What to do about spiders?

Head Roller · #21 10/17/10, 08:19 PM

It is that time of year.... The spiders are moving inside. I too, am a live and let live kind of person, however I use the vacuum to get rid of webs daily if need be. Eventually I think they get tired of having their house torn down and move on.

We have Black Widows here as well, however they only like really dark, quiet places, and you can spot their messy, erratic webs easily.

StBernardLove · #22 10/17/10, 08:26 PM

My grandma always told me that eucalyptus drives spiders away. I had a basement bedroom at the time, so I got a eucalyptus wreath to put on the wall and some eucalyptus candles. Although I couldn't tell if it worked, that basement was always full of spiders, but I do remember screaming a lot less.

Do you have any trees with branches that go over your house? Spiders use those to drop down and make their way in.

This year I sucked it up and used a bug bomb. While we don't have black widows, I'm very allergic to spider bites, which of course means they have to bite me, which leaves me with big infected pus filled bites, and afterwards nasty scars.

I also make sure to vacuum up any and all cobwebs and spiders I find.

salmonslayer · #23 10/17/10, 10:26 PM

We have...black widows (rare), lots of brown recluse, Missouri Tarantulas (very cool actually), house spiders (they make the cob webs in the basement), huge black and yellow garden spiders (fierce looking but harmless and beneficial), jumping hairy ugly wolf spiders (DWs nemesis) and some type of daddy long legs.

From personal experience, I cant find that the bug bombs work on spiders. We vacuum up webs, spray visible spiders in the basement with wasp spray about every two months, but most of all we have sealed up any gaps and crevices to the outside which has also helped out heating and cooling. The rest of the spiders we just have decided to live with.

Most spiders are actually shy creatures and if you can overcome your aversion to them they will cease to become the scary demons and threats most of us see them as. I keep telling myself this after moving here and constantly seeing spiders and after having suffered from a brown recluse bite years ago....ggggrrrrrrruuuuuggggghhhh.

gobug · #24 10/18/10, 07:50 AM

My suggestion is routine vacuum attack on the spiders. When finished suck up a little aerosol pesticide or dust (like drione, boric acid, or de). If the spiders survive the rough trip to the dirt bag, the small amount of pesticide you use will be right on them and not in your space.

Black widows live 3 years. They do like private spaces. They are a bit dormant in the winter, but will move around on a warm sunny winter day. Some spiders only live a year. Those lay eggs before they die. Black widow egg sacks are a spring time event. The vacuum will get them and their eggs.

If you must use pesticides, your timing is off. Before fall is a good time to use a repellent pesticide spray outside around windows, doors, and the foundation edge. Read labels in the local big box hardware. There are now repellents available on the consumer market which will last nearly a year.

Bombs are not worth it in my opinion. The spiders only need to find a safe place for about 45 minutes. Some will die, not all. There is no residual.
good luck

miller1 · #25 10/18/10, 08:32 AM

my parents have a lot of spiders and I read in a green cleaning book about their aversion to peppermint. My mom raided her peppermint plant and placed it around the house, as it dried she would crunch it up to increase the smell and said it has helped. They have seen less spiders. The ess. oil might work as well in a spray bottle diluted with water.

fishhead · #26 10/18/10, 02:51 PM

TOADS!!!

Why didn't I think of that? My house is crawling with spiders of all kinds. They must eat each other because they outnumber all the insects combined. I've been thinking of releasing a redbelly snake or buying an anole and releasing it but a toad would be much better AND it can't get up the stairs from the basement. I think it would also be more tolerant of cooler basement temperatures. I just found a toad the other day but the chances of finding another this time of the year is slim.

pheasantplucker · #27 10/18/10, 03:20 PM

Do you have any osage trees around? Some folks call them "hedge apples" They are green and bumpy about the size of a softball. They drop about now. They'll turn more yellow as the winter progresses. Know what I'm talking about? Go collect about a dozen. Put two in each of your rooms (corners are best...along the floor is fine). I've used this old time remedy for spiders at my place and it's rare to find one. good luck.