Seeing one spider in your home might not be so bad. You fetch a glass and a piece of cardboard, scoop it up and move it back where it belongs – far away from you!
However, if you’ve got a spider infestation, you will probably see more than one spider. In fact, there might be dozens all around your home that you can’t see right now. That’s a pretty scary thought!
The good news is that you can make your home less enticing for spiders. Here are five common reasons spiders move in, and what you can do about it.
Causes of Spider Infestations
A spider infestation is the last thing anyone wants, but there are actually some pretty simple reasons why they might have chosen to move into your home. Here are five common sources, and how you can prevent them from causing a spider infestation.
1. Food Sources
Spiders need to eat too, and they usually like insects and other small critters. So, if you have a pest problem in general, you might also end up with a spider problem. Figure out how to get rid of the common food sources for spiders in your home, and they’ll probably choose to make their home somewhere else.
2. Extreme Weather
Whether it’s excessive rain and flooding, extreme heat or even smoke from fires, extreme weather can drive spiders indoors. Try to keep your doors and windows closed when there’s an extreme weather event or invest in screens that can keep spiders and other fleeing creatures out of your home.
3. Cluttered & Unused Rooms
Spiders like peace and quiet. Which means they usually make their home in places that don’t see a lot of movement. If you have cluttered storage rooms attached to your home, they’re very likely where the spiders are setting up their homes. Clear out storage rooms frequently, and never store junk and recycling in storage areas attached to your home.
4. Plants and Compost Around the Home
Since spiders generally don’t like to be seen and disturbed by people, they usually look for cover when they make their way into your home. If you have lots of plants or a compost heap near your home, that will provide the perfect opportunity to get into your home unseen.
To avoid creating an easy path for spiders, move the compost heap away from your home, and trim or remove large plants that are next to your home.
5. Hitching a Ride
Sometimes, you might unwittingly bring spiders into your home yourself. It might be something you bought from a garden centre or hardware store, or second-hand furniture that came out of someone else’s shed.
Before you bring those kinds of things into your home, inspect them carefully outside. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to make sure there’s nothing hitching a ride when you do bring it into your home.
Fix the Problem First
Unfortunately, once you have a spider infestation, it becomes a little harder to take any of these actions to keep spiders out! If you think you already have a spider problem, find a local pest control company to get rid of the spiders that are already in your home before you get started.
