HOW TO KILL SPIDERS SEVEN DIFFERENT WAYS
Spider control isn’t always necessary unless you have poisonous spiders, a problematic population or a full-on spider infestation. At these points, a pest management professional is necessary. If you simply want to learn how to get rid of spiders in households like yours before it gets that far, here are the seven best ways:
1.SUCK IT UP.
Spider control begins with sanitation, and that starts with you. Vacuum routinely and thoroughly. Vacuuming will remove spider webs, egg sacs and spiders from your home. Any spider that’s sucked up will die instantly. Their soft body structure can’t handle the trauma. Pay special attention to any cracks and the corners of all rooms in your home. If you can't reach an area, use a broom. Remove cobwebs both old and new. You can tell the difference because old abandoned webs collect dust, but may still have egg sacs on them. Be sure to remove clutter from attics, garages, closets and basements.
2. DRY THE FLY SUPPLY.
Spiders don't like human food, and luckily, they don't like humans. What they do like are other arthropods and insects. And just like humans, spiders die if they don't get food. A good way to control a spider infestation is to cut off their food supply. Keep fitted screens on all windows, and make sure they are in good repair. If you have other bug and insect problems, work with your pest management professional to eliminate points of entry. Practice good sanitation and food storage techniques. Wipe down any areas insects may travel to eliminate the possibility of pheromone trails.
3. SPIN YOUR OWN WEB.
Learning how to kill spiders doesn’t always have to be so much work. Instead of trapping food in their webs, you can catch the spiders in your own "web" with sticky glue traps. These traps are often used for rodent and cockroach control, but work on spiders as well. Lay the traps throughout your entire home, including closets, basements, garages and attics. Baseboards, corners and other heavy spider traffic areas are perfect locations for traps. The more traps you lay, the better your spider control becomes. However, you should use caution when placing traps and ensure that they are located out of the reach of children and pets.
4. PRIDE IN YOUR OUTSIDE.
Don’t neglect the property around your home. Make it less friendly for spiders by removing clutter such as rocks, wood and compost piles. Caulk all cracks in your home’s foundation to eliminate points of entry. Seal windows with fitted screens and all doors with sweeps and weather strips. Clean window shutters regularly and power-wash any cobwebs off your home. Eliminate cardboard boxes and debris in storage areas, sheds or crawl spaces. If you have a garden and all goes well, the spiders will relocate there – the one place you want them to be. Spiders keep harmful bugs at bay, plus, they don’t eat plants. The only spider control you need to keep your ‟green thumbs” safe during weeding, planting or harvest is a water hose to knock them off the plants. After you’re done, they’ll get back to protecting your garden from pests that can ruin your harvest and bloom.
5. PUNCH THEIR LIGHTS OUT.
Bugs love light and spiders love bugs, so it makes sense that if you want to learn how to get rid of spiders, you should rethink the way you light your home. You can reduce the amount of outdoor lighting you use to diminish the number of insects and bugs drawn to your home. You can also replace existing lighting with sodium vapor lights or yellow lights. These are less attractive to bugs, so if your neighbor has bright flood lights, they just inherited your problem. If you must have bright outdoor lighting, try to place the actual light source (i.e., the bulb and fixture) away from doors and windows. It’s fine to shine the light wherever needed, but if the source is right at your door, spiders will set up shop there and the bugs that make it past them will come into your home to feed your house spiders. The insects that spiders love to eat are also less attracted to homes with dark siding, as opposed to white siding.
6. SPIDERCIDE.
It’s always best to let pest management professionals handle any insecticides, but if you are going to try to figure out how to get rid of spiders on your own, do it safely. Always follow all instructions and heed all warnings on the product’s label. Residual insecticides can be applied to places where spiders like to breed, such as corners, attics, basements and garages. Barrier treatment around your home’s foundation is also effective. Total release foggers are not very effective for spiders, but slow release (microencapsulated) formulations and wettable powders are.
7. GET THEM WHILE THEY’RE ALONE.
If you aren’t dealing with a spider infestation, you don’t necessarily have to learn how to kill spiders in some strange and unique way. A good old-fashioned squashing with your shoe will do, as will a rolled-up newspaper or magazine. If you don’t want to smear the wall – or prefer to spare the spider’s life – place a jar over the spider and then slip a piece of paper between the jar’s opening and the wall, counter, etc. This seals the spider in. Keeping the paper in place, flip the jar over so the spider is at the bottom, then walk him outside and set him free. Just make sure your home’s points of entry are sealed off or you may find that he liked the hearty meals and gentle checkout service your establishment provided and will be back to visit soon.
If this seems like a lot of work, it’s because it is. Spider control and management is not a quick fix. It’s an ongoing effort, especially with spider infestations. Take the easy way out and call Terminix®. Not only do we know how to get rid of spiders, we are backed by more than 90 years of experience and come with a money back guarantee*.
