Fall is mating season for spiders, so if you’re not a big fan of these arachnids, the next few months could be rough if you don’t take a few precautions.
As the weather cools, spiders emerge in larger numbers in search of mates, making human-spider encounters much more common. In other words, over the next few months you’ll probably see more spiders than you have all year long.
The good news is that spiders are beneficial and help keep our homes and lawns from being overrun by other bugs. So unless you’re struggling with venomous spiders or suffer from an intense phobia, we suggest considering leaving them to do their work.
Whether you’re currently dealing with a serious spider problem or just looking to make the next few months as spider-free as possible, the following 3 tips have you covered.
1. DECLUTTER INSIDE & OUT
Spiders love clutter. It provides a perfect spot for mating, eating, and hiding. Plus, clutter attracts other bugs, which is sure to attract more hungry spiders to your lawn and home. So, if you want less spiders, it’s time to tidy up both inside and out.
For inside your home, start by removing or organizing clutter like piles of laundry, stacks of paper, and disorganized knick-knacks and decor. When storing away clutter, make sure to use sealable plastic containers over cardboard boxes, which have been known to attract spiders.
Once everything’s back in its right place, do a quick clean up. Dirty dishes, grimy appliances and food or drink spills are not only inviting to bugs like roaches and ants, but also spiders in search of a bug meal. Basic cleaning routines like vacuuming, dusting and deep-cleaning bathrooms and kitchens will also have a big impact on the number of spiders you see inside your home this fall.
To declutter your lawn, begin by removing big, obvious sources of clutter like brush, wood piles, unused equipment and gear. Similarly, cut back and trim overgrown greenery like ivy, small trees, and bushes. Take a quick peek at your gutters too, and clean out any organic clutter you find there as well. From there, just stay up on normal lawn maintenance like mowing, trimming, weed-eating, and raking. Taking these few simple steps can dramatically decrease the spider population just outside your home.
2. SEAL YOUR HOME & TURN OUT THE LIGHTS
Now that your home is clean and decluttered, let’s seal it. Because if there are little gaps, nooks and crannies bugs can use to move inside, spiders won’t be far behind.
Begin by carefully checking the outside and inside of your home for cracks, holes, broken screens, and gaps in weather stripping. Closely inspect both interior and exterior walls, baseboards, foundations, flooring, basements, and around plumbing, fixtures and outlets. Then, simply use caulk or another sealant to fix any issues you find, and replace broken screens and weather stripping as needed.
As you know, outdoor lighting is like one giant welcome mat to creepy crawlies of all sorts. A single bulb on your porch can transform a peaceful night outside into a nightmare of flying, biting bugs in no time. And while humans might hate this experience, it’s a buffet for spiders. Put simply, more lights = more bugs = more spiders.
So do yourself a favor, and keep your home’s exterior lights off until winter arrives, or better yet exchange those traditional bug-attracting light bulbs for smarter options like LED, halogen, or sodium vapor.
3. TREAT YOUR HOME & LAWN
Now for the easy part, let’s treat your home and lawn for unwanted bugs.
Thankfully you don’t have to resort to the dangerous, toxic stuff to keep bugs out of your home and help control spiders. If you see an unwanted bug inside, just give it a direct spray with family-safe Cedarcide Original.
For prevention, spray suspected entry points and areas with high spider traffic—such as corners of rooms, cabinets, under beds, etc—once weekly with Cedarcide Original.
To get rid of spiders and other outside bugs, spray your entire yard—front, back and sides—with our non-toxic lawn treatment, Outdoor Bug Control. If this is your first treatment of the season, apply twice two weeks apart the first month and just monthly after that. For best results, we strongly suggest dispersing Pest-Repelling Cedar Granules throughout your lawn every 4–6 weeks.
And that’s it—you can now enjoy your lawn without stressing about unwanted bugs. And because there are now fewer spiders outside your home, you’ll see far fewer inside, too. Best of all, because Outdoor Bug Control is plant-based plus family & pet-safe, you can enjoy your lawn right away, no downtime required.
