Common Mistakes Homeowners Make To Attract Fall Spiders
It is not uncommon to hear that fall weather means fall pests. But, usually, the pests we hear about are mice, ticks, and occasional invaders such as ladybugs. How about spiders? Do they also come crawling along our walls to find shelter from the cold? The short answer is no—but the reasons for their invasions aren’t that far off. As the weather cools, certain insects that spiders feed on tend to start coming inside homes in an attempt to survive the harsh, cold outdoor climate. Spiders typically follow their food, which means when a spider’s food source moves into your home, so do they.
Many people are starting to think about the holiday season, often forgetting about the threat of spiders entering their homes this fall. Spiders will take advantage of this forgetfulness and invade homes that haven’t taken the proper precautions against them. Here are a few mistakes homeowners are making when it comes to unintentionally attracting spiders into their homes.
Failing to Seal up Your Home
Spiders are capable of fitting into the tiniest of cracks and gaps within your foundation, under your doors, and between your window frames. Many people don’t inspect their homes for the areas where pests could be getting in. Failing to repair torn window screens or holes in your walls will most definitely lead to a spider infestation.
Leaving Outdoor Lights On
While spiders themselves are not attracted to light, many of the insects they feed on are. A mistake as simple as leaving your lights on outdoors—especially at night—could attract several insects to your windows and ultimately into your home. Spiders will be quick to follow.
Giving Spiders Areas to Hide In
If you've ever let random junk pile up on your floors or counters, you've probably also allowed spiders to have a better chance at hiding from you. Papers, old boxes, trash, and other clutter are perfect areas for spiders to hide, which will reduce the chances that you’ll notice them. This principle applies to the exterior of your home as well. Wood piles, leaf litter, and other brushes lining the outside of your home might be making your home more attractive to spiders.
When spiders come onto your property, they bring a number of issues with them, from simply being a nuisance to causing a potential danger to you or your family. Common house spiders and cellar spiders (also known as “daddy long-legs”) are typically only an annoyance to deal with, while the brown recluse spider can cause an extreme threat to your safety. That’s why taking preventative measures is so crucial when dealing with spiders. Cleaning the interior and exterior of your home, turning lights off at night, and repairing tears, cracks, or gaps where spiders could be getting in are all steps you can take to make your home less appealing to these eight-legged pests.
Preventing Spiders From Getting Into Your Home
It’s not possible for home remedies to prevent 100% of spiders from entering your home, but you can take some measures to help reduce the number of spiders that take up residence inside your Pittsburgh home. Many are inexpensive and easy to apply, and all of the following are non-toxic and natural means of preventing spiders:
- Peppermint Oil – Spiders hate peppermint! Fill a spray bottle with water and a few drops of peppermint essential oil and spray around the inside of your home. Your home will smell great, and the spiders won’t want to come in.
- White Vinegar – Fill a spray bottle with water and white vinegar and spray cracks and crevices around your home and your basement. It’s a natural spider repellent.
- Get a Cat – Cats will attack and get rid of any spiders they see crawling across the floor.
- Cedar Mulch – Put cedar mulch outside your home all along the perimeter to prevent spiders from coming inside. You can add cedar shavings to closets, drawers, and cupboards to prevent them from hanging out in there, too.
While it might be too late to prevent spiders from entering your home, if they’ve already invaded, it is never too late to contact professional help for your pest problems. If you’d like to keep your Pittsburgh home safe from pesky intruders.
Witt Pest Management can help with that. With our year-round pest control plan, you will never have to worry about spiders entering your home. Contact Witt Pest Management to keep your home protected with pest control in PA. If you have a pest problem that needs to be dealt with today, you can schedule our same-day services.