Avoid Attracting Spiders To Your Home With These Must-Know Tips

You may not have full blown arachnophobia, but most of us can agree that we don't want spiders creeping and crawling around our homes, even if you can appreciate that spiders are predators for disease-carrying insects like roaches. Beyond their less than adorable appearance, some spiders can be venomous and dangerous at worst, or just leave you with pesky, itchy bites. Because they are so common all over the world, it's nearly impossible to get rid of them completely. But there are some simple steps you can take to limit their ability to enter your home, and keep them from having too good of a time when they are there. The two best things you can do to eliminate spiders from your home include cutting off any food and water resources, such as crumbs left over from lunchtime or a leaky faucet, and locating and sealing off any gaps that provide spiders entrance into your home. 

Getting rid of food and water access works as a preventative, as it makes spiders less likely to want to enter your home altogether, but also makes it inhospitable once they are there, since spiders are looking for a comfortable habitat. On the other hand, sealing off points of entrance makes it more difficult for them to get there in the first place. This combination is a great long-term, natural way to keep spiders out of your home. As an added bonus, these tips will also help to decrease other pesky insect populations, too, which are another major attraction for spiders!

Life gets busy, so it's easy to let little things slip and buildup. Not picking up after breakfast and lunch, letting old food and water sit in the sink, or letting that relentless pipe underneath the sink continue to leak. This isn't so bad once in a while, but over time, can let spiders know they're guaranteed a tasty meal if they get into your home. Cleaning up food debris after cooking and eating as spider prevetion can be a little tricky to understand at first, because spiders aren't attracted to human food as they're unable to digest it. So why do breadcrumbs on the counter still attract spiders? Because other pests such as ants, are scavengers and will happily eat your leftovers, chomping down on cheese, meat, ice cream, and more, drawing them into your home, and spiders follow. 

Water works similarly, drawing other pests in, but perhaps even more so spiders also need water to survive. That's why it's key to make sure your plumbing issues are all sorted if you want to see less spiders around. For small fixes, we have 10 DIY plumbing tips every homeowner should know, but for bigger jobs, you may want to call in a professional plumber. Limiting food and water access mean fewer bugs, and more importantly, fewer spiders. 

While it might seem obvious, many people first think to tent their homes when they have a bug problem, or whip out a can of pesticide when they spot a spider. But in reality, one of the best things you can do is fix those tiny gaps that make it easy for spiders to enter the home. After all, it's not as though they're going to ring the doorbell. Spiders can be quite small, so these gaps don't need to be especially big. You can find them in unsealed windows, between old floorboards, or even cracks in the foundation. To fix drywall cracks in walls and ceilings, you may be best off with some drywall compound and a putty knife, while other areas, like gaps under doors, will require a simple accessory like door sweeps or weather stripping. You should also ensure that you always close your doors firmly behind you, and if you like to keep your windows open, it's key to have a screen installed. 

Not all cracks and gaps are going to be easy to fix, and if you're waiting on a professional to come out to deal with redoing your floors or repairing your foundation, you can still make these gaps inhospitable to spiders with diatomaceous earth. This natural powder clings to spiders, drawing out their natural oils and moisture, eventually causing death. Though effective against spiders, diatomaceous earth is considered safe for use around humans and pets, as well as an excellent repellent against ants, roaches, centipedes, and many other creepy crawlies.