Why Are There So Many Spiders In My Garage?

Nobody wants to navigate a sea of spider webs when they go through their garage. However, that’s the reality for many people with unmanageable spider problems. So, why are there so many spiders in my garage?

The main reason you have so many spiders in your garage is most likely because it’s more easily accessible than your home’s interior. Spiders can easily crawl beneath garage doors or through side gaps and enter your garage. They typically stay in the garage because the space is dark, perfect for nesting, and full of insects to eat.

Decluttering your garage and setting out glue traps can significantly help keep spiders out of your garage. Follow along as we explore why there are so many spiders in your garage and highlight some easy solutions to fix it.

Why Do Spiders Like The Garage?

Spiders like to hide in the garage for many reasons, such as the darkness and comfort. However, it’s important to consider that most of what attracts spiders to your garage is controllable if you’re careful. The main reasons that spiders like garages include:

Easy Access

Spiders are opportunistic predators, and they will often gravitate towards easily accessible locations. This applies to your garage, which is an easy access point for many reasons. After all, you probably open your garage door at least once or twice on most days of the week.

This gives spiders the chance to quickly scurry into your garage, then get locked in when you close the door. Spiders can also get into your garage if the door is closed, as many garage doors have gaps. That’s especially true if your garage door has suffered damage or it’s warped due to the elements.

Comfortable Shelter

“Comfort” may not be the first word that comes to mind when you think about your garage. However, it might be if you were a spider, as garages are quite safe and comfortable for them. That’s because the average garage is dark and relatively still, as many people leave their garages vacant for most of the day.

Unless you’re working on a project or reorganizing your garage, the spiders won’t encounter you throughout the day. This makes them feel safe and gives them plenty of time to build intricate webs. A garage also helps spiders escape the heat during summer and hide from frigid temperatures during winter.

You may rarely see spiders in your garage, but there’s a good chance that you often find their webs. Spiders will feel especially comfortable in your garage if it’s full of clutter, which is common for many homeowners. Old boxes, supplies, tools, and stacks of miscellaneous items provide perfect hiding spots for spiders.

Steady Food Sources

Just as spiders can enter your garage undetected, so too can other bugs, like flies and mosquitoes. This gives spiders a steady food source, which is the only positive thing about having spiders in your garage. Spiders will continually eat these pests, which can at least help keep flying insects out of your house.

The more insects you have in your garage, the more spiders you will find.

How To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Garage

1. Declutter

Nobody looks forward to decluttering their garage, but it’s a good idea if you have a spider problem. Spiders love clutter, and you may have spiders in your garage that you can’t see because the space is too messy. Decluttering is one of the first tips experienced exterminators typically recommend for homeowners with a spider problem.

Clutter also attracts other pests, which can makes things worse, as spiders will stay if there’s a steady food source. Spiders also prefer to reproduce in cluttered areas, so your problem will continue if you don’t declutter.

Keep in mind that you must be careful while decluttering your garage, to make sure you don't get bitten. Most common spider bites are relatively harmless, but brown recluses and black widows are dangerous. If you suspect you have either of these dangerous spiders, it’s worth calling an exterminator before decluttering your garage.

2. Trim The Area Around Your Garage

Is there a lot of dense greenery near your garage door? If so, that may explain why you keep finding so many spiders in your garage. Overgrown, messy plants attract spiders for many of the same reasons that garages attract them.

Spiders flock to dense greenery because it’s typically full of insects to eat and nesting spots. Tall grass, dense shrubs, and thick piles of groundcover plants near your garage can attract spiders. Cut everything back so it’s not as close to your garage door.

Regularly clean up yard debris, such as grass trimmings, plant clippings, and fallen leaves. Doing so can not only help keep spiders out of your garage, but it will also help improve your yard’s appearance.

3. Use Motion-Activated Lights

Many people install lights above their garage doors to increase visibility and improve home security. While this is a great idea, you must be careful about what kind of lights you choose. Any light that stays on all night will ultimately attract a ton of insects.

Flying insects gravitate towards lights that stay on for a long time, and spiders view such bugs as dinner. You can improve visibility without attracting so many insects if you opt for motion-activated lights. That way, the area will be illuminated when you pull into your driveway at night.

Motion-activated lights can also scare pests and burglars away. Raccoons and burglars don’t expect a sudden flash of bright light in the darkness, and it can frighten them off. Today, you can find security cameras with built-in motion-activated lights for garage doors.

4. Set Out Glue Traps

Glue traps are among the cheapest and easiest ways to get rid of the spiders in your garage. You can easily set them up in your garage and catch spiders as they crawl around. The key is to place the glue traps along the walls in your garage, as spiders often travel along walls.

Many exterminators recommend leaving glue traps full of spiders in your garage for a while. That’s because other spiders will detect spiders in them, enter the trap, and get stuck themselves.

It’s important to consider that glue traps are a bad idea if you have pets that you let in your garage. That’s because dogs and cats can accidentally get their paws stuck in glue traps. Getting their paws unstuck can be painful and may require a veterinarian to ensure it's done safety.

5. Make A Natural Spray

Some people would understandably rather spray their garage for spiders than put glue traps on the spider-infested ground. In that case, it’s worth going the natural route before using harsh chemicals in your garage. Spiders hate many natural scents that many of us like, such as eucalyptus, peppermint, cinnamon, and citrus.

You can use any of these ingredients or mix them in a spray bottle to create a potent spider repellent. Spray the entrance to your garage, and then focus on the floor along the bottom of the walls. Spraying these spots should make spiders think twice before entering and navigating your garage.

6. Hire An Exterminator

Sometimes, keeping spiders out of your garage is difficult, no matter how much you clean and how many glue traps you place. Some parts of the country have high spider populations, and that may apply to your neighborhood. In that case, you can call an exterminator to get an estimate of how much it will cost to spray your garage.

You can expect to spend between $150 and $350 to hire an exterminator to spray your garage. Many exterminators also offer service plans, which include spraying your garage a few times throughout the year. This is worth looking into if you live in a climate where spiders are active all year.

However, every other method that has been mentioned in this guide is still quite important. There’s a good chance that the exterminator will tell you about many of them. The exterminator may even tell you to declutter before they spray, as that will ensure the process is more effective.

Summing It Up

Spiders love garages because they’re dark, comfortable, and often full of insects they love to eat. You can deter spiders if you keep your garage clean and spray it with essential oils, like peppermint and eucalyptus. Otherwise, you can hire an exterminator if nothing else works to keep spiders out of your garage.

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