Getting And Keeping Spiders Out Of Your House

You clean up spider webs from the corners of your ceilings and see spiders scurrying up the wall when you turn the bathroom light on. These eight-legged pests can quickly settle into a home. Here is why you see them in the house and how you can keep them from taking up residence.

Why Spiders Like Your House

Spiders seek out other insects in your house for food. One spider can eat roughly 2 thousand insects each year. The insects they'll feast on include:

• crickets
• cockroaches
• fleas
• flies
• silverfish
• other spiders

One way to keep spiders out of your house is to use pest control services to get rid of the other insects present. Without a food source, the spiders will move out. You can also make your house inhospitable for the spiders and prevent them from making your home their's.

Preventing Spiders from Moving In

There are several ways to keep spiders out of the house without using pesticides that may be harmful to children and pets.

Furniture polish - Dust with lemon scented furniture polish and the spiders will avoid those areas. Wipe down all wood surfaces including door and window frames.

Eucalyptus leaves - These highly scented leaves can be placed in clothes closets, cedar chests, cabinets and drawers to deter spiders.

Essential oils - Extracts such as cinnamon, citrus, rose and lavender can be sprayed wherever you see spider webs or the little pests themselves.

Water and rubbing alcohol - Mix equal parts of these in a spray bottle and apply around doors and windows to irritate the spiders and keep them out.

Chestnut oil and mint - Wipe this mixture on the inside and outside of door and window frames to prevent spiders from entering the house.

When a Pest Control Service is the Best Choice

If you see a spider that looks different than your run-of-the-mill house and garden spider, it's worth trapping them and asking for help from a pest control company. There are few poisonous spiders that will make a home in your house, but it's possible to see them. These include:

• Black widow - Small black body with a red hourglass spot on the abdomen.
• Brown widow - Brown body with a yellow or orange hourglass on the abdomen.
• Brown recluse - Brown body with a figure-eight spot on their neck.

Place glue traps wherever you've seen a strange spider. These traps are small boxes with a sticky surface inside that holds the insects. Once you've trapped one of these strange spiders, have pest control identify it for you and recommend the best way to get rid of them before a family member or pet gets hurt. Contact a company like Alliance Pest Management, Inc. for more information.