Stopping Spider Break-Ins This Fall
In Houston and the surrounding area, the temperate climate gives spiders of all shapes and sizes the ability to be active most of the year. Spiders are resilient creatures that can tolerate the cold. But the food they eat, can't. When temperatures dip down into the 60s during the day and the 50s or 40s overnight, insects begin to grow dormant. That means spiders have to work harder to get a meal outside. This will have them accidentally getting into our Texas homes.
Most homes have spiders in them. That's just a fact of life. It is important to be clear about this. But we don't usually see spiders because they stay in our basements, our wall and ceiling voids, our attic spaces, and secluded locations from under our homes to the tips of our chimneys. Whether or not you see spiders is going to depend primarily on two factors: How many spiders you have in your home and how many insects you have in your common areas.
If you've ever had an outbreak of fruit flies in your home, you may have noticed wispy webs begin to appear in the upper corners of your kitchen. That's because the common house spider loves those tasty fruit flies. And the abundance of food in your kitchen brought those spiders out of hiding. That is how it usually works. The spiders go where the food is.
Factors That Attract Dangerous Spiders In And Around Your Houston Home
While many of the spiders that you’ll see around your Houston home are simple nuisance pests, others can be far more dangerous. Some of the spiders that can be a harm to your well-being include the brown recluse spider and the black widow. These spiders are anti-social in nature, but if they feel that you’ve threatened them, they may attack. Their bites are venomous and can have serious health impacts.
Here are some of the factors that might lure these pests into your home:
- Other pests. Perhaps the most significant factor in the presence of these spiders is the presence of other pests, which serve as their food source. Some of the pests that spiders eat include cockroaches, gnats, mosquitoes, flies, ants, and other spiders.
- Moist conditions. Spiders also usually like damp and dank conditions, so if you have any leaky pipes, crawl spaces that aren’t well-ventilated, or other issues with water, they may not be far behind.
- Quiet spaces. The female black widow spins her web where she waits for her prey to scurry by. She typically prefers areas such as closets and nooks of attics. If your home has any of these spaces, it may be conducive to her presence.
For more information on spider control, please call Modern Pest Control today.
Tips To Minimize Spider Activity Around Your Houston Property This Fall:
As always, the best solution to put a stop to spiders is to eliminate the pests they prey on. For that, you’ll need the help of a comprehensive ongoing pest control program performed by a certified pest control provider.
Have you ever noticed that spiders prefer to create their webs on your window panes or in between windows and screens? That's because flies are drawn to light. On the interior of your home, flies will take notice of the light shining in from outside. When they do, it is the perfect opportunity for spiders to catch them and eat them. Do you see the principle at work?
At the end of fall and as we move through winter, bugs are going to find safety from the cold by hiding in our homes. If spiders figure out that your home has bugs in it, they're going to move in too. That can be a serious problem if the spiders that choose to move into your home are black widows or brown recluses. These spiders can inflict a wound that may have you going to the emergency room.
Before the cooler weather arrives, there are a few things you can do to reduce the number of spiders breaking into your home. As you can probably guess, most of them have to do with attracting insects and bugs to your home.
Many flies are drawn to light. If you keep exterior lights on at night, you'll increase the number of insects around your home and increase your chances of having spiders invade. Consider replacing exterior white bulbs with yellow, insect-resistant bulbs. Keep shades drawn at night to keep the light in. And turn off any exterior lights that you don't need on.
The more plants you have, the more insects you'll have and the more spiders you'll have. If you don't want to part with the plants around your home, consider investing in pest control service to reduce insects and the spiders that eat them.
Many bugs are drawn to moisture. Reducing moisture can reduce bugs and spiders. Fix clogged or damaged gutters. Fix leaking spigots or hoses. Trim tree branches to allow the sunlight to dry your perimeter. Trim bushes, shrubs, and landscaping to allow for good ventilation.
Remove organic debris and other harborage options. It is amazing how many bugs a pile of leaves can attract. Organic debris also helps to trap moisture.
Stow objects away that don't need to sit in your yard. Spiders use lawn clutter for harborage.
Keep exterior trash bags in clean, sealed trash receptacles. Open trash is a magnet for a wide range of pests.
Do an inspection of your foundation walls and exterior. Look closely around door and window frames. If you see any gaps, cracks, or holes, seal them.
No spider control is complete without a barrier of EPA-approved product. Routine treatments to your foundation perimeter will reduce a wide range of pests, and prevent them from entering.
If you need assistance with pest control in the Greater Houston area, we can help. Offering both home pest control and commercial pest control solutions, request a free inspection and find out why home and business owners trust Modern Pest Control to keep spiders and other pests out!