Do you suspect that your home has a spider infestation? Are you getting concerned about the increased spider sightings in your house?
If you know spiders, you also know that they like keeping to dark and secluded areas. If you sight more spiders around your home, it may mean that you’ve got a spider infestation. This can be a terrifying thought, especially if you’ve got arachnophobia.
Below, we’ve listed down the biggest signs that you have a spider infestation. We also included some tips on how to keep spiders from making your house their homes. Continue to learn more.
1. Top Sign of a Spider Infestation: There Are a Lot of Cobwebs in the Home
One of the biggest signs that you have a spider infestation in the house is the presence of cobwebs. It can be frustrating to remove these sticky spider webs from your home, especially if they’re in high places. Also, they can make your home seem like it’s ready for Halloween anytime.
Cobwebs can also make a home look more rundown and old. You’ll observe most spider webs appear in unused places, like the attic or basement. Cleaning up the webs can be difficult too, especially for people with allergies.
Over 50 million people in the US have or experience allergies each year. Most people’s allergies get triggered by pollen or dust. Often, this occurs during cleaning season or when pollen levels are high.
It can be a health risk if you have to keep removing those pesky spider webs from your house. If you must keep clearing the corners, basement, or attic of spider webs, you may have an infestation. If the webs don’t get rebuilt after a few weeks or months, you might not have a spider infestation.
2. You Spot Spider Egg Sacs
Have you seen small balls made of spider silk lying around your home? Did you know that these silk balls are spider egg sacs, each containing up to 100 eggs? Seeing spider egg sacs around your home is a definite sign of a spider infestation in the house.
If you haven’t seen them yet, you might think, “Where can one find these egg sacs?” You can find them in the typical places where spiders like to live. Check under the eaves of the house, underneath cabinets and tables, and inside boxes.
Most egg sacs get attached to spider webs. Other spider species carry their egg sacs around the house with them.
Don’t wait for those spider babies to hatch and infest your home any further.
3. Unexplained Bites
One of the most common reasons people want to get rid of spiders is that they fear getting bitten by them. Arachnophobia is one of the most common fears in people. One of the biggest drivers of this fear is the worry of getting bitten.
Since some spiders are poisonous, this fear of arachnids is understandable. However, you must realize that spiders don’t bite when threatened. What if you observe unexplainable bite marks on your hands or feet?
When you have an infestation, the spiders will spread out throughout your home. Some may live in your closet, shoe rack, or basement. When you go to these places and move things around, you may disturb the spiders living there.
Yet, know that this isn’t only a sign of spider infestations. Keep in mind that a lot of other insects and pests can bite you, like mosquitoes, bed bugs, mites, and fleas. If you see a lot of unexplained bites, your home is most likely hosting other pest infestations, too.
4. You Observe the Presence of More Insects
A spider infestation may also indicate that you’ve got other pests living in your house.
Remember that spiders are hunters, so they’ll go where their prey lives. If there are a lot of flying insects around your home, they’re likely going to invite more spiders. The types of insects that spiders often use as their food source include the following:
- Flies
- Wasps
- Bees
- Ants
- Mosquitoes
- Earwigs
- Moths
- Fleas
Often, the spiders that create webs are the most likely to live in your home. Wandering spiders may also get attracted come to your house.
These wandering spiders are often larger. Since most of them can’t create webs, they prey on crawling insects, including cockroaches and beetles.
5. You Notice Unnatural Cracks or Tunnels
As we mentioned, spiders like living in hidden and unused places. As much as possible, they will hide in a dark, isolated, and damp or humid space. This means that attics and sheds often attract spiders.
If they can’t find hiding posts to turn into their habitat, they will make them instead. For example, they’ll look for cracks and crevices in your walls. They’ll enter these gaps and use them as their new homes.
If your home has a lot of cracks in the walls in isolated spaces, then you may have a spider or other type of pest infestation.
6. You See Spiders More Often
Finally, call for spider control experts when there are spider sightings in the house. Seeing a few spiders out in the open can be a sign of a large spider population in your home. You never know how many more are hiding in the dark, unseen corners of your home.
You may also see a lot of dead spiders appearing on window sills, corners, or closet floors. Spiders like to live in solitude and don’t often mix well with other spiders. When they meet other spiders, they’ll often get into battle mode and fight for their lives.
This means that the spiders you see curled up and dead are often the unfortunate victims of much stronger ones. If you see a bunch of live or dead spiders around the house, it’s time to consider spider removal. We’ll discuss below how to remove spiders from your home.
How to Get Rid of Spiders
Once you see one or all of the signs of spider infestation we listed above, you must act fast.
One of the surest ways to drive out spiders is by calling for a pest control service. A professional pest removal service will use safe measures for spider removal. Since the presence of spiders can signify other pest infestations, pest removal services can also check your home for other pests.
Always try to make it a habit to clean your home often. Keep clutter from piling up, especially in rooms or areas you don’t often go to or use. Vacuuming your home often will keep spiders from sharing your space.
You must organize your home, as well. Keep clothes, shoes, and other things from piling on the floor. If you must store items, store them well by placing them in well-sealed boxes. Sealable plastic boxes are good options since spiders can’t get into them and make them their new home.
How to Keep Spiders Out of Your Home
You may also deter spiders from your home by using natural repellants. Tea-tree, citrus, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oils are good pest deterrents. They contain certain elements that irritate and drive away spiders and other pests.
Mix these essential oils with water and spray them around the home. They don’t only keep out spiders, but they also make your home smell nice, even for only a while. Plus, they aren’t as harmful as pesticides, which can affect your family’s health.
If your house is damp or has humid places, use dehumidifiers. Place dehumidifiers in your basements, cellars, crawlspaces, and attics. Spiders like moist places, so keeping moisture out of unused spaces will keep them away.
If you store firewood outside the home, place it at least 20 feet away from the house or shed. Doing this keeps spiders from hiding in the firewood and making it their home. The space between the firewood and house also keeps other bugs out.
Why You Need to Prevent Spiders From Infesting Your Home
Having one or two spiders in your home can benefit your home. Remember that they are your allies since spiders help with pest control. Spiders can also keep other more dangerous spiders out of your home.
However, a spider infestation can be terrifying and disadvantageous. Having too many spiders in the home can also become a source of frustration. It can be difficult to clean their webs out, especially if they rebuild them as soon as you remove them.
They can also be a source of restlessness. If you have intense arachnophobia, you can become paranoid in your home. This can lead to unnecessary stress, which can affect your life in a lot of ways.
Keep Your Home Spider-Free Today
Now, you know the signs of a spider infestation. As we mentioned, if you see one or more of these signs, you should work fast to drive them out. If you have arachnophobia, call for professional pest removal services.
To read more content related to pests and pest removal, check out our other guides now.
