Control spiders, without the use of poisons.
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Spiders In The Home
Insights into why spiders come into a home,
and how to get rid of them.
Spots To Check
Spiders come in all sizes and can find their way into your home. When they are outside, they are beneficial, because they eat other insects. Spiders are always on the lookout for new food sources. When they enter the home and remain, it is because they are finding food sources, such as other insects or crumbs, and food left around.
A good vacuuming twice a week does wonders to help control pests in the home. Spiders love untidy rooms that provide all kinds of places to hide.
Check to make sure outside doors close properly, check that no windows without screens are left open. If screens are in place, check the screens, for holes, and proper fit.
Check around the foundation of the house for entry spots, check around vents; make sure they are sealed. Look for any space, that insects are able to enter into the home.
Before you bring boxed items, from the outside, or garage, into the house, check to make sure no spiders are inside. Cardboard is a wood product and spiders love cardboard.
Trapping Spiders
Rather than use poisons, you might want to try sticky spider traps. You can buy these flat sticky cardboard traps and place them out of the way under furniture. Spiders seem to travel near the walls, so a good location to place traps is along the walls.
Mice glue traps also trap spiders. You can also staple the traps (they are white and blend in) to ceilings and walls.
Lay a few in the attic, crawlspaces or under cupboards. Remember that the spiders may still be alive when you do the cleanup. You can find these cardboard traps at garden centers and hardware stores.
Spiders in The Kitchen Cupboards
To keep spiders out of kitchen cupboards, place whole cloves in a small container, like a bottle cap towards back of shelf. All insects hate the smell of cloves. This keeps your cupboards nice and spicy.
Spider Trap That You Can Build
Here is a spider trap of my own design. I built one, years ago and was amazed at how well it trapped the spiders. Spiders like to venture into cracks and dark cave type places. The spiders enter the can and eventually head downhill to explore further, once its legs touch the oil at the back of the
can it is quickly pulled into the oil, drowning the spider. The oil does not evaporate and will stay workable for a long time. I recommend empting the can with spiders, once a year. Sooner, if you have a big problem with spiders. Then all you have to do is add some new oil, (any oil will do) four or five tablespoons will do.
To build one of these traps you need a can, small board, block and some nails. One nail at the top of the can will do. Center the can on the board. Place a small block at one end to make one end of the can higher than the other, the oil stays at the lower level
See picture and nail in place. Add a couple tablespoon of motor oil and place in a secluded place in the basement. The motor oil gives off a faint amount of oil fumes which affects the spider. This trap presents no threat to pets. Place it where children will not be playing with it, they could dump out the oil and make a mess.
Home built spider trap
There are four species in the USA which are poisonous, black widow, brown recluse, hobo, and yellow sac spiders.
Note: Not all spiders have venom; some are "dry" and will not cause a serious bite.
This spider with necrotizing venom, is the cause of medically significant bites in the United States. Its bite rarely results in death.
The spiders, are distributed in the United States, from central Iowa, south to eastern Texas, and east to western Georgia, and the Florida panhandle.
Understanding Spiders
Spiders like to hide. Spiders love wood and cardboard boxes. Replace cardboard and wood storage boxes, with plastic containers.
Cardboard boxes and paper bags have glue that roaches and spiders thrive on and are often infested with eggs, ready to hatch.
Spiders do not like heat, spiders are cold blooded, as it gets hot outside, they will try to find ways to enter into your house.
Spiders have taste buds on the tips of their legs, and because they hate the taste of lemon it makes sense to dust your windowsills and doorframes with Lemon Pledge.
Bathrooms seem to be a favorite spot for spiders because a water source is available.
Remove unwanted vegetation and clutter away from the foundation of the house, to discourage spiders near the home.
If you like pets, get a cat, they love catching spiders and eating them, it’s natural for them.
Remember to shake out seldom-used sweaters, shoes and winter coats before putting them on, as this may be the home of a spider.
Most spiders' life cycle, is through the spring and summer, then die off in the fall.
Some spiders can live for a couple of years.
Spider’s eggs will hatch in the spring, and the life cycle will repeat
Spiders are attracted to places where food is in abundance. Spiders feed on other insects. Remove these insects and the spider cannot stay.
Lighted outside porch lights attract all kinds of insects and in turn attract spiders.
A regular light bulb is in the blue light spectrum that attracts bugs. Changing the light bulb to a sodium type bulb will help keep bugs away. Sodium type bulbs also use less power
As the season become colder, the spider’s next step is to enter the house under doors, open doors and open windows with no screens..
Spider Bites
Most spiders are not aggressive and bite only when they are protecting their eggs or when hurt such as being trapped against the skin inside clothing. If you are bitten, follow these first aid steps.
1. Use an antiseptic to treat the site of the bite, to prevent infection.
2. Apply ice to the site of the bite to reduce pain and swelling.
3. If serious symptoms develop such as increasing pain or swelling from bites of dangerous spiders, consult a physician.
If possible, bring the spider to the physician’s office. Effective antivenins are available, but most can only be used if the spider that inflicted the bite is positively identified.
Other Spider Solutions
To immobilize a spider, spray it with extra strength hairspray or Windex window cleaner. A vacuum cleaner works very well to suck them away.
Fresh chestnuts work to repel spiders. The pungent orange scent of hedge apples also repels the spiders. Spiders hate furniture spray.
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