A spider infestation is one of the worst household pest problems you can experience as a homeowner. They can get in small spaces and be hard to get rid of on your own.
But what causes a spider infestation in the first place? What attracts them to your home?
These are all legitimate questions and can help you fix a current spider problem or prevent one in the future. Keep reading to find out the causes of spider infestations and how you can prepare your home.
- Entry Points
If a spider has an access route, they’ll use it! So the biggest cause of spider infestation is an easy access point for the pests. Access points include open entryways, cracks in the foundation, or loose vents.
Spiders can also enter underneath doors if the doors are not well fitted. The biggest issue with easy entry points is that a single spider could lay eggs causing a larger infestation shortly after.
The best thing you can do to prevent spiders in your home is to seal up any entry points. Check the foundation of the house and all the doors that lead outside.
- Plants in the Home
Household plants can add a nice decorative feel to a home, but it could also attract spiders. These little creatures may not know the difference between your houseplant and any other outdoor shrub or tree.
Spiders tend to hide in house plants and you may not notice them right away. If you can’t see them, they have the opportunity to lay eggs and again you could see an infestation rather quickly.
The best remedy for this situation is to remove plants from your home entirely. However, if you’d like to keep your house plants you can inspect them for spiders or hire a service to come and do a quick scan regularly.
- Unused or Uninhabited Space
Believe it or not, the spiders don’t want to be around you either. Which is why they tend to gather in unused spaces in your home. If you have a basement or attic that you rarely use, spiders may come and settle there because they won’t be disturbed by humans.
If you have rooms of your home that you don’t spend a lot of time in, spiders may flock to those spaces too. Keeping your home clean and vacuuming often can reduce the risk of spider infestation.
Even if you don’t spend time in a room, vacuum it anyway and get rid of any spiderwebs you might see while cleaning.
- Clutter
Piles of junk or clutter can be appealing to spiders. They find a safe place to hide where you won’t bother them as they form webs and lay eggs.
Remove clutter from your home and vacuum regularly to avoid spiders coming in or staying in your home. If you have an area of your home with long-term storage, make sure you clean the area to reduce the risk of spider infestation.
- Crumbs and Debris
A messy kitchen floor could be attracting spiders (and other pests) to your house. The little crumbs that pile up underneath counters or kitchen appliances could be the reason that you see spiders.
Other debris and dust in your home could also be attracting spiders. The best thing you can do to avoid this is to keep a clean kitchen floor and vacuum and dust on a regular basis.
- Bringing the Outdoors Indoors
The last thing you want to do is to bring a dangerous spider, like the Brown Recluse Spider into your home. But if you bring in firewood or a storage container from outside inside your house you might find that an unwanted guest has traveled in too.
You should be very careful when carrying items from outside. You should do a quick scan before bringing anything inside, especially if you live in a naturally wooded area or a place you know there are spiders living nearby.
If you have a pest control service you can ask them to inspect or spray the firewood or other outdoor spaces near your home. This will reduce the likelihood that a spider will come in unexpectedly from an outdoor item.
- Other Bugs
Spiders have to eat too. Any many varieties of spiders choose to snack on bugs that are smaller than them. If your house typically has other tiny bugs hanging around, it’s only a matter of time before the spiders show up too.
Again, keeping your house clean and bug-free is the best way to prevent spiders. You have to make your home less inviting by keeping away smaller pests that spiders like to eat.
- No Pest Control
Perhaps the biggest cause of spider infestation is not having reliable pest control services. Pest control offers preventive measures so that you never have to deal with spiders, bed bugs, mice, or any other unwanted pests in your home.
If you have tried your own DIY methods to get rid of spiders and it hasn’t worked, it’s time to call in the experts. Pest control can eliminate the current problems you’re having while suggesting preventive measures so that it never happens again.
They may also be able to tell you why or where the problem started so that you can take your own steps to making your home less inhabitable to spiders. You can ask them questions or express concerns you have related to home pests too.
Prevent Spider Infestation
After reading this article you should have a better understanding of what brings spiders into your home and how you can prevent it from happening.
Overall, keeping a clean home and having preventive pest control will go a long way to prevent spider infestations. Be diligent and keep your eye out for signs of pests so that you can take action before it’s too late.
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