Preventing Spider Infestations
Spiders have a nasty reputation that is in every case undeserved. Even those spiders that are found in North America which pose a threat to humans aren’t nearly as dangerous as they are sometimes thought to be by people. It is true that spiders are pretty creepy looking and have some parts to their biology that make them fearsome, but it is important to remember that the very things that scare some of us when it comes to spiders are the things which make them effective predators.
Why do you want to keep that in mind? Because spiders are predators of insects, including every insect in the home and garden which we consider to be a pest. A healthy spider population will mean that the numbers of pests are kept right down. Still, no one wants to have a house or even a yard that is literally crawling with spiders, so let’s take a look at ways in which you can keep spider numbers down.
* Use prevention methods for insect pests. Remember, spiders are not after human food, human blood, or anything else that we can provide. Spiders want to eat insects, and that is it. A spider infestation is the same as that of any other pest; it indicates that the pest has found an abundant food supply. That means that if you have a spider problem, you probably are infested with other insects as well. Conversely, if you are controlling the numbers of insect pests through preventative management, you will keep the number of spiders down too.
* Clean. Many species of spider are fairly visible pests. Spiders make webs, and that is how they catch their food. If you are diligent about taking down spider webs, eventually you will have no more spiders. Of course, there are spiders which survive without makings nests, and for these you have to make sure that you are cleaning your whole house on a regular basis. Make sure to wash into corners both on the floor and on the ceiling, where spiders may have eggs. Eventually your diligence will pay off and the spider population will go down.
* Tidy up outside. Once there are enough spiders outside, they will eventually find their way inside. To keep the spider numbers down outside, clean underneath your eaves and in other hanging areas where they will be able to build their nests and catch their prey. Again, if you come across a web, take it down with a broom or a stick.
A fear of spiders is understandable, but it is important to understand that if you focus on limiting the number of spiders alone, the populations of insect pests will rise. Spiders are one of the most effective preventative measures against infestation of virtually all insects, so make sure and consider that before you go about decreasing their population!