04/21/2025
April showers bring May... SPIDERS!? 🕷️🕷️
Like most things in life, when it comes to spider prevention, timing is everything. And since now’s the time when most spiders crawl out of hiding, rehydrated and ready to hunt, now’s the time to act—before they get fully established and take over your deck, doorways, siding, and windows.
The following spider prevention strategies are all free, easy to do, and fairly effective for population control.
And as always, where prevention fails, we’re here to help. Just give us a call at (905)-433-7378 (PEST) or visit http://www.pestfreedurham.com to learn more.
6 WAYS TO STOP SPIDER INFESTATIONS & SAVE YOUR SIDING
TIP #1:
Turn off the lights at night. Outdoor lights attract flying insects, such as midges and caddisflies, which in turn attract spiders looking for their next meal. Where possible, shut them off at night, or consider switching to low-UV lighting.
TIP #2:
Clear webs early and often. By the end of April, large orb webs will start to appear around windows and back door lights. By May, you’ll see webs all over your property, especially if you live by the water. Clearing webs is a chore, but it does help control the population. For best results, use a vacuum or pressure washer, start early, and be diligent.
TIP #3:
Declutter cold, dark spaces. Clutter makes life easier for spiders, giving them excellent hiding spots and web-building opportunities. To reduce your risk of infestation, throw on a pair of gloves and clear out any cold, dark spaces, like sheds, garages, and under decks. Decluttering also makes professional treatments much more effective, so if prevention fails, you’ll already be ready for the next step.
TIP #4:
Seal entry points. Sealing obvious cracks, crevices, holes in weather-stripping, pipes, and air vents can help keep spiders from entering the home. However, this does not help outdoor infestations, and perfect exclusion is difficult due to spiders’ small size and climbing capabilities.
TIP #5:
Be careful with items stored in spider-prone areas. Many indoor spider problems start when someone brings spider eggs into their home without realizing. This happens often with firewood, but any items brought indoors from spider-prone areas can carry “hitchhikers,” so be vigilant.
TIP #6:
Experiment with natural oils. In one study by the Journal of Economic Entomology, researchers found chestnut and mint oil strongly repelled certain types of spiders (Fischer et al., 2018). Based on these results, it may be worth experimenting with these oils around possible entry points, outdoor lounge areas, and anywhere you want to keep spiders out.
Interesting side note: researchers ruled lemon oil to be completely ineffective, despite being the most likely to be cited as a spider repellent on Google!
GO PRO WITH PESTFREE
Where prevention fails, we’re here to help.
Our all-Canadian father-son team has over 40 years of combined experience in spider control, and as a small family business, we can solve your pest problems for a fraction of the cost of big brands.
Call (905)-433-PEST or visit http://www.pestfreedurham.com to learn more.
References
Fischer, A., Ayass, M., & Andrare, M. (2018). Natural compounds as spider repellents: Fact or myth? Journal of Economy Entomology, 111(1): pp. 314-318.
