Brown jumping spider on a surface with the text: Do spiders like to come into the house in winter?

Do Spiders Like To Come Into The House In Winter?

Did you find more spiders in your house in winter? You’ve probably spoken with a few friends and they were quick to tell you that it’s totally normal. I guess they also told you that the spiders came into your house to escape the freezing cold outdoors.

Well, this belief is simply a myth. Actually, the spiders are not invading your house to escape the cold. Those spiders have likely been hiding out in your house all year-round. I know it’s still hard to believe, you’ll learn more about this in this article.

Let’s talk about a few things you don’t know about house spiders. After reading this, you’ll have a better understanding of the reason why you find more spiders in the corners of your house in winter.

So, how do spiders deal with the cold in winter? 

Unlike other pests that come into our homes during the cold winter season to escape the cold outside, spiders are not searching for warmth because they are “cold-blooded”. In fact, spiders even go through a process of cold-hardening in order to survive in winter. 

They produce anti-freeze substances to protect them from the harsh weather and keep them alive till spring. Aside from this natural protection, several spiders also seek shelter in leaves, wood, and piles of rock as it gets colder. 

At some point, when they are snuggled up. They enter a slowdown state called diapause. In diapause, spiders are not totally inactive. They only get to move out on warmer days to hunt and feed on their prey that may be active at this time.

So, why do spiders come into your house?

Just like every other creature, spiders need food and shelter. While some are adapted to the indoor environments, certain spiders get into your house in search of food and not warmth. This creature feeds on different insects that might be present in your house. 

Insects like flies, scorpions, wasps, butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, ants, etc. These eight­-legged predators make a meal of their prey by catching them in nets and eating them. This is why spiders are often used in biological pest control for gardens.

There are several other factors that can make these creatures crawl into your house to become your “roommates.” Spiders may also get into your house in late summer and early fall to search for a mate. 

Most spiders’ breeding seasons coincide with the transition from summer to fall. So if you notice more spiders in your home within this period, they aren’t necessarily seeking out warmth. They might be mature males looking out for mates.

Now, certain spiders may have been hiding out in your home even before the winter season. Why? 

Chances are that the spiders you see in your home in winter were born in your house. In fact, a female spider may have placed one of her egg sacs in a hidden area of your home especially in the storage areas or inside of furniture.

As mentioned above, there are certain species of spiders adapted to the indoor environment. And as such, they are considered house spiders. Let’s talk a little about them!

What are house spiders?

House spiders are usually found in homes. The regular invaders include wolf spiders, jumping spiders, hobo spiders, and many more. 

Now, these spiders can be separated into two categories:

  • Hunting spiders
  • Web-building spiders

These species of spiders can constitute a real problem for homeowners especially those who suffer from arachnophobia. However, a good number of spiders are really beneficial in many ways and they mean no harm to humans.

Which spiders are harmless?

Spiders are sometimes beneficial creatures who help to control the population of certain pests. They help to get rid of roaches, mosquitoes, flies, moths, and earwigs. This is one reason you may want to keep them! 

Most common house spiders are peaceful and harmless. They may bite humans when they feel threatened, but the bites are usually harmless and can only cause minor irritations. 

Most of the spiders you find in your home are harmless. These include the American house spiders, the jumping house spider, the hobo house spider, etc.

While spiders are beneficial for pest control, you should be mindful cause some of them are also very harmful to humans.

What species of spiders are harmful to humans?

As portrayed in horror stories and movies, certain spiders, although very few, are actually associated with danger and they actually pose a threat to humans. 

These spiders have venom that is designed by nature to work on smaller animals but can be harmful to humans too. They can produce skin rashes or allergic reactions that might result in fatalities. 

Most spiders are venomous but only a few are known to be dangerous to humans. They include: 

  • Brown recluse
  • Brazilian wandering spider
  • Wolf spider
  • Black widow
  • Red widow
  • Brown widow
  • Redback spider
  • Funnel-web spider

The black widow spider and brown recluse spider are the most popular harmful spiders you can find in the United States. The brown recluse spider usually creeps indoors to seek for food in our homes.

You can identify this creature by the violin-shaped mark on it’s back. It’s drawn to dark areas in our homes. So you’ll hardly notice them. 

As mentioned above, the brown recluse spider can be harmful to humans. However, most brown recluse spider bites occur by accident.

They often bite when they feel trapped against a human’s skin. They inject a hemotoxic venom that can cause blisters that may turn black, and leave an open wound that may take months to heal.

With all of these mentioned, you might not want to have these spiders sitting around your house at any time of the year, I’ll help you to keep them away!

How to keep spiders away from your house?

You don’t have to bother about spiders except when you have poisonous ones or you’ve got a severe infestation. Plus, you might not like the idea of their company, so you want an effective means of keeping the spiders from burrowing and spinning webs in your house.

Now you may decide to get professional pest control assistance or perform your pest control procedures yourself. When you really want to get the spiders to stay away, you’ll need an effective plan and procedure.

First, it’s important you eliminate their hiding places. Then, get rid of them as well as their webs. Finally, you’ve got to put things in place to prevent their return.

If you are bent on keeping the spiders away, you’ll need to make sure your house is clean especially inside

  • Clean up your home by taking off pieces of food that might attract spiders. You don’t need the dust and dirt, they’ll serve as hideouts for the spiders. 
  • Vacuuming would help to remove spiders tremendously. Vacuum routinely and thoroughly. This will take off spider webs, egg sacs, and spiders from your home. 
  • You’ll also need to check your indoor plants for spiders. They tend to hide in leaves, take them out.
  • Enough of the spider webs! Take them off the corners of your rooms and from the window frames.
  • The last thing you want is to get more spiders wandering indoors, keep your doors and windows closed as much as possible. 
  • Your pets are going to be very helpful at this point. You can get a cat, they’ll help you take down the spiders once and for all!

You can keep spiders away by applying natural remedies

  • You can simply use vinegar spray on the cracks in your house. This is a good natural remedy to keep spiders away.
  • Another natural remedy you can take advantage of is essential oils. You can apply essential oils such as cinnamon, peppermint oil, or tea tree oil. Try to swap out essential oils in your home, so the spiders don’t just get used to one!
  • Lemon peels and orange peels can also do the magic! You’ll only have to rub them on floorboards and window sills. 
  • Chestnut also has a scent that can deter spiders. You can buy them and put them in certain corners of your home.
  • How about cedar chips? They can also act as deterrents too! Spread the cedar chips in the hideouts of these creatures and keep the spiders away. 

The outside of your house also matters, you need to ensure that it isn’t giving you away to the spiders

  • Try as much as possible, to turn off the outside lights at night. Why? Lights attract insects and these insects would eventually get the attention of spiders.
  • Beware of outdoor plants that spiders may hide in. You want to ensure that spiders don’t burrow in them. Also, you can spread diatomaceous earth to kill the spiders on areas where you don’t want to see the spiders.
  • This may be a bit hard, but it’ll definitely help. Fix the cracks and holes on the outside of your house, this will destroy their hiding spots.
Spider hiding on house wall

At the end of the day, professional spider control is worth it

If you already feel the whole process is really stressful, it’s because it actually is. Spider control is more than just a quick pest control fix. It’s something that requires attention and effort. If you want to get this right on the first try, you probably want to call in the pros! 

They know better and they’ve got the right tools for the job. In fact, insecticides are available in the market to get rid of these creatures. But who better to use these chemicals effectively if not the pros. You could use them, but make sure you read through the labels carefully. 

In addition, the exterminators would help you take down other insects that attract the spiders, this could be quite hard to do yourself. They’ll also carry out procedures to prevent their return and leave you good advice to keep them away. 

By now, you should know that you can effectively keep spiders out of your home. If you really want to do it yourself, the procedure remains the same. Simply clean up, and apply natural remedies to prevent their return. 

Get as much information as possible before starting the procedure. If you’re really determined to take them down on your own, you’ll have to read this and find out more. I’ve only made a summary here! 

Skip the Hassle & Hire a Professional Pest Control Service!


Posts about pest control you may also like

