Six Simple Ways To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Naples Home

Most of the spiders you’ll encounter in your Naples home aren’t dangerous, but they’re generally still unwelcome pests. Common house spiders can provide some benefits to homeowners. Since they feed on other household pests, they aid with controlling the pest presence. In fact, because of this, they’re also known to help curtail the transfer of bacteria spread by pathogen-carrying pests, such as mosquitos, flies, and cockroaches.

However, the presence of spiders is also problematic. Having pests in and around your home will only attract spiders, and more spiders mean more webs. Even though most spiders native to Southwestern Florida are harmless to people and their pets, two species—the brown recluse spider and the black widow spider—carry venom that can cause severe pain and swelling to respiratory strain and necrosis, and hypertension. For some, it can even prove deadly.

Read on for more about the types of spiders most common in Naples and the reasons why they enter homes, followed by six tips on spider prevention. 

Most Common Spiders In Naples—And Why They Enter Homes

Aside from the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider, the spiders most common in Southwest Florida are:

• Southern house spiders
• Spiny orb-weaver spiders
• Wolf spiders
• Daddy long legs
• Banana spiders
• Huntsman spiders

None of these spiders pose a danger to humans; instead, they have other intentions. The southern house spider, for instance, may enter homes in search of a mate or find shelter from cold weather, while huntsman spiders come in to seek refuge from warm temperatures. Others, like daddy long legs and banana spiders, enter in search of a food source. Still, others, like spiny orb-weaver spiders and wolf spiders, may only find their way indoors accidentally through cracks and crevices in the foundation and exterior-facing doors. 

Six Tips On Spider Prevention

Since spiders tend to go where they know there is a source of food, spider prevention focuses not only on averting the spiders themselves but other household pests as well. Here are six suggestions on preemptive measures you can take to avoid attracting spiders to your Naples home:

• Keep Food And Trash Properly Stored: Open food and fallen particles from mealtimes, as well as the trash, both inside and outside of the home, attract pests like flies and cockroaches, which in turn attract spiders. Keeping food stored correctly and in airtight containers and doing the same for trash can help to keep the spider population at bay.
• Consistently Clear Clutter: Clutter is another attractor for pests that spiders feed on, such as cockroaches, fleas, and bed bugs. 
• Sweep Away Webs: While clearing clutter, be sure to sweep away any webs that you may see. The cleaner, less cluttered, and more organized your home is, the less opportunity these pests have to spin or maintain a web.
• Address Moisture Issues In Your Home: Many pests are attracted to moisture, including termites, ants, cockroaches, wood lice, centipedes, as well as spiders. Resolve plumbing and drainage issues, which provide pests with a source of water.
• Secure Potential Entry Points: Spiders and other pests are entering your home through cracks in the foundation, open windows, and doors—or windows and doors with damaged screens. They will get in by any means that will enable them access to your home. Make all necessary repairs to the foundation and exterior-facing walls, as well as windows and doors.
• Clear Away Yard Debris: Clean up fallen yard debris, such as leaves and branches, and keep woodpiles away from the house. Many household pests feed on organic matter, providing them with a place to nest, breed, and hide.

The Ultimate Way To Keep The Spiders Away

By utilizing the above six tips, you can potentially keep spiders from entering your home. The best way to deal with pests of all kinds, and therefore spiders, is with ongoing professional help. The local, family-owned, and operated professionals at Keller’s Pest Control offer three plans for year-round care, depending on the needs of your home and property.