Now that October has arrived, you might be hanging up your Halloween decorations. But some of the spiders around your home are trying to “help” a bit too much! While they might add to the spooky ambiance, you might feel unsettled when you find spider webs around or inside your home (the real kind, anyway). Here’s what you need to know about spiders, and what you can do to discourage them.

Most spiders won’t hurt you. There are only three species of venomous spiders in the US: The black widow, the brown recluse, and the hobo spider. Fortunately, brown recluses are indeed reclusive. You might find them nesting in unused areas of your home, like attics or storage areas, but they typically won’t move right into the main living areas of your home. Black widows and hobo spiders can be more aggressive, however.

Since these spiders can deliver toxic or even deadly venom, you definitely want to eradicate any infestations that you find around your home. Call us for pest control services immediately if you believe venomous spiders are nesting in your home. But since most other house spiders don’t bite, or deliver only harmless bites, it’s up to you if you want to let a few stick around for “pest control”. Orb weavers and other such spiders look scary, but their webs can actually catch other insects that venture up to your porches and patios.

Regardless of their minor pest control benefits, most people feel creeped out by spiders and want to get rid of them. So here’s what you can do to discourage them from taking up residence in or around your home:

  • Reduce clutter. Spiders like to hide, so don’t give them their ideal environment.
  • Seal up cracks and crevices that offer easy entry to your home.
  • Inspect boxes and bags of items before bringing them into your home – especially items that have been sitting in storage for a while.

If insects are a regular problem around your home, spiders will likely want to set up shop near this easy food source. Give us a call to discuss year-round pest control maintenance, so that we can address all manner of creepy crawly pests around your home.