• Sweep or vacuum: Make sure to sweep or vacuum any egg sacs and webs you find. A single egg sac could hold 200 or more baby spiders.
• Use peppermint oil: Spiders and many other pests do not like peppermint. Spray a mixture of peppermint essential oil and water around your home to keep spiders away. This also has the added benefit of keeping your home smelling good!
• Cover external vents: Use mesh to cover any outdoor vents so spiders do not crawl inside.
• Clean up outside: Remove plants close to the exterior of your home and clean piles of debris. These are natural hiding spots of both spiders and their prey. Keeping them away from your home lowers the chances of them entering.
• Call professional spider exterminators. Professionals can identify and address the root causes of your spider problem.

What attracts spiders?

Spiders will enter your home looking for three things: food, water, and shelter. Understanding why a spider is attracted to your home will help you take preventive measures to keep them from invading. Spiders are attracted to:

• Food
• Moisture
• Shelter
• Light
• Warmth
• Clutter

Eliminating the things that attract spiders is the best way to get rid of spiders over the long term because it will stop the infestations from recurring. When you simply treat the infestation without treating any of the underlying factors, it’s much more likely that spiders will return.

For more information, be sure to check out our full-length article >> What Attracts Spiders?

Ways to Keep Them Out

Since many people have an aversion to spiders, most will do everything possible to keep them out of their homes. Keeping spiders out of your home can be difficult, but there are a few easy things you can do to keep your home spider-free.

• Check objects before bringing them in: Spiders like to hitch a ride into your home from objects that have been outside, and even second-hand furniture. Checking the belongings you bring into your home can stop you from bringing in unwanted guests.
• Repair screens: Holes in window or door screens are an easy way for spiders and a variety of other pests to get into your home.
• Find and fix any holes: Seal any cracks or holes, like those for wires, on the outside or foundation of your home where spiders may enter.
• Seal entry points. Even the smallest gap can welcome spiders indoors. Use caulk for small cracks and steel wool for larger openings.
• Control moisture levels. This includes fixing leaky pipes, using dehumidifiers, and getting proper ventilation in bathrooms and basements. 
• Get rid of other pests: A spider feeds on a variety of other pests you may have in your home. Since a spider will enter your home looking for food, keeping other pests away will also keep spiders away.

Eliminate Flies to Eliminate Spiders (7 Tips to Get Rid of a Fly Infestation)

One good way to get people to stop raiding your pantry is to stop storing their favorite foods in it. Similarly, if you want spiders to find somewhere else to go, stop stocking one of their favorite foods in your house: flies. Spiders love eating flies, so if they know your home is a good source of them, they’re going to stay there for as long as possible.

Here are some good ways to get rid of flies in your home, and with them, spiders:

1. Keep a lid with a good seal on your kitchen trash. Flies live and breed in trash, so this will go a long way toward controlling the flies in your home.
2. Fruit flies often get inside your house via fruit from the supermarket. If you put fruit in your fridge, instead of the counter or table, it will prevent fruit fly eggs from hatching. Don’t worry – this won’t prevent your fruit from ripening.
3. Seal all exterior trash cans to limit fly breeding opportunities.
4. Fungus flies often make their homes in potted plants that are outside. If you bring those potted plants inside, make sure to treat the soil to kill any fungus fly eggs that may be present.
5. House flies, mosquitoes, and gnats are small enough to wriggle into your home through your screens, especially if they’re in disrepair. Maintaining your screens will help keep flies outside where they belong.
6. Keep doors open as little as possible because flies often buzz in right through them like they were invited.
7. Replace exterior white lights with yellow, insect-resistant light bulbs.

Getting Rid of Spiders for Good Starts Here

Understanding why spiders enter your home and what you can do to keep them out goes a long way to keeping them out of your home, but the best way to keep them out for good is by using a trusted pest extermination company. 

The expert technicians at Rocket Pest Control understand that keeping your home pest-free is of the utmost importance. Give us a call today for a free quote and keep spiders out!