No one likes finding a spider lurking in the corner of a room, but if you’re spotting them often, chances are your home may be more inviting than you realize. There are many ways you may be attracting them to your home without even knowing it. Understanding what entices them helps you take the right steps to keep them out. Here are some of the factors that attract spiders to your home:
Food Sources
Unlike most other pests, spiders aren’t attracted to leftover food or crumbs—they’re attracted to the insects that are. Spiders don’t scavenge for human food because they feast on other insects. Wherever there are small insects, spiders are never far behind.
If your home has food sources for flies, ants or other small insects, you may be unknowingly creating a buffet for spiders. To cut off their food supply, store leftovers in airtight containers, clean up crumbs and avoid leaving dirty dishes with food remnants in the sink. Making your home less attractive to insects scavenging for human food also makes it less appealing to spiders.
Warm, Dark Corners
When it’s cold outside, spiders look for warm, cozy places to take up shelter. Your home is the perfect place, as it offers plenty of hiding spots. You’ll often find them in attics, basements and undisturbed corners of closets or other storage rooms. Keeping doors and windows properly sealed and reducing clutter can help limit the places spiders can settle in.
Damp or Moist Conditions
Spiders are often found in areas of the home with high humidity or excess moisture. Think of rooms like basements, crawl spaces and bathrooms. Leaky pipes, standing water and poor ventilation can create the perfect environment for them to thrive. To avoid attracting spiders, address any moisture issues by fixing leaks, using dehumidifiers, ensuring proper ventilation and removing any sources of standing water.
Outdoor Lighting
Bright outdoor lights may keep your home well-lit at night, but they also attract a variety of insects—and where there are insects, spiders are likely to follow in search of their next meal. To minimize this, turn off outdoor lights when they’re not needed, use motion sensors or timers, or switch to warm-tone bulbs that are less attractive to insects than bright cool-toned ones.
Tall Grass or Bushes
Spiders are always in search of the safest route to enter your home. They often make their way indoors by traveling through overgrown grass, tall shrubs and other vegetation near your home’s exterior. Reducing the number of hiding spots for spiders outdoors is key. Keep your lawn well-manicured, trim down bushes and clear out piles of leaves or other debris to avoid giving spiders an easy route.
Entry Points
Even the tiniest gaps around doors, windows and vents provide spiders easy access to your home. Sealing these entry points with caulk or weatherstripping can go a long way in keeping them out. Regularly inspect the exterior of your home for any small openings and repair damaged screens or siding to further prevent unwanted visitors.
Keep Spiders Out for Good
By eliminating the factors that attract spiders to your home and sealing off entry points, you can make your home a less inviting place for these pests. However, if you’re dealing with a persistent spider problem despite your best efforts, it’s time to call the pros. Professional pest control technicians can identify problem areas around your home and implement effective solutions to help keep your home spider-free.
Have you tried everything but still can’t seem to keep spiders from entering your home? Pro-Staff is here for you! Give the Omaha pest control pros a call at (402) 819-7378 or contact us online for a free quote.
