There are a few pests that virtually no one wants to see inside their homes, and at the top of the list is spiders. In fact, the American Psychological Association has suggested that 40% of people have a real fear of bugs like spiders, so seeing one in your home and being terrified is not really a unique experience. And for some, that means a spider pest control plan is absolutely necessary, especially if you’re one of those people who are really afraid. What can you do to prevent spiders in your home? These tips can help.

  • Keep it Clean: Spiders love hiding out where you can’t see them. They’re the loners of the pest world, and the cleaner you keep your home, the less likely you are to have a spider problem in the first place. Make sure you declutter regularly and vacuum at least once a week. Don’t forget to run your vacuum hose up high where spiders might have built a web to hideout.
  • Lock It Down: Spiders have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is often outside. You can prevent that by taking a walk around the outside of your house. Any cracks in the siding or rips in the screens or other unsealed spaces are an invitation for spiders and other nuisance pests to walk right into your house. Seal everything you can to keep pests out.
  • Think About Lighting: Spiders don’t care about the light, but the bugs they’re hunting certainly do. You may want to turn off outdoor lighting so the bugs won’t be attracted to your home. If outdoor lighting is not negotiable, at least place the fixtures well away from doors and use bulbs that are less attractive to insects.

It may also be useful to know what you’re looking for. Sure, you don’t want any spiders, but understanding which ones are truly dangerous and which ones are simply on the lookout for a good meal could help. While there are 58 different types of spiders in Florida, there are two you may want to know well thanks to their danger. The brown recluse spider is a pretty easy one to spot. It has a dark brown violin shape on its back, and you won’t really see any hair on the spider itself. You will probably only see this spider in your attic or in a storage space.

The black widow spider is the other type you’ll certainly want to know well. There are two types in Florida – the southern black widow and the northern version. Both types have red dots on their abdomens, and an hourglass type marking. No matter which type bites you, though, they’re pretty equal in terms of danger.

Most of the other spiders you’ll find in your home are pretty harmless. Wolf spiders are incredibly common, and while they resemble the brown recluse, they have hair on their bodies. They don’t weave webs. Instead, they’ll hide out in a darker, moist area like your basement. Funnel weaver spiders are pretty common as well, though they’re less likely to come into your home. They, too, look a bit like the brown recluse, but they have hair and weave a really tangled web that looks like a funnel.

You could also find American house spiders inside, and they look just like you’d expect – spindly-legged with silvery cobwebs. Harvestmen and cellar spiders, sometimes called daddy long legs, are also pretty common, but won’t harm people. Jumping spiders may appear on your screen doors, and you can tell they’re around because they move in quick little jumps. They’re usually less than an inch, and some are brightly colored. Yellow Sac spiders are also incredibly common, especially up high. They are usually a pale color and they eat other spiders as well as different kinds of pests.

Even if you’ve tried various methods of spider prevention and it hasn’t worked, don’t worry. We handle spider control on a regular basis. Call us today, and we’ll not only deal with spider removal, but we’ll help you make sure they don’t come back.