Regular inhabitants of dusty and forgotten corners, spiders are major nuisances in your home.
Common house spiders are regulars indoors, while wolf and brown recluse spiders can easily invade from outside, usually setting up shop in your garage or basement.
Keep reading to learn more about how to prevent spiders in basement areas. With these tips, you can potentially reduce the number of creepy crawlers that sneak in every year!
Whether you’ve seen one crawling across your floor or come face to face with a spider dangling from a web, it’s never fun interacting with these eight-legged critters. Spiders can show up anywhere in your home, from your living room or those old storage boxes in your garage!
Common house spiders usually prefer to live inside our homes, but it’s not uncommon to see other spiders milling around, like wolf spiders, brown recluse spiders, or orb-weaving spiders.
But why are they even in your home in the first place?
Spiders typically head indoors for two reasons: shelter and food. Like other insects or animals that invade our home, spiders will waltz in our front doors if the weather outside is harsh or if we have enough food.
Hot or cold, spiders will come indoors to create their intricate webs or look for a place to rest. These pests aren’t necessarily more active in your home during the winter, as they can withstand frigid temperatures, so you may see them year-round.
Indoor spider infestations are widespread if prey insects of other food sources live within your home. Spiders regularly feast on common indoor pests like cockroaches, moths, earwigs, or silverfish.
Basements are often rife with creepy critters like silverfish, pillbugs, centipedes, or crickets. Some termite species may reside in your basement alongside other insects or spiders.
You shouldn’t let these pests take over your basement! Check out our top tips to prevent spiders from inhabiting your basement and convince them to hang around elsewhere.
If there are enough pests to pass around, spiders won’t be too keen to leave.
To get rid of or prevent spiders, we suggest focusing your pest control efforts on eliminating any potential food sources. If you’re noticing an uptick of spiders, there’s a good chance other pests are already infesting your basement.
You can try many store-bought options to remove an existing insect infestation. From sprays, gels, and baited traps, your possibilities are limitless. However, remember that only some things on the store shelves are created equally.
Many baits contain borax or boric acid. While these products can swiftly remove stubborn insects indoors, they can also make you sick if consumed. Avoid placing these products anywhere your children or pets can access them.
The insect infesting your basement or home also may determine the type of pest control method you should use. What works for ants or silverfish may impact termites or cockroaches differently.
Reputable pest agencies like Zunex can quickly identify and eliminate the pests taking over your basement, making your spider pest control more manageable!
Don’t forget that spiders must gain access to your home to breed and begin an infestation. Spiders may sneak through these slim openings to reach your basement if you have any exterior holes that lead indoors.
Even if these crevices don’t lead into your basement space, spiders can still travel from the central portion of your home to the downstairs areas for food. Any open space can similarly attract other pests the spiders want to eat.
Look around the exterior of your home for noticeable crevices. Spiders can crawl through air vents, holes on your roof, or spaces caused by plumbing or other outdoor piping.
For any minor cracks you can see, try applying caulk, concrete, stucco, or plaster to the affected areas. Anything larger than a hairline fracture may require additional help from a trusted contractor. Check out this article for more information about DIY homecare!
Spiders can also squeeze through these openings if you have gaping windows or openings under your doors. Consider using window insulation or door draft stoppers to keep out the cold breeze and prevent spiders from coming indoors.
If you have already found spiders indoors and want to know how to prevent spiders in basement areas, consider placing sticky traps on your basement floor or anywhere you’ve seen spiders roaming.
Wolf spiders are notorious hunters who will crawl around your hallways, kitchens, garages, and basements, looking for their next meal. Many homeowners spot dozens of these pests living it up in their basements each year.
Sticky traps differ from traditional glue traps. Instead of the thick, heavy glue used in mouse and rat traps, these traps use a sticky adhesive to capture wandering insects and arachnids.
Keep in mind that these traps can’t eliminate the spiders indoors unless you catch them all at once. These options will help take care of the pests until you can try other pest control methods.
Like the rest of us, there are a few smells that make spiders turn their nose up at. It may even make your basement smell great too! Here’s another way how to prevent spiders in basement spaces.
Spiders tend to shy away from vinegar, eucalyptus, or citrus scents. Vinegar and citrus cleaners can keep pests and other spiders from infesting your basement area, while essential oils like eucalyptus can be a great-smelling pest repellent.
Read this article for more information about spider repellents in your home and basement.
While these options may aid in spider prevention, only proven pest control can truly keep these pests at bay. Try contacting a reputable pest control agency like Zunex Pest Control to nip any spider problem in the bud!
Contact us today to learn more or set up an appointment!
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