How to Keep Spiders Out of Your Home in Salt Lake City This Winter

Winter is officially here, and with the cooler temperatures comes an often large group of unwelcome houseguests: spiders.

Thankfully, home remedies for spider control are fairly straightforward. Here, we’ve provided a guide to why spiders behave the way they do (that is, why they invade our homes), as well as some natural, safe ways you can help to keep spiders outside where they belong.

Once you’ve done all you can to keep your home safe from spiders, consider investing in year–round pest protection with Thorn.

Why Do I Have Spiders in my House in the Winter?

As temperatures start to drop in the fall, houses provide shelter and warmth for spiders while they ride out the cold. Indoor spaces tend to have flying insects around—a spider’s favorite food source—and provide protection from predators like birds.

Spiders prefer living in quiet, undisturbed locations. Their most preferred spot would be woodland areas, but they’ll make their way into garages, attics, and basements when they can. If you live near wooded areas, you are more likely to see an increase in spiders in your home in the winter. Fortunately, you can implement several simple, all–natural control methods to help keep spiders outside where they should be.

4 Natural Ways to Keep Spiders Out of Your House in Salt Lake City

Effective pest control requires thinking like a pest. Learn to think like a spider so you know why they’re hanging around, where they might be hiding, and how to keep them away for good!

Reduce Spider Food Sources

As long as our houses are warm and it’s cold outside, spiders and other pests will want to come inside.

To avoid spiders taking up residence in and around your home, start by turning off lights when they’re not in use. Interior and exterior lights left on at night act like a beacon, signaling surrounding insects that there’s a light (and heat) source nearby. Drawing insects toward your home will lead hungry winter spiders there, too.

If you notice an issue with flying insects in your house, address it quickly to discourage spiders from coming in!

Eliminate Spider Hiding Spots

Dense vegetation, woodpiles, and clutter make for great spider hiding spots. But if these hiding spots also happen to be right up against your house, what’s to stop the spiders from making their way in? Not much!

Trim back plants, move woodpiles away from your house, and clear clutter from around your home. Eliminating these hiding spots and easy access points can drastically reduce the number of spiders showing up inside.

Don’t Invite Spiders Inside

Gaps and holes around your home are an open invitation to spiders and other pests. If you’re hoping to keep spiders outside this winter, ensure that gaps around your home are adequately sealed to prevent them from coming in.

Start by focusing on cracks along the foundation, open spaces around your roofline, and gaps around the window and door frames. Also, keep window and door screens in good working order and free of holes or damage.

Keep a Broom and Vacuum Handy

If you’re already dealing with some spider invaders inside, few tools are handier than a broom and vacuum.

Use a broom to remove spider webs and hard–to–reach cobwebs. Ceiling corners are a spot where spider webs commonly pop up and collect dust. A broom can give you the reach to remove cobwebs comfortably without needing to get so close that you end up with cobwebs on you!

Once exclusion points are sealed, clutter is removed, and flying insect populations are at bay, you may still see an occasional spider invader. If you don’t want to let the spider be, you can always grab a vacuum cleaner and suck them up. All the benefits of easy and quick spider removal without the gross mess that comes with squishing them. Win–win!

How do I Keep Spiders Out of my House Permanently?

Spiders play an important role in a balanced ecosystem by helping control fly and mosquito populations. They are also typically not dangerous in Salt Lake City and unlikely to bite unless they feel threatened. For these and many other reasons, spider elimination is never the goal. However, spiders are still creepy and not something you want hanging around the house!

We do not recommend using any sprays or pesticides to deter spiders from entering your home. Many pesticides are health and environmental hazards and can lead to pesticide resistance among pests. Safer and more effective means of spider control, like those used by Thorn Pest Solutions Salt Lake City, are rooted in science.

If you're looking for a long–term solution to keep spiders and other pests outside where they belong, contact Thorn today. We'll tackle your pest problems in an environmentally–friendly, effective way so that you can stay cozy in your home this winter—and spiders won't.