If a house spider lays eggs in your home, one egg sac can hold up to 400 eggs.
That means that having just one house spider in your home could easily lead to a full-blown spider infestation.
If you notice that you have a few house spiders in your home, there are a few actions you can take to prevent or treat an infestation. Keep reading to find out all you need to know about dealing with a spider invasion.
What Is a House Spider?
A house spider is normally a spider that's found indoors, which is where it gets its name from. They can be annoying pests, and they can build a lot of webs inside your home.
This spider can be found around the world, but it's most commonly found in Canada and the United States. Even if you just find one spider in your home, this could lead to an infestation since the female spider can lay hundreds of eggs at a time.
She'll lay them in a silk sac that is brown and round. There could be even more than one sac in a web in your home as well. They are capable of producing seventeen sacs at once, and the eggs will hatch in about seven to ten days.
Adult house spiders can live up to a year in your home, which can be challenging when you're trying to get rid of an infestation.
For both the male and female house spiders, their colors can vary. They are normally no bigger than 1/4 of an inch, and they don't have any distinctive coloring.
Signs You Have an Infestation
If you notice any of these spiders in your home, you'll also need to check to see if you have an infestation.
These are a few signs that house spiders could be taking over your home.
Webs
One obvious sign is that you'll see a buildup of webs around your home. The house spider will normally build webs along the chandeliers, ceiling beams, or in any other corner that might be hard for you to reach.
Some of them will also build their web in shoes that you don't wear anymore, old boxes, or any empty containers. They typically build their webs near a good food source.
You might find a lot of old webs that collected dust and fell apart over time. You may also see active webs that have egg sacs or wrapped-up insects in them. The spiders will be using these webs to store them for food.
If you see a few webs, you shouldn't immediately be alarmed, but you should investigate further to make sure that you don't have an active infestation.
Spider Droppings
Another sign of an infestation isn't as obvious, but you might notice spider droppings in your home. These droppings will look like small black dots, and they'll normally be near a web or in the corner of your home.
At first, it can look like a small paint splatter, which can be unnoticeable if you're not looking closely. These droppings can actually stain your wall or your baseboard, but you should be more concerned about how many spiders are living in your home.
Multiple Spiders
Another clear sign that you have a spider problem is that you keep finding multiple spiders in your home. Finding one spider might not just be a coincidence; you could have found their breeding grounds.
Even if you just see two spiders, a female spider could've laid eggs, and now you might have hundreds of babies running around your house. Then, those babies can start laying their own eggs, and you'll have a problem that is out of control.
Egg Sacs
A house spider's eggs sac can be found almost anywhere, but it'll likely be an active web. The egg sac will be in a protected area, which can hold hundreds of baby spiders.
If you let even one egg sac go by without being treated, you'll have a generation of spiders living under your roof. You should look for a small white ball that looks like it's in a small corner of your home.
When you find an egg sac, make sure that you get the right pesticide to treat the problem. Bleach can actually work to kill any spiders in an egg sac, but be careful not to ruin the surfaces behind or below the egg sac if choosing this method. If using a pesticide, be sure it is an oil-based pesticide as most insect and arachnid eggs will not be affected by water-based pesticides.
More Insects
Spiders like to build their webs near a food source, which is insects that will fly into their web. Spiders like to feed on moths, mosquitoes, and flies. However, they'll sometimes catch slugs, snails, or roaches.
If you have a lot of these insects in your home, there's a good chance that spiders are also there to catch a quick meal. When you're looking for a spider infestation, then you'll want to look at areas where the insects will gather.
Why Are They Infesting Your Home?
If you notice some of the signs above, you then need to figure out the cause of the infestation. When you figure out the cause, it can help you get rid of the infestation.
Spiders Have Easy Access
If the spiders can find an easy way into your home, they will start building webs in your home. You'll want to get rid of any holes, cracks, or crevices in your flooring, foundation, windows, or doors so that they could be used to get inside.
You may also have damaged window screens as an entry point for the spiders. If the sliding is loose or torn, then you need to replace the weatherstripping.
You should also look at where your wiring, pipes, and cables are attached to your house. There might be a crack in there that the spiders can squeeze through.
You can use caulk to seal up any small entry points and keep the spiders from getting into your home.
Mess and Dust
Spiders like to hide in areas that are cluttered, dark, and dusty. However, if you make an effort to clean your home on a regular basis, you can make an environment that spiders won't want to live in.
You should make sure that you dust and clean under your bed, chair, couch, and any other area that a spider might find appealing.
You should also vacuum different corners where spiders might like to make their web.
In addition, also make sure that you clean your kitchen and do not leave any food out. When you leave food out, you'll start attracting other insects, which will, in turn, attract spiders as well.
Tall Grass
If you have grouse outside of your home, you might need to maintain and trim it. Tall grass is the perfect hiding spot for spiders, and if the grass touches an area in your house, the spider could easily find a way into your home.
When Should You Start Worrying?
These house spiders are generally harmless, and even if they're invading your home, they're not trying to hurt you. They'll normally try to avoid human contact, but if they feel threatened, they could bite you.
If you see one spider, this doesn't necessarily mean you have a large infestation. However, you should start to look around to make sure that you don't have any other spiders or an egg sac.
If you find multiple spiders or egg sacs, then you should start worrying about a possible infestation and start taking action to prevent it.
What Steps to Take
The first step is making sure that these spiders can't get into your home in the first place. You can do this by sealing any openings in the foundation, windows, or doors.
You should also clean inside your house to try and remove any spiders. You can also remove webs using a web-duster. However, if you notice multiple spiders and an egg sac, then you will want to get pest control substances.
You can sign up for a subscription for these pesticides to be delivered to your home so that you can handle the pest control all on your own. This DIY pest control will ensure that you get rid of an infestation and control any future ones.
Learn More About How and Why House Spiders Are Infesting Your Home
These are only a few things to know about house spiders infesting your home, but thankfully we have the right treatment to help you deal with it.
If you want to ensure that you get rid of your spider infestation, you need to have the right pesticides.
We offer these pesticides on a subscription basis so that you can get rid of the infestation and ensure it doesn't come back. Sign up for this subscription today!
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