It is a well known fact, that whilst spiders are mostly harmless and a vital part of our food chain, we don’t want them as lodgers.
They pay no rent, never tidy up and often scare the wits out of us or our loved ones. Anyone who has a spider-phobic relative or housemate has probably heard the blood-curdling screams that can only mean that the house has been invaded by one the eight legged foes.
Once they’re in, they’re hard to catch and ensure they don’t come back. So, we’ve listed our top five ways to spider-proof your home, to stop them harassing you in the first place!
1. Close/seal any holes & cracks in your house to discourage spider entry. Gaps, cracks and holes can be filled with caulk, foam, cement and steel wool. Common holes tend to be through utility openings like telephone & TV wires, gas and electric meters, vents etc.
2. Trim shrubs and foliage that grow close to windows, doors and touch the siding of your home. Firstly, spiders will build their webs there and then, it offers them a quick and easy path to your exterior where they will look for a way inside.
3. Make sure spiders can’t get through any gaps in your exterior doors. You can install door sweeps on all of your exterior doors even when there seems to be hardly any space; spiders can squeeze through an opening that is 1/16” (mm) tall! Use foam weather-stripping to line the bottom track of sliding glass doors.
4. Keep your home tidy. Spiders love clutter because it creates great hiding spots. Less clutter means less dark corners for a spider to conceal themselves in. Checking for spills and scraps of food on floors and counters every day can also help. These attract ants and flies, which in turn draw spiders.
5. Stop spiders entering through Windows. Make sure the cracks outside your windows are sealed up with calk and repair any tears, rips or holes in window screens.