While we’ve been lucky enough to avoid any direct hits so far this hurricane season, we’ve had quite a few downpours in the Tampa Bay area. As just like we all seek shelter during storms – and hope they hold up — so do the variety of bugs that live around our homes.
Spiders are among those pests that, like others we’ve mentioned on this blog, are attracted to safe, dry spaces. Your home is one of those spaces. These creepy crawlies are also looking for the bugs and insects that are prominent during the wet weather, including mosquitoes.
Most spiders we find in and around our homes are harmless to us. However, it’s best to keep a safe distance, as the brown recluse, a variety of black widows, and the brown widow pose a serious threat through their venom. And you don’t want to get close enough to try and identify them as friend or foe.
In this article, we offer some tips for keeping your home free of spiders. We’ll also look at one of the questions many of you have had: Why am I seeing spiders in my pool area?
Where am I likely to find spiders?
Basically, any place that doesn’t get a lot traffic is a prime space for spiders to feel comfortable and make themselves at home. That’s why you’ll find spiders in areas like:
- Garages
- Corners
- Closets
- Under beds
- Attics
In some of these spaces, the presence of a few spiders isn’t going to be a nuisance. But in other areas, and especially if you’re not fond of spiders, you won’t appreciate having them around. And keeping them out of all areas is the best way to ensure you’re not surprised by a spider anywhere in your home.
How to keep spiders out
Here are handful of things you can do to keep spiders out of your home:
- Use your vacuum attachment to keep baseboards and corners free of spider webs. Consider vacuuming in areas that you usually overlook – like linen closets and clothes closets.
- Sweep out your garage. Spiders can frequently be found lurking under shelves and in the corners near your garage door.
- Repair openings in screens. Consider vacuuming window sills and window frames.
- Seal any cracks that lead from the outside of your home. Your local home improvement store will be able to recommend the proper sealant.
- Work with a qualified pest control company like JD Smith Pest Control.
Getting rid of pool spiders
There are areas outside the home where you don’t want spiders. One of those is your enclosed pool area. Many of you have seen spiders in your pool cage and are wondering how to treat them.
First, recognize that your pool cage is another form of shelter, which is why spiders will try to get inside. Others will make their nests on the screens. By taking some of the steps we outlined in the previous section – fixing screens, sealing doors – you can make it that much harder for them to get inside. It will also help to sweep the area, especially under and around lounge chairs and potted plants. You can also take a broom to the screens and knock down any webs. But know that in doing so, you will knock them down to your level, and you’ll still have to deal with them. Leaving it to the professionals like JD Smith can be a better course of action and a long-term solution.
Call JD Smith to keep your home free of spiders
If you have spiders in your house, patio, or pool area, give us a call. JD Smith Pest Control will keep your home safe from spiders and outdoors where they belong. Our certified inspectors are ready to assess your situation and create a pest control plan that’s right for you.
