While it may be spooky season, we’re willing to bet you’d prefer spiders to stay out of your house. But as the weather gets colder and the days shorten, your abode is exactly where they want to be. This time of year is when you’re most likely to see an eight-legged intruder in your home.
So how do you keep the outdoors out?
“Spiders are much like us,” explains HGTV star and gardening expert Chris Lambton. “They enter our homes in search of food, water, and shelter. Your house also provides safety and a safe place to reproduce.”
While that may sound unnerving, Lambton says a little prevention can go a long way in keeping your home sealed from spiders and other bugs. We asked him and entomologist Josh Matta about what that looks like and how we can do it ourselves. Read on for what they had to say.
Eliminate entry points.
One way to keep creepy crawlies out of your house is making sure they can’t get in. Doors and windows are obvious entry points best kept sealed up tight, Lambton advises, but don’t forget cracks in the walls and ceiling or holes in screens.
“Check seals and weather stripping around doors and windows, and caulk any openings you might find,” says Matta. “Also, remove outdoor wood piles and cut back on climbing vines and overgrown shrubs around your house so spiders can’t use them to access your home.”
Keep your house tidy.
Simply put: The messier and dirtier your home is, the more appealing it is for bugs. Stacks of cardboard, unswept corners, and cluttered cupboards and storage areas give spiders ample spaces to conceal themselves, according to Lambton. Ousting those issues makes your house less inviting.
And, Matta says, if you have a problem with another type of insect, like gnats or ants, you’re more likely to see spiders in your home. With that in mind, be careful about letting fruit become too ripe in your fruit bowl (so you don’t attract fruit flies) and keep the lids on your garbage bins closed (so you don’t tempt flies). He says it’s also a good idea to “remove any visible webbing outside and inside, especially around windows and corners. Just be careful in places that black widow, brown recluse, or hobo spiders are known to infest.” If you do get bitten, seek medical attention immediately.
Deter and exterminate.
You’re not alone in your desire not to cohabitate with critters, so various brands have sought to create tools to help you keep them out. One is EarthKind’s Stay Away Spider Repellent, a pouch containing citronella, lemongrass, and rosemary (smells spiders don’t like), which you can put anywhere you suspect spiders might lurk to drive them away. You can also try Mighty Mint, a spray largely made of peppermint oil, another smell spiders don’t care for.
Another, perhaps more heavy-duty, option is HotShot’s line of insecticide and bug-killing products. It’s possible to use the sprays as a deterrent or as a way to immediately exterminate spiders, ants, roaches, or any other bug. For each, reapply or replace when the scent has completely faded away (every 30 to 60 days).
If you’d rather opt for a more natural or cheaper solution, consider spraying equal parts vinegar and water around potential entry points, or try rubbing the peel of an orange on your windowsills and doorways. As with the ingredients above, arachnids aren’t fans of the odors.
