Spider-Proof Your Home in 3 Steps

How to spider proof your home in 3 steps in Atlanta GA - Active Pest ControlIn addition to the many Halloween spider decorations you may be seeing in your neighbor’s yards, have you been noticing more spiders inside your home? Like many other types of pests, spiders start to make their way indoors when fall rolls around. Many are searching for a mate, and others are looking to escape the cooling temperatures outdoors in the Atlanta area. No one wants to deal with spiders in their home, which is why it’s important to know how to spider-proof your home. Read on for Active Pest Control’s top tips for keeping spiders outside this fall.

3 Ways to Keep Spiders Out

Although most spiders are completely harmless, few people want to deal with them inside their homes. Five ways you can prevent spiders from getting indoors this fall include:

  1. Seal any cracks in your home, doors, and windows. Patch up cracks, holes, and gaps to keep spiders from easily crawling inside.
  2. Keep a tidy, clutter-free home. Always store food in airtight containers to avoid insects that spiders will feed on. Clean your home to get rid of potential spider hiding spots.
  3. Trim back vegetation and landscape. Spiders are attracted to bushes, shrubs, woodpiles, compost piles, and more that may be found in your yard. Keep your grass mowed and all vegetation trimmed.

How to Get Rid of Spiders Naturally

There a number of all-natural ways you can prevent spiders. One of these methods is by scattering diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of your home. A fine layer of diatomaceous earth will kill any spider that crawls across it. Another natural spider repellent is using natural oils and vinegar. Peppermint, tea-tree, citrus, and eucalyptus essential oils are all known to deter spiders. You can fill a spray bottle with a mixture of 15–20 drops and water, and apply it to the cracks and corners of your home. All-natural methods aren’t proven to work every time, but may help reduce the amount of spiders in your home

Preventing Spiders in the Fall

Let’s face it: No one wants to deal with spiders inside their property. Even though most don’t cause harm, many people fear these insects and avoid all contact with them. If you’re noticing a large amount of spiders in your home and prevention methods aren’t doing the trick, it may be time to call in a professional. A company such as Active Pest Control can help eliminate spider attractants in your home to keep them out for good.

Nobody Likes Spiders

Do you like spiders? Are you thrilled when a spider slowly lowers itself down in front of your eyes as you are eating your breakfast? Are you glad when you are walking to the bathroom at two in the morning and you get a spider web across your face? Maybe you enjoy it when you look up and see a big spider sitting on the side of your baby’s crib? While there are actually some people who do like spiders, even love them, most people do not want these creepy critters living in their homes with them. Although lots of different spiders can get into people’s homes, today we will talk about the common house spider, some facts, and how you can keep them out of your home.

There are several different types of house spider, but we’re focusing this article on the most common house spider which is also sometimes called the American house spider. Here are a few interesting facts you may not know about the common house spider.

  • These spiders live in houses, which is where they get their name. But they don’t only live on webs in the corners of your ceiling. Sometimes they live inside walls.
  • Female common house spiders can be up to twice as large as their male counterparts, with the females growing up to 6 mm long.
  • These spiders have 8 single-lens eyes, and their body is divided into two parts called the cephalothorax and the abdomen.
  • You can tell you have house spiders, even if you don’t see the spiders themselves, by the presence of their webs.
  • House spiders will often spin several webs in various places before they make one in a place that is suitable to catch prey.
  • Even if you don’t see spiders inside your home, you may still have large numbers of them living within your walls if there is enough food for them there.
  • House spiders typically catch and eat anything from roaches to earwigs, and from mosquitoes to moths.

Although the common house spider will not bite you unless you accidentally bring it against your skin and it feels threatened, they are still no fun to have invading your home. And take note; if you do have these spiders, then you also have other pests since these spiders will not stay in a home without sources of food.

The fact is it is extremely difficult to get rid of house spiders because they tend to hide out in places that you can’t see or reach. Some are tiny. Some are very large. But all are a nuisance! And all are an indication that you have other pest issues.

There are some steps you can take to discourage pests from staying, such as sealing up food sources and keeping your home clean and dry, but to get rid of the common house spider and all of the “foods” they eat you need the help of a pest control company. With decades of experience and the most advanced equipment and training, the experts here at Active Pest Control can turn common house spiders into uncommon house spiders. Every time!

Spiders In Atlanta

Most household infesting bugs look for a place to hide when the temperatures drop. They squeeze in through ripped screens, torn shingles, damaged rooflines, and anywhere they can find a hole. Once inside, they search tirelessly for food sources to draw energy from, and drive you crazy while they’re at it.

With spiders there is good news and bad news. The good news is: spiders have a natural antifreeze that keeps them from getting chilled. They can easily live and crawl around your Atlanta home all year round without any need to escape the dropping temperatures. The bad news is: they have other reasons for wanting to enter your home–and no, it isn’t for the food. Knowing why spiders enter your home can help you exclude them and protect your family from accidentally getting bitten.

This might come as a shock to you, but spiders have no interest in biting you. They are not blood eaters. They prefer to eat nice juicy bugs. In fact, that is the main reason they enter homes. They are looking for some scrumptious delicacies to feast on. The more bugs you have in and around your home, the more spiders you will have. Period. The key to getting rid of spiders is to get rid of all those other household bugs. Hide food sources, seal trash cans, don’t leave fruit out to ripen on the table, put dishes in soapy water, replace exterior white lights with yellow insect-resistant lights, and keep your screens in proper working order.

While moving through your house, spiders will seek places to take cover–not from you, but from predators. Even a black widow and brown recluse with their nasty venom have critters that are willing to eat them. You might be surprised to know that wasps and praying mantis consider black widows a pretty good meal. That is why they seek places to hide, like boxes, clothing, shoes, and bath towels. Always be cautious when opening a box from your attic, shake clothing before putting them on, and be careful picking up anything that has been laying on the floor. Poisonous spiders hide under these things. This is especially true if you are in your yard where spiders roam freely. Use gloves when turning over rocks, sandbags, construction material, and other items lying on the ground. Poisonous bites happen when these spiders are brought into contact with your skin.

If you find spiders in your Atlanta home, call the Atlanta spider exterminators at Active Pest Control. The good news is they have over 40 years of experience protecting homes from invasive pests. And … there is no bad news.