Some pests can be harmful, but a majority can be harmless, but all sorts of pests like to make their way into your Edwardsville, Illinois home. Most of us are not fans of sharing our space with creepy crawlers or those eight-legged pests we call spiders. Learning how to get rid of spiders from your home is the first step in preventing them and helps calm your nerves about them.
Will I start to see more spiders during the colder months?
Spiders are a type of pest that cannot produce their own heat. This means that they rely on environmental temperatures for their survival. During the colder months, you can expect spiders and other pests to move indoors to stay warm. However, if they cannot find their way indoors, it is common for them to “hunker down” by creating a nest or a silk sac underneath rocks or leaves.
Why are spiders so hard to get rid of?
Spiders typically are hiding in cracks and crevices. These spots are hard to find, which makes them hard to get rid of. They also are located in webs. However, their webs are typically up high, making them hard to reach as well.
Common Places Where Spiders Are Found
Several areas in your Edwardsville, IL home where spiders may migrate to be undisturbed and to keep warm include:
- Closets
- Sink Cabinets
- Window Moldings
- Underneath furniture
- Inside storage items (including cardboard boxes)
- Ceilings
- Baseboards
Spiders are also commonly found in sheds, barns, and even garages.
Common Household Spiders in the Colder Months
Brown Recluse
- Dark brown to tan in color and about 1/2 to 1/4 inches in length.
- A dark brown violin shape on their back makes them identifiable.
- They can be found in almost any undisturbed area- commonly found in shoes, clothing, paper, and boxes.
- Brown Recluse bite if they feel trapped.
- If a Brown Recluse bites you, keep an eye on the bite and any symptoms you may have. These spiders produce venom that can cause severe allergic reactions.
- The bites from these spiders can take three or more hours to develop and about three weeks to heal entirely.
House Spider
- Yellowish-brown with a dirty white abdomen commonly has several dark stripes that meet at an angle.
- They are around 3/16-1/8 inches in length.
- These spiders get their names from being commonly encountered indoors.
- They are not a threat to humans and are considered to be mere nuisances.
- They are commonly found spinning a web in the upper corners of ceilings, in closets, under furniture, in basements, garages, crawl spaces, and even in the angles of windows.
Long-Bodied Cellar Spiders AKA “Daddy Longlegs”
- These spiders range from six to nine millimeters in length and have small bodies with long skinny legs.
- Light brown to pale yellow or even gray in color.
- These spiders also do not pose a threat to humans and are considered to be a nuisance.
- These spiders are most commonly found in dark and damp places. This includes garages, crawlspaces, basements, cellars, ceilings, and windows.
Wolf Spider
- Usually, dark brown in color and have paler markings or stripes.
- 1 3/8 inches to 1/4 inches long.
- Spiders are generally dormant during the winter season, but the Wolf Spiders are active even in the coldest of temperatures.
- Wolf Spiders will enter areas to search for food- they usually do not plan on becoming residents of indoor spaces. However, once inside they often do not leave.
- They are usually found near the floor level underneath furniture or along walls.
How to Get Rid of Them From Your Home
The easiest and most simple way to get rid of spiders immediately is by using a vacuum cleaner. By using this method, you are not only getting rid of the spider, but you are also removing its web and any eggs that it may have left behind. After you have vacuumed, we recommend that you make sure you empty out your vacuum cleaner into a trash bag and dispose of it in your outside waste management.
Another method to get rid of these pests if you do not want to kill them or use a vacuum is by scooping it up with your hands or a glass and releasing it outside. This method is effective; however, make sure you are releasing the spider at least 10 feet away from your home, so it does not sneak back inside.
Tips to Prevent Spiders
There are several tips and tricks that you can do to prevent spiders from entering your home, including:
- Use a dehumidifier in cellars, crawl spaces, and basements. Most spiders typically thrive in moisture, so by having a dehumidifier, you are removing excess moisture. This makes the space no longer ideal for these pests to live.
- When storing things in your attic, garage, basement, or other dark areas, use boxes that can be tightly sealed. This prevents these arachnids from making these storage containers their homes.
- Inside your home, make sure you keep your clothes and shoes from piling up on the floor. These types of clutter are great places for spiders to hide.
- If you have firewood that you store outside, make sure it is at least 20 feet away from your home or a raised structure. This deters these pests from hiding inside it.
- Use yellow lights instead of white lights in your home. Yellow light reduces the number of arachnids and other insects that like white lighting.
If you have any difficulty dealing with spiders or other pests make sure you contact us at Imel Pest Control today!
