Top 3 Reasons Spiders May Be Coming Inside Your Home

Had any eight-legged, uninvited guests lately? For residents of Northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts like Enfield, Wilbraham, and Ludlow, spiders are becoming visible in their homes. This can be for a couple of surprising reasons that we’ll cover—spoilers: it’s not because it’s getting colder. We’ll also include some basic tips to keep these creepy crawlers out.

Trying to Nab a Date

The truth is that spiders don’t come indoors during the winter… they’ve been there for a while. The reason they become more apparent during late summer and fall is that it’s prime mating season for spiders. Male spiders will venture into common areas of your home in search of a female spider.

It’s Where Their Food Is

While cold weather may not be driving spiders indoors, it does encourage other types of pests to seek refuge in your home. Warmth and moisture, compared to the dry and cold outdoors, is good for termites, stink bugs, ladybugs, earwigs, crickets, and ants. This is even better for spiders who find these pests to be delectable. Naturally, spiders will set up webs in areas where these pests wander during colder months—in the pantry and near the warmth of washers and dryers. Since these are higher traffic areas, walking into a web gets a little more probable.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Home

Speaking of walking into webs, one of the main ways a spider gets into your home in the first place is by pure chance. They can hitch a ride in on clothing, hair, or bags. They can even come in on pets! Given that ticks also hitch a ride, it’s best to be “spider aware” before entering your home.

Keep Spiders Out

These tips are great not only for spiders but many pests who aim to make your home theirs:

• Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens
• Screen vents and openings to chimneys
• Seal cracks and crevices on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter the structure
• Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly in sealed receptacles
• Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows
• Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes, clogged drains, and clear leaves from gutters
• Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and brush it off before bringing it indoors
• After pulling decorations from storage, unpack them outdoors to check for signs of pests
• If you suspect a pest infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest control professional to properly inspect, identify and treat the problem

Want to keep the creepy crawlers contained? Call us at 413-566-8222 or contact us today. We have the knowledge and the services necessary to help keep your home pest-free!