Spiders are beneficial arthropods that prey on many pests, but some species like brown recluses and yellow sac spiders require special control measures. These include sealing cracks and crevices, reducing clutter in basements, closets, and attics, and reducing outdoor lighting that attracts these insects.
Proper food storage and cleaning, regularly clearing yard debris, and limiting indoor clutter are also important. Lastly, targeted insecticide spraying of crawl spaces and unused storage areas can help reduce these Poisonous Spiders In Kentucky.
Seal Cracks And Holes
Spiders are primarily insect predators and are attracted to insect pest populations that can cause structural damage, disrupt landscapes, and bite people. Consequently, eliminating insects can dramatically reduce the number of spiders around structures. Spiders that are attracted to insect pests often find their way into homes and buildings through cracks, crevices, and gaps. Sealing these entry points with caulking, weather stripping and insulation will significantly decrease the number of spiders inside.
In addition to sealing holes and cracks, a comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) approach should include a routine cleaning of the interior of homes and structures to reduce favorable harborage areas and regular inspection of exteriors to identify and treat problem spots for insect pests and other spider attracting conditions. Eliminating clutter inside and outside a structure also helps to deter spiders as does reducing secluded hiding places such as wood piles, sheds, stacks of firewood, or cluttered garages. Removing weeds and other vegetation that provides a shelter for rodents will also deter spiders.
Since venomous spiders are often attracted to people, prompt control is especially important. It’s essential to educate homeowners about the habits of these unwelcome houseguests so they can take steps to minimize their presence.
For example, black widow and brown recluse spiders are known to climb into uncovered windows and other open spaces in search of food or to escape from an attack by a predator. This type of behavior can be prevented by closing doors, shutting curtains, and keeping windows closed when it’s sunny outside.
While some people are tempted to use a fly swatter or even a rolled-up magazine to kill spiders, these methods are not effective. Spiders have a hard exoskeleton that resists light blows, and these elusive creatures are quick to hide in crevices where they can be difficult to see. The best course of action is to contact a professional for the safest and quickest removal.
A pest control technician can apply a residual pesticide around the perimeter of a home or building to further reduce spider numbers. This application should be followed by thorough cleaning to remove webs, egg sacs, and other debris. This may require sweeping, vacuuming, and the frequent washing of surfaces. In some cases, a dust or powder insecticide that can be applied to secluded areas of a property where spiders build nests and harbor may be necessary.
Eliminate Food Sources
Dangerous spiders typically inhabit dark areas indoors, such as attics and basements, where they are protected from sunlight and prey on a variety of insects. Their venom is usually used to capture and subdue their prey, but they may bite humans if provoked or unintentionally trapped. Bites from these spiders typically result in a localized area of pain, redness, and itching, but more serious symptoms can also occur, including nausea, a rash, cramping, or difficulty breathing. Those who experience these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.
To prevent the spread of poisonous spiders, it is essential to eliminate their food sources. This can be accomplished by regularly cleaning crawl spaces, attics, and garages. These unused areas often contain wood piles, rocks, discarded debris, and other potential habitats that attract spiders. These areas should be swept frequently and items stored in tightly closed containers or plastic storage bins with sealed lids. It is also important to wear gloves and clothing when handling firewood or moving stacked materials.
Inside buildings, spiders tend to enter through gaps around windows and doors, foundation cracks, and crevices where utility lines enter structures. Sealing these entry points with caulk and foam insulation can help reduce the number of spiders entering a structure. A regular inspection and maintenance program can also reduce the number of spiders that migrate into a building. This includes performing a thorough inspection of the interior and exterior of a building, identifying potential points of entry and spider species, and clearing away webs, egg sacs, secluded hiding spots, and other attractants.
In addition to reducing the number of pests that attract spiders, eliminating moisture conditions in and around a building can also help prevent their migration and build-up inside. Cracked window frames, leaky faucets, and other plumbing problems should be repaired promptly. This can also reduce moisture conditions that lead to mold, rot, and other damage, which can draw in spiders and their insect prey.
Another easy and natural method for deterring spiders is to use a natural plant-based product, such as cinnamon. Earthkind, a company that specializes in products that repel insects without killing them, recommends adding seven drops of neem, lavender, peppermint, or citrus essential oils to an empty 16-oz glass spray bottle and filling the remainder with water. This mixture can then be sprayed around the interior and exterior of a building to help discourage spiders and other pests from infesting a property.
Eliminate Nesting Sites
Spiders often establish their webs in dark, quiet areas such as corners along walls or ceilings and around windows and doors. These locations are attractive to venomous and non-venomous spiders because they provide protection, food sources, and harborage sites. Spiders that inflict bites, including the Black Widow, Brown Recluse, and Hobo Spider, will also seek out places like these to hide while searching for prey insects to hunt.
To prevent the spread of these spiders, pest control technicians should carefully inspect these locations to determine what conditions make a building more appealing to them and identify their prey insects. A careful inspection can reveal the actual source of the spiders and allow the technician to target the appropriate treatment solution.
During this inspection, the technician should search for spider access points, such as cracks and crevices in the foundation, gaps around windows and doors and vents, and under eaves and soffits. He or she should also look for the presence of spider webs inside the structure and in cluttered storage spaces such as closets, attics, and sheds.
Once these potential entry points have been identified, the technician should close up and seal them with caulk or weather stripping. He or she should also remove any overhanging vegetation that could serve as a hiding place for spiders and trim back shrubbery to eliminate potential habitats.
Inside the structure, the technician should clean out cluttered storage spaces and regularly move furniture to reduce the number of areas suitable for spiders to hide and breed. In addition, the technician should regularly remove cobwebs with a broom or vacuum cleaner to prevent spiders from building nests and laying eggs in those spaces.
In the yard, the technician should use a granular insecticide such as a liquid residual pesticide that contains pyrethroids or acetamiprid to kill spiders and their prey insects and to prevent them from seeking shelter in the home or other buildings. He or she should also apply a perimeter treatment to the exterior of the structure. When choosing a product, the technician should consider its odor, safety, and effectiveness in protecting spiders and other arthropods.
Apply Residual Pesticides
A few types of residual sprays and powders can be useful in treating spider infestations. Residual insecticides remain effective on the surface they are applied for a certain length of time, depending on the formulation (dust or liquid) and the type of surface to which it is applied. For example, dust formulations are used in hard-to-reach void areas of crawlspaces and attics to control spiders that would otherwise be hiding there. Some pesticides also have a very long residual, such as termiticides that are spread in the soil under homes to prevent subterranean termites from attacking. The longer the pesticide remains on the surface, the less it is likely to be leached or run into sensitive environmental waters.
Spiders are primarily insects, so a reduction in the food source for spiders and other pests will also make it harder for them to find shelter or nesting sites in or around homes. Eliminating conducive conditions that encourage spiders to live near structures, including the limiting of food, water, and shelter is essential for long-term spider control.
Most common household pests that are targeted by a wide range of insecticides—including cockroaches, beetles, ants, and flies—will also be targeted by the same types of chemical sprays and powders that are used to get rid of poisonous spiders. Broadcast spraying with these chemicals is rarely effective in controlling spiders, and should only be used to treat suspected infestations that have not responded to other control methods.
Another alternative is to use deterrents that repel or kill spiders without harming beneficial insects or people. Commercial products like Stay Away Spiders are available to do just that, and they emit a natural scent that is disliked by spiders but pleasant to humans.
While this is not a good method of getting rid of venomous spiders, it can help remove them from the house and prevent serious re-infestations. It is a good idea to do this in conjunction with reducing the habitats that encourage them to live around the home, such as piles of wood and leaf debris, and dark, undisturbed places to hide, such as foundation plantings and rock gardens.