Why Are There So Many Spiders In My House In The Summer?
Countless people look forward to summer each year, hoping to enjoy their garden and spend time outside. However, it's also a time when spiders and other bugs come out to enjoy the warm weather, and you may find them in places you’d rather not. So, why are there so many spiders in my house in the summer?
You may find more spiders in your house during the summer because spiders head indoors for food, water, and shelter. The bugs that spiders eat, such as mosquitoes and flies, often go indoors to beat the heat, and spiders follow them. You’re more likely to find spiders inside if your home is cluttered and the humidity exceeds 50%.
It’s important to be careful if you have brown recluse or black widow spiders in your home. In that case, you must be careful when decluttering to ensure you don’t get bitten. Follow along as we explore why there are so many spiders inside during the summer and highlight some easy solutions.
Why Are There So Many Spiders Inside In The Summer?
Whether it's due to the weather or food sources in your home, spiders head indoors during hot weather for many reasons. If this bothers you, the issue can be resolved more easily if you understand why it happens. The uptick of spiders in your house likely comes from a few key factors, such as:
1. Escape The Heat
Spiders head indoors to escape cold temperatures during fall and winter and they also do so during the peak of summer when trying to escape the heat. That means that you’ll likely find more spiders in your home, which can make life a bit uncomfortable. That’s especially true if your exterior walls and entry doors have lots of gaps and cracks that spiders can easily crawl through.
Your best bet is to install door sweeps or weatherstripping on your doors to keep spiders at bay. It’s also a good idea to seal the gaps in your windows and exterior walls. Some spiders may still make it into your house, but the problem will be more manageable.
2. Food Sources
Besides spiders, you may also see more flies, mosquitoes, gnats, silverfish, moths, and other bugs outside. If so, that can explain why there are so many spiders inside this summer. Most common household spiders rely on a steady diet of flying insects and other bugs, including other spiders, and that can bring them indoors. The good news is these spiders will serve as natural pest control professionals in your home.
However, the downside is that you must now deal with a thriving spider population. Your best bet is to prioritize pest control so you can get rid of the other bugs to deter spiders. Sealing gaps and cracks in your home is the best option, but it also helps to use natural methods, like diatomaceous earth. Scatter it on the ground in front of your doors and on your windowsills to deter bugs and keep spiders away.
3. Moisture
Excessive indoor humidity is bad for many reasons, especially if you want to prevent mold and keep spiders out of your home. Humidity is at the root of many spider infestations, as it’s important to them and their prey. Spiders, bugs and insects often struggle to find moisture during the peak of summer, and they search it out. That’s why you often find flies, gnats, and mosquitoes in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms during the summer.
These damp hot spots become the ultimate hunting grounds, plus spiders will dry out without water. You’re more likely to find spiders and other bugs in your home if the indoor humidity exceeds 50%. You can easily reduce your home’s humidity to 30%-50% using a dehumidifier. Place it in room with high humidity levels.
4. Seasonal Mating
Spiders in the United States typically mate throughout the summer until October and usually peaks in August, but many people find baby spiders in their homes all summer long. While spiders don’t necessarily go into people’s houses solely to mate, it where they can fins a find mating partner. This often coincides with heat waves, in which spiders already want to go indoors to avoid unpleasant conditions outside. If you want to disrupt the mating process, place glue traps in humid rooms, corners, and behind or underneath furniture.
5. Clutter
Not everyone has time for annual spring cleaning, however, the clutter in your home is largely responsible for the spiders you keep finding during the summer. They love clutter as much as they love food, and the two are more intertwined than you may think. Shy and clever, spiders know that they can catch prey more easily when hiding. In nature, you typically find spiders hidden in discreet webs, dense shrubs, debris, and leaf piles.
Many other household pests gravitate toward clutter, where spiders will ambush and eat them. Spiders also love clutter because it provides comfortable cover during the mating season. Declutter your house, but be careful when moving items if your home has brown recluses. Brown recluse spiders mostly bite when disturbed, which can happen during decluttering.
Do Insecticides Work On Spiders?
Not all insecticides work on spiders, so it’s important to carefully research products before using them. Spiders aren’t insects, so insecticides don’t affect them in the way they do insects, such as ants. As well, spiders don’t groom themselves or each other, which limits how easily the chemicals can enter their systems. There used to be a myth stating that insecticides don’t kill spiders because spiders hold their breath upon contact.
That’s not true at all, as they would need stop breathing for days while the chemicals are active. You’re unlikely to be successful with pest control products unless you use one that’s formulated for spiders. You’re better off using synthetic pyrethroid liquid sprays and insecticidal dusts. That said, many people have the best luck with glue traps behind and beneath their furniture or under their cabinets.
Are There More House Spiders Inside In The Summer Or Winter?
House spiders are typically more active in the summer, but they remain active through the fall. Many spiders head indoors during the fall and winter to escape cold weather and food shortages. In nature, spiders become dormant during the winter, and that carries over when they go indoors. You may still see spiders hunting for prey in your house during the winter.
That’s especially true if you have a pest infestation, as spiders will continually hunt. However, this typically occurs when you fail to address an active pest infestation during the summer and fall, and it carries over into winter. Otherwise, the spiders in your home during the winter will likely stay hidden. Of course, you should still use glue traps during the winter if you’re worried about an infestation.
Summing It Up
Spiders head indoors to escape the heat and find food sources, such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, and flies. They typically stay indoors when they find a comfortable, cluttered spot with humidity that exceeds 50% and a consistent food supply. That’s why it’s so important to declutter your house and run a dehumidifier to keep spiders at bay throughout the summer.
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Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.
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