One common site for Floridians is house spiders. They are unsettling and a nuisance to deal with even if you have a quarterly pest control contract in place. So why are you still seeing them? And what can you do to get rid of them?
House Spiders
One of the most common spiders that you are likely to see is, appropriately, called the house spider. Also known as the barn funnel weaver, they are most often yellow brown with diagonal stripes. They are also very small, typically under half an inch. They are known for building webs that are shaped like funnels, hence the name “funnel weaver.” They are unlikely to survive outdoors as they do not fare well in lower temperatures. This is why they seek out interior spaces to make their homes.
Why Am I Seeing Them?
House spiders typically look for spaces that are out of the way and in corners. They much prefer an attic or basement space. If you are seeing these house spiders more frequently, then it may be a good idea to have your home inspected by a pest control specialist. This is because spiders eat insects, so if there are more of them than normal, you may very well have an infestation of another type of pest that is drawing the spiders to your home. The good news is that most spiders do not bite, and relatively few are harmful to humans. However, we recommend finding out what type of venomous spiders are found in your area and what they look like, so you know which ones need to be promptly dealt with.
How to Get Rid of Them
The interesting thing about spiders is that their long legs carry their bodies in an elevated posture, so their head and abdomen is not dragging on the ground like most other pests. This means that if you use a poison-type bait to eliminate insects, spiders will not be bothered by it as their bodies will have very minimal contact with it if any. Instead, if you work on getting rid of the insects that spiders prey on, then you will be less likely to have spiders around by default. Some of the main ways to do so are:
- Examine the outside of your home for cracks or holes in the walls or around windows. Sealing those will keep unwanted pests from getting inside.
- Keep all yard debris swept away from your house. Ideally you would immediately rake up any leaves or branches and dispose of them in a tightly sealed garbage bag. If that is not immediately possible, at least keep the yard debris 20 feet from the side of the house.
- Trim any trees or shrubs so that no limbs are touching the side of the house. Leave a gap of at least 6 inches between shrubs and the side of the house.
- Vacuum frequently. You do not want any stray crumbs attracting pests to your home.
- Pay particular attention to dark corners and inside cabinets to remove any spider webs that may be present.
- Look for areas of standing water and work quickly to correct the issue, whether it is indoors or outside.
