If it feels like spiders suddenly appear everywhere once fall arrives, you are not imagining it. The cooler months are when spiders become most noticeable indoors, turning up in corners, basements, garages and the odd bathtub. Most are harmless and even helpful, but few people want them sharing the house, and in the Treasure Valley a couple are worth keeping an eye on. Here is why spiders show up in fall, how to get rid of them, and how to keep them from coming back.
Spiders become more visible in fall as males roam indoors searching for mates and some seek shelter from the cold. To get rid of them, remove their food source by controlling other insects, clear webs and clutter where they hide, and seal gaps around doors, windows and the foundation to keep them out. Most house spiders are harmless, but in the Treasure Valley it is worth being able to recognise the hobo and black widow spiders.
Here is how to handle a fall spider problem.
Why spiders appear in fall
The fall spider surge has a specific cause, and it is not that spiders suddenly invade from outside in huge numbers. Many of the spiders you notice have been around all along, but in fall the males become far more active, roaming in search of a mate, which is why you suddenly see them crossing floors and walls in the open rather than hidden away. At the same time, as it cools, some spiders do seek the shelter and warmth of indoors, and the insects spiders feed on move inside too, bringing the spiders with them. The result is that fall is simply when spiders become most visible, even if your home’s spider population has not really grown.
Cut off their food source
Here is the key insight that makes spider control actually work: spiders are predators, and they go where the food is. They come into your home to eat other insects, so a home with lots of flies, moths, ants and other bugs is a home with lots of spiders. This means the most effective long-term way to reduce spiders is to reduce the insects they feed on. Controlling the general insect population in and around your home removes the buffet that draws spiders in, and they move on or never arrive. This is why broad pest control, rather than just squashing spiders one by one, is what genuinely keeps spider numbers down.
Clear their hiding spots
Spiders love undisturbed, cluttered, dark places to build webs and hide, so making your home less hospitable helps a lot. Regularly remove webs and egg sacs with a vacuum or broom, inside and around the outside of the house, which both reduces the current population and discourages new webs. Declutter storage areas, garages, basements and closets where spiders like to settle undisturbed, and keep these spaces tidier and more frequently used. Outside, move firewood and debris away from the walls and clear vegetation against the house, since these are prime spider habitat right next to your entry points. A clean, clutter-free, regularly disturbed space is simply far less attractive to spiders.
Seal them out
As with most fall pests, keeping spiders out is better than dealing with them inside, and that means sealing entry points. Check and seal gaps around doors and windows, fit or repair weatherstripping and door sweeps, and close up cracks in the foundation and gaps where pipes and cables enter the house. Make sure window screens are intact. Reducing outdoor lighting near doors, or switching to bulbs that attract fewer insects, also helps indirectly, since fewer insects drawn to the house means fewer spiders following them in. Sealing works hand in hand with insect control, denying spiders both the entrances and the food that bring them indoors.
The Treasure Valley spiders to know
The vast majority of spiders you will see are harmless and actually beneficial, since they eat other pests, so there is no need to fear every spider in the house. That said, in our area it is worth being able to recognise two with a more serious bite: the black widow, glossy black with a red hourglass marking underneath, which likes undisturbed spots like woodpiles, sheds and garages, and the hobo spider, a brown funnel-web spider found in the region. Most encounters even with these are uncommon and bites are rare, but if you are finding them around the home, or simply want peace of mind, that is a good reason to bring in professional help rather than investigating a web by hand.
When to call a professional
If spiders are a persistent problem, if you are finding concerning species like widows, or if you would rather just not deal with them, professional pest control is the efficient solution, and it works precisely because it tackles the whole picture. A professional reduces the insect population that feeds the spiders, treats the areas where spiders harbour, clears webs and egg sacs, and helps seal them out, all using methods that are safe around your family and pets. Our organic pest control manages spiders and the insects they hunt the kid and pet safe way, and an ongoing pest control program keeps them down year-round. Serving Nampa and the Treasure Valley for over twenty years, we know the local spiders and how to keep them outside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there suddenly so many spiders in my house in fall?
Mostly because male spiders become very active in fall searching for mates, so you see them roaming in the open rather than hidden. Some also seek shelter from the cold, and the insects they feed on move indoors too. Fall is simply when spiders become most visible.
How do I get rid of spiders in my house?
Reduce the insects they feed on, since spiders go where the food is, then clear webs and egg sacs, declutter their hiding spots, and seal gaps around doors, windows and the foundation to keep them out. Tackling their food and shelter works far better than squashing them one by one.
What is the best way to prevent spiders long term?
Control the general insect population in and around your home, because that removes the food source drawing spiders in. Combine that with regular web removal, decluttering, and sealing entry points. Broad pest control, rather than spider-by-spider efforts, is what keeps numbers down.
Are house spiders dangerous?
The vast majority are harmless and even beneficial, since they eat other pests. In the Treasure Valley it is worth recognising the black widow, glossy black with a red hourglass underneath, and the hobo spider, as these have more serious bites, though encounters and bites are uncommon.
How do I keep spiders out of my house?
Seal gaps around doors, windows, the foundation and utility entries, repair weatherstripping and screens, clear webs regularly, and reduce clutter and outdoor lighting that attracts insects. Keeping their food and their entrances to a minimum is what keeps spiders outside.
Should I call pest control for spiders?
It is worth it if spiders are persistent, if you find concerning species like widows, or if you would rather not deal with them. Professional control works because it reduces the insects spiders feed on, treats harbour areas, and seals them out, using family and pet safe methods.
Take back the corners
Fall spiders are mostly a visibility problem rather than an invasion, but that does not make them welcome. Cut off the insects they feed on, clear their webs and hiding spots, and seal them out, and you can enjoy the season without a spider in every corner.
Organic Solutions has kept Treasure Valley homes comfortable and pest-free for over twenty years, from Nampa and Meridian to Boise, Eagle, Kuna and beyond, with family and pet safe methods. To get spiders under control this fall, request a free estimate or call us on 208 884 8986.
