Spiders Begin Seeking New Homes for Fall

As summer comes to an end, the spiders that have been enjoying the season outside will look indoors for the fall season in search of prey. Here are some helpful tips on how to best protect against spiders from entering your home.

Spiders aren’t all bad, as they do provide a form of natural pest control by catching insects for food, but their presence and their webs can be a nuisance and undesirable in the home. Large infestations and certain species of spiders, such as Black Widows and Brown Recluse spiders should only be handled by a professional pest control company.

To help prevent spiders from moving indoors once their summer vacations are over, follow these tips from the National Pest Management Association (NPMA):

• Keep garages, attics and basements clean and clutter-free. Most spiders seek out secluded, undisturbed areas where they can build a web to catch their next meal, so an attic or basement that has been left unused over the past season could be harboring these pests out of sight. Avoid leaving clothing and shoes on the floor and consider storing them inside plastic containers.

• Seal any cracks or crevices around the home. Spiders can crawl into homes through damaged window screens or cracks in the siding and foundation of a home.

• Inspect items such as boxes of decorations and grocery bags before bringing them indoors. Packages are often left on the front step when delivered, and groceries might be placed on the driveway while unloading. These are opportunities for spiders and other pests to crawl onto bags and boxes and be carried inside.

• If a spider bites you, contact your primary care physician for medical advice. Species such as house spiders and cellar spiders pose no health threat to people. Other species such as black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders do have the ability to pierce the skin and inject venom. Their bites cause varied reactions in people, but are very rarely fatal with proper treatment.