What has eight legs and is not welcome in your home? The answer is spiders! These creepy-crawly pests can be a big problem any time of year, but especially as the temperatures begin to drop and they follow their food into your home. Want to know how to prevent a spider infestation? Keep reading

An Intro To Portland Spiders

There are several different species of spiders. Some are hairless, some aren’t. Some are flatter, while others have large, round abdomens. Some are small, some are large, some can jump, and some build incredible webs. They can range in color from brown to black to yellow.

One thing that spiders have in common is fangs and venom. That’s right, just about any spider can bite! Luckily, most spiders are so small that their fangs can’t break human skin. Even if they can, the venom is not strong enough to put you in danger.

The only two spiders that can be dangerous to humans in Portland are black widows and brown recluse spiders. Most spiders, however, aren’t dangerous. Of course, that doesn’t mean you want to walk through their webs or see them crawling along your walls or dropping in from the ceiling. Here’s how to keep spiders outside.

Spider Food: A Welcome Sign

The most common attracting factor for spiders is food. Spiders don’t need to seek shelter indoors or warm up in your home. They do, however, need to eat. If you have any other pests inside, it can be a feast for a spider. Here are some ways to minimize the presence of spider-food-pests such as flies, mosquitoes, crickets, etc.

• Control the moisture. Many, many pests seek areas with high moisture content. By using a dehumidifier and improving the ventilation in damp rooms of your house, you can drastically reduce the number of pests in your home.
• Store food properly. Food should never be out overnight, even pet food or birdseed. Instead, store food in hard plastic or glass containers that can’t be chewed through by determined pests.
• Clean the kitchen. Follow up your food storage with a thorough cleaning of the kitchen. Make sure to wipe down under appliances and wash dirty dishes.
• Mind your garbage. Along with food storage, it’s important to pay attention to your trash storage. Place trash in a container with a lid, and clean the area around your trash can often.
• Fix tears and holes. You’ll also need to make sure there aren’t entry points inviting pests inside. Check that there are screens over windows and doors—and that they are intact. Install door sweeps and vent covers as necessary.
• Repair the exterior of your home. Check the exterior of your home for cracks and holes that might be allowing spiders and other pests to come inside. Fix these, as well as any water damage, to keep pests out.

Other Spider Prevention Tips

Along with the above general pest control steps, there are a few ways you can specifically deter spiders.

• Sweep away webs. Whenever you see a web in your home, sweep it away. If you see a spider in the web, you can vacuum it, carry it outside, or flush it down the toilet. If the spider isn’t there, it may get discouraged by constant web destruction and head back outside.
• Check boxes and other items for spiders before bringing them inside. If a package has been sitting outside for long, you may want to open it outside just in case a spider has made its way inside.
• Clear clutter in your home. Another way to minimize spider presence is to make sure there are no hiding places for them. Clear storage areas and keep dark corners of the house clean so that you’ll know as soon as spiders get inside and can remove them right away.

Kanga Pest Control

For more help with spider control, contact Kanga Pest Control. We can help you eliminate spiders, but we can also help you find any attractive factors that may have lured them inside, whether that’s another pest or an easy entry point.