Are Spiders a Household Pest?

Black spider

Black spiderWe are in the midst of Autumn and apart from the crunchy golden leaves, comfort food and the night’s drawing in, there’s one thing that we aren’t loving: the spiders!

Big spiders coming indoors!

As the weather gets wetter and colder, house spiders are coming indoors in search of partners and shelter.  Despite the name House Spider, they would rather stay outside as there is less food and it is too dry and clean in the house, but mature male house spiders are moving in in search of mates.

Essex Pest Control provide advice on dealing with a spider invasion, as they are not considered a considerate threat in Essex. Much warmer climates such as Australia and America are home to some of the most venomous spiders in the world – so you do not need to panic!

What a house spider can do

Despite their scary appearance, these spiders are quite harmless. They help the garden and ecosystem by controlling the number of bugs and insects we have. Spiders are beneficial to our environment, and the species we find in the UK are not dangerous and are not considered to be pests. But of course, finding an animal where it is not wanted can make it seem to be a pest!

How to protect your home from spiders

Keeping your house clean and tidy means there are fewer places for spiders to hide in the home; keeping windows and doors shut can help too. Below are five top tips on how to keep your home spider-free:

Hoover regularly – Make sure that when you hoover, you reach high and low. Try and hoover the sheltered spots too, such as underneath sofas and behind cupboards.

Remove sheltered sites – Spiders always look for places to hide that is tight and compact, like wood piles, garden bags and compost heaps. Removing these can deter spiders from settling down.

Get rid of spider webs – Make this a daily habit of checking and removing any spider webs you see. Check places like corners of the ceiling, picture frames, mirrors, shelving etc.

Fill in the gaps – Deter entry for the spiders by filling in gaps between walls, pipework, under the doors and any other obvious entry point.

Deter other insects – The best way to deter insects from being in your home is to control your lighting. Insects are drawn to light, and flies and moths are ideal spider prey.

So, good news. House spiders are not a threat and can in fact help your house get rid of any bugs and pests!