Spiders are one of the most-feared pests in the home. There are more phobias about spiders than any other pest, and understandably so. If you get bitten by the wrong spider–a black widow or a brown recluse–and you have a bad reaction to the venom, you can end up in the hospital. And yes, there have even been some deaths associated with spiders (though fewer than you may think–only six per decade in the U.S.).
There are several things you need to know about pest control and spider prevention:
1. Don’t expect perfection in spider control. Although our products are effective in controlling spiders, spiders don’t readily pick up the pesticides. So, just spraying may not be the only defense you should use when controlling spiders. With their long legs, spiders keep their bellies well above the ground. So, sprayed insecticide residue on a surface will only touch their feet. But they don’t have a circulatory system that will carry the insecticide from the bottoms of their feet to the organs in their bodies.
2. So, you really have to make contact with spiders. Spiders are arachnids, not actually insects. True insects, like ants, roaches, and wasps, use their mouths to groom themselves, so they end up eating insecticide that gets on their feet, legs, and bodies. But spiders don’t routinely use their mouthparts to clean themselves. Also, most spiders spend their entire lives sitting in webs (a non-treated surface). So, spider control needs to be a “contact kill.”
3. There is one exception to #2: If you use a pesticide spray on the surface of a crack that a spider goes in and out of, such as between a baseboard and the carpet, or a piece of wood trim around a window, the spider’s body will likely contact the spray and the pesticide could be effective.
4. The best way to control running and jumping spiders at home is to control their food sources around the house. Spiders eat other insects, so reducing the other insects around your home will reduce their food sources, and spiders will be less interested in hanging around. Most spiders also like to hang out near light sources, which help them capture flying insects that are attracted to light.
5. So, to get rid of spiders, get rid of your other bugs. Crack and crevice treatment with insecticides provide effective control (we do this!), but you can also use glue boards or sticky traps (we can do this, too!).
6. The sticky trap, or glue trap, just captures spiders. If they walk through the trap, they die. But you can’t cover much surface area with a trap, so you have to place them where the spiders are most likely to come to them. The most effective places to put glue traps are in dark, quiet areas. A closet is a good example, or between a bed and a wall, or by any piece of furniture. These are all common spider travel areas.
7. Glue traps also can point you toward the source of the infestation, enabling you to discover how the spiders are getting into the house. If you have 6 spiders trapped on the left side of a glue trap, then look toward the left, along the wall, and check for an opening like gaps around or under a door or non-aligned wall socket. If it’s a crack that you can caulk, do so.
8. Spiders are essentially loners; they aren’t social insects living in big groups, like ants or bees. As predators, they like to operate on their own and not share their food. So, it is often just as effective to whack a spider with a shoe or a newspaper as to spray them.
At Hilton Head Exterminators, we work hard to control spiders just as effectively as other pests. During a routine pest control service, if our technicians see any webs on the interior or exterior of your home, we get rid of them with a web brush. We apply product around base boards and in any cracks we find as well as all around the exterior foundation to ensure the best coverage and protection. With Hilton Head Exterminators, you can rest easy knowing your home is protected from these web-spinning creatures! Call our offices today to get started with our regular pest control service – (843) 632-5049.