In the outdoors, spiders are beneficial in that they control pesky insects by capturing and eating them. Though they won’t make any significant dent in a mosquito problem (if you have one), spiders will even feed on these blood-sucking pests.
While you might appreciate spiders for making a meal of unwanted pests, chances are, you don’t want them lurking about inside your home.
We understand that, and you’re certainly not alone in your feelings. At least one study that compared how babies responded to images of spiders has shown that people just may be born with a fear of spiders. If you aren’t someone who gets that creepy crawly or “heebie jeebie” feeling at the sight of a spider, you’ve probably taught yourself over time that there’s nothing to fear.
Even so, you probably still want to know how to keep spiders out of your house. After all, you really don’t want 1 spider suddenly turning into a dozen or more if they decide to lay eggs there.
That’s why we’re talking about how to keep spiders away.
Types of Spiders in Pennsylvania
But first, you might be wondering what types of spiders live in Pennsylvania.
Without a doubt, the two spiders that most people are fearful of are the Brown Recluse and the Black Widow. While these poisonous spiders can be found in Pennsylvania, encounters with them are incredibly rare.
The Pennsylvania house spiders we see most often in this area are Garden Spiders, Hobo Spiders, Grass Spiders, and Wolf Spiders. The latter is definitely a larger-sized spider (ranging from a half inch to two inches in length) and generally hairy.
Wolf Spiders are commonly mistaken for a Brown Recluse even though the Brown Recluse does not have noticeable hair/fur. Wolf Spiders are non-aggressive and though venomous, rarely bite humans. Even so, they are generally an unwelcome sight if found inside your house.
How to Prevent Spiders in Your House
There are a few things to keep in mind as you aim to keep spiders out of your home.
For one, you can clean up your landscape. Keeping your yard free of clutter and overgrowth can discourage outdoor hiding places (from which spiders then start to make their way inside). This means keeping your flower beds clean and weed-free, mowing your lawn regularly, and trimming overgrown trees and shrubs (particularly those growing close to your home).
You should also recognize that other pests are likely drawing spiders in. So, if you have a porch light on all of the time and that naturally draws in a lot of flying pests, there’s a good chance spiders are lurking nearby, too.
While you don’t necessarily want to turn your porch light off, you should at least be cognizant that this is an area where spiders are likely hanging out. Make sure that your windows and doors are well-sealed. Spiders also often “hitch a ride” into your home via packages or boxes so check these thoroughly before taking them indoors.
You might also be wondering how to keep spiders out of your basement or your garage as these seem to be places where you specifically find these eight-legged creatures the most. If you’re frequently finding spiders in a certain area do what you can to clean out their webs and nests, eliminate their food supply, and block their way in. For instance, you should patch up cracks in your walls with a sealant. Also try to reduce their hiding spots. Spiders will find a home in clutter, so cleaning it up can help. They may also hide under furniture so vacuum these areas regularly.
Video: How to Keep Pests Out of Your Home
Utilizing Spider Pest Control Services
Of course, even with your best efforts to keep spiders away, you might reduce the population but aren’t going to take care of all spiders. This is why your best course of action is to also implement spider pest control.
Incorporating a structural pest control service that includes both barrier treatments around the exterior of your home as well as an annual interior visit to take care of any pests whose goal is to make their way indoors.
Regularly treating spider hotspots such as around exterior light fixtures, soffit, and other areas common for webs will help to preventatively control insects they feed on as well as spiders themselves.
A big difference between Joshua Tree Pest Control Services and perimeter pest control offered by other lawn care companies is that we include that interior visit, address more pests, and apply control materials higher on your structure than lawn companies will do.
At Joshua Tree, this is our Quarterly Pest Control service and it will not only address spiders but also ants, stinging insects, centipedes, roaches, stink bugs, and more. Considering spiders might be hanging out in your house to feed on these other pests, this program will also help eliminate their food source and prevent future spiders from making their way in, too.
With a quarterly program, you can anticipate four visits which is the industry standard for this type of service. However, issues can sometimes arise and at Joshua Tree, we offer callbacks when that’s the case. That means you get year-round protection with plenty of opportunities to stay in touch if you need us.
In terms of pest control pricing, we offer three different models in order to give you options.
You can prepay for the entire year, make quarterly payments, or make monthly payments, which we call “budget billing.” Though our program is quarterly (not monthly), we understand that many homeowners have a monthly budget so we’ve also broken the cost out of monthly installments for those that prefer this method.
Getting Rid of Pennsylvania House Spiders - and Your Worries
We understand that the idea of spiders in your home is troubling. But you shouldn’t have to worry about spiders and other pests lurking about inside of your house. By investing in our Quarterly Pest Control Program, you’re taking important steps toward reducing those worries.
We believe you deserve to be able to know that your home is safe and not overrun by unwanted pests. With your wise choice in Quarterly Pest Control, you can gain that valuable peace of mind.
If you’re interested in learning more about pest control services at your Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton, PA home, contact us for a free pest control quote or give us a call at 610-365-2200 so that we can answer your questions.
Image source: spider web, wolf spider
