How to Prevent Spider Infestations in Your Outdoor Spaces

Even though most spiders are completely harmless, they’re not something you want in your home, especially en masse. And if you have arachnophobia – the fear of spiders – an infestation can be a terrifying thought. If you’re ready to take the next step to prevent spider infestations outside your home, we can help.

Here’s what to know about spider infestations, how to eliminate them from your outdoor spaces, and what you can do to prevent them from coming back.

Understanding Spiders

Spiders have existed for more than 4 million years. These eight-legged creatures are well-equipped for survival and are successful carnivores that primarily eat other insects, with the exception of pollinators like bees and butterflies. They produce silk-like silkworms, and many have venomous fangs, similar to some species of snakes. Spiders are also incredibly nearsighted and can only see prey from about 8 inches away.

Perhaps the most important fact about spiders when it comes to preventing them from taking over your yard is that female spiders can lay hundreds of eggs at one time – a real problem when trying to control infestations in your space.

Acting quickly when you see indications of a possible spider infestation is crucial to successfully getting rid of spiders around your home and preventing their return. The longer you wait after you see signs of spiders, the bigger the problem and the harder the infestation will be to treat. This is especially true in cases of venomous spider infestations.

Instead, you must reach out to an extermination professional as soon as you learn that you might have a spider issue. That way, you can resolve the matter quickly and inexpensively.

When It’s Time To Spider-Proof

While harmless spiders can be beneficial and help keep insects away, no one wants to live around large numbers of them. If you experience any of the following, it may be time to spider-proof your property:

• You’re seeing lots of spiderwebs around your house, especially if they’re new or increasing in frequency.
• You find small, white egg sacs in dark places, like crevices in the wood used for your deck or underneath your storm door handle.
• You see more spiders than usual, especially if they scurry away when you turn on a light.

If you suspect a spider infestation, it’s important to act as quickly as possible to eliminate them. The evidence you see is only a tiny portion of what’s actually there – most egg sacs, droppings, and other indicators that you have a spider problem are hidden out of sight. “There are more where that came from,” so to speak.

How To Create Spaces That Are Unattractive To Spiders

One of the most effective ways to prevent spiders from making your backyard their home is to create unattractive spaces. If spiders have difficulty finding food and warm, dark places to nest, they are much less likely to set up camp in your abode. Here are some simple tips you can use to get started.

Keep Your Spaces Clean & Maintained

Spiders like to hide and stay in small, dark spaces. They especially like warm, damp places such as under dead wood or around moss and tree bark. If you have a lot of clutter in your yard, this can also create a similarly attractive space for spiders to nest.

If you have junk lying around or an overfull shed, you'll want to clean these up and keep them relatively organized so spiders have fewer places to hide. You should also rake regularly and clean up grass clippings after mowing. Spiders don't like to nest in places with a lot of movement, so if you regularly keep up an area, spiders will generally steer clear.

Create Healthy Outdoor Spaces

Keeping your yard mowed and trees and bushes trimmed is also important to keep spiders away from your yard. Outdoor spiders commonly hide in piles of brush, dead leaves, and overgrown vines. Keeping your yard free of clutter gives spiders even fewer places to hide and nest outside, making it much more difficult for them to take up residence.

Turning off your outdoor lights at night can also help deter spiders by limiting the availability of food sources near your home. Flying insects like mosquitoes, mayflies, and June bugs are attracted to light sources and congregate around street lamps and porch lights.

Spiders then create their webs near these areas, hoping insects will unwittingly fly through them and get caught. Consider keeping your porch lights on a timer so they are only on when needed and turn off automatically.

Effective Spider Repellents & Natural Remedies

Many over-the-counter insect poisons don't work on spiders because their bodies stay lifted off the ground, where they do not come into contact with powders and sprays. This means you need to get more creative regarding spider control. Below are some effective outdoor spider control and natural remedies you can use.

Biological Deterrents

Several biological deterrents can help keep spiders away from your home, such as:

• Chrysanthemums – These flowers contain pyrethrum, the main ingredient in many natural insecticides and animal shampoos and are effective against spiders. It also includes a phototoxin called alpha-terthienyl, which works to drive off spiders. Try planting chrysanthemums in your yard near your home's foundation to keep spiders from finding their way in.
• Diatomaceous earth – Diatomaceous earth is a finely powdered substance made from the tiny fossilized remains of marine algae, which cut into the exoskeleton of a spider, causing it to dehydrate and die. To provide maximum coverage, sprinkle diatomaceous earth outside your home, around your yard and trees.
• Vinegar – Not only does the strong odour of vinegar keep spiders away, but it also contains acetic acid, which is actually harmful to spiders if they come into contact with it. Mix a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water and spray it around your deck, under the house, and anywhere else that is dark, warm, and desirable for spiders.
• Peppermint – Spiders taste and smell with their legs, so fragrant oils and plants can also help deter them. Peppermint is particularly effective and can be planted outside your home – or you can make a diluted peppermint oil spray to use anywhere.
• Cedar – Like peppermint, Cedar has pungent oils that spiders strongly dislike and will generally avoid. You can sprinkle cedar chips around your flower beds and near your home's foundation as an additional layer of protection to ward off spiders.

Exclusion Methods

You can also block spiders from getting in by sealing up cracks around your windows, door frames, and any openings in your home's foundation. These are the primary ways that spiders find their way in, and when combined with other spider prevention and control methods, exclusion can add yet another barrier between your home and the insects outside.

Professional Services

Sometimes, natural repellents and spider deterrents don't work as effectively as you need them to. This can leave you fighting an infestation outside your home. Even non-venomous spiders can cause structural damage to your house and spread germs and bacteria.

If you are dealing with an infestation of spiders around your home or yard, or you've seen venomous spiders like the black widow, it may be time to contact a professional for help.

A qualified exterminator can help you determine the scale of infestation that you're dealing with and what combination of spider control methods is most likely to be effective in your case. Because they have access to more types of products and understand different techniques, like those associated with integrated pest management, you have a wider net of solutions for any infestation issues.

Usually, your exterminator will employ multiple methods to deter spiders from your home and eliminate the ones that happen to find their way in. With regular treatments, you can enjoy a spider-free home all year long.

Keep Spiders At Bay With Buzz Boss’ Comprehensive Insect Control

Don't let spiders make your home an unpleasant place to live. Our comprehensive insect control services can help you identify if you have a problem, how severe the issue is, and what species of spider you are dealing with. Then, our exterminators will create a personalized plan to eliminate spiders outside your home and keep them from returning.

We use a proprietary formula and intelligent application with our BuzzShield spider pest management services. You will receive comprehensive spider control, but this service can also help you treat your yard for other common pests like wasps and carpenter bees and prevent them from returning.

Contact us today to learn more about our professional insect removal and deterrent services or to schedule a time for one of our exterminators to come to your home to provide a quote by calling us at 1-844-744-2899.