How to Reduce Spiders in the Home

You will never make a home entirely spider-free, and you would not want to, since they eat flies and other pests. But you can make your house a lot less appealing.

The key idea is simple: spiders go where insects are and where they can hide. Remove one or both and you will notice the difference.

Start with the food supply

Spiders are hunters, and a home full of small insects is a buffet. Dealing with the insects underneath often reduces the spiders more than any direct action.

Keep kitchens clean and food sealed, fix dripping taps and damp areas that attract gnats and silverfish, and empty bins regularly. Check windowsills for dead flies, which also feed spiders and carpet beetles.

Cutting back on insects is a slow measure, so give it a few weeks before judging whether it is working.

Close the gaps

Walk round the outside of the house and look for places a spider could slip in. Check under doors, around pipes, vents, window seals and the places where cables enter the walls.

Draught excluders, brush strips and suitable sealant for small gaps all help, and fly screens on windows that you leave open in the evening are worth considering.

• Door thresholds and letterbox flaps
• Cracks around window frames
• Gaps where pipes and cables pass through walls
• Air bricks and vents (keep them working, but check for damage)

Take away the hiding places

Clutter is spider housing. Boxes under beds, piles of shoes, stored items in the garage and cardboard in the loft are all quiet places to spin a web undisturbed.

Use sealed plastic boxes instead of cardboard, keep items off the floor where you can, and move furniture occasionally to vacuum behind it.

Do not forget the garage and the spare room. Rooms you rarely use are where spiders settle most comfortably, so check them when you do the rest of the house.

Clean with intent

Regular vacuuming of corners, ceilings, skirting boards and behind radiators removes webs, egg sacs and the spiders themselves. Doing it often is more effective than doing it thoroughly once.

Outside, brush down webs from eaves, window frames and door frames, and keep plants, wood piles and leaf litter away from the walls. Be careful and wear gloves when clearing sheds and woodpiles.

Light, plants and when to call someone

Bright outdoor lights attract flying insects, which then draw spiders to the walls around the lights. Moving lighting away from doors, or using warmer bulbs, may help a little.

Shop-bought sprays and repellents have limits: they may not reach where spiders hide and they must be used strictly as the label says, away from food, children and pets. If you keep finding spiders despite your efforts, or you run a guest house, hotel or other business, Essex Pest Solutions offers spider control across Essex after an inspection.

Keep expectations realistic: a few spiders will always turn up, particularly in autumn, and that is normal rather than a sign of failure.

Frequently asked questions