How To Keep Spiders Out Of Your San Diego County Home

Spiders That Make Eggs Sacs In Their Webs

There are some spider species that create egg sacs in their webs. An egg sac can have 2 to 1,000 eggs inside it, depending on the species. The average number of eggs that hatch from a sac in San Diego County yards is about 300. That's a lot of spiderlings.

If you would prefer to not have your spider population climb by the hundreds, here are a few tips:

• Use a web-removal tool to get rid of spider webs as soon as you detect them.
• If you detect an egg sac in the webbing you've collected, you can burn it or you can treat it.
• As a general rule, store your web-removal tool away from your home or keep it inside a sealed bag.
• For webs that are in high locations, you'll need to create a way to attach the web-removal tool to the tip of a long pole.

Spiders That Create Multiple Webs

There are some spider species that create several webs and tend them all. A female spider from one of these species can lay an egg sac in her web or carry it with her as she moves about your home. Whether she has stored it in her web or on her body, removing her webs can help to deter her. The webs she creates are not only for birthing her spiderlings, they are for catching food that she and her offspring need. They are her lifeline. If you quickly remove them, she may decide to live somewhere else that is less hostile to her webs.

Spiders That Don't Make Webs

There are some spider species that don't create webs to catch food; instead, they are hunters. They use their impeccable eyesight to locate prey. If one of these spiders gets into your home, you're not going to know it until you see it sitting on the drain in your tub or in some other place where you don't want it to be.

You can prevent these, and other spiders, from getting into your home by considering how they get in and taking measures and implementing some helpful spider prevention tips to keep them from doing so. You can:

• Install door sweeps on exterior doors that don't have them.
• Replace damaged or worn-out weather stripping.
• Fill in holes in your window and door frames that have been caused by wood rot and wood-damaging pests.
• Fill in gaps around plumbing and wire conduits.
• If your home has weep holes, make sure they are protected.

Spiders That Prefer Flying Insects

Many spider species eat flying insects so they want to live in locations that have flying insects. If flies are getting into your home, you shouldn't be surprised to find spiders as well. If flies are hanging out around your trash bins, don't be surprised to find spider webs or spiders.

Here are a few tips to help you control insects and reduce spiders:

• Keep lights off at night where it isn't a security concern. If light must be left on, consider replacing white lights with yellow lights.
• Make sure all your door and window screens are in good working condition.
• Check potted plants for fungus fly activity before bringing them into your home.
• Store fruit in your fridge to help prevent a fruit fly infestation.
• Remove your trash weekly to prevent odors from attracting flies. If your trash receptacles develop an odor, disinfect the receptacles.
• If you have a dog that leaves droppings in your yard, stay on top of clean-up. Animal waste is a strong attractant for flies.

Spiders That Prefer Bugs And Reptiles

Some spiders, particularly dangerous spiders, prefer larger prey. These spiders will hang out in brush piles, stacks of wood, and underneath exterior structures. They'll roam your landscaping and look for prey in dense areas. While these spiders don't prefer to get into your home, they can get in by accident.

They can also surprise you while you're tending your landscaping. You can help prevent them, if you:

• Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed.
• Remove unnecessary vegetation.
• Remove leaf litter.
• Store sticks away from your exterior walls or burn them as you collect them.
• Address moisture conditions, such as clogged gutters.

Spiders That Hide In Holes

There are some spiders that like to hide in holes. If you have any ground holes in your yard, or holes in stones, wood, and other materials, it is a good idea to fill them in if you can. Also, remove any yard clutter. Spiders hide in, around, and under yard clutter. Fewer spiders in your yard will result in fewer troubles with spiders in your home.