Why Are There So Many Spiders Outside My House? (6 Likely Reasons)
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Codee Chessher
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Depending on the year, it sometimes seems like we’ve been seeing growing spider populations around our houses, leading to the question posed by this article. Is there something environmental that is causing this, or is there something around my house that is attracting them? Let’s check out some of the potential reasons you’re seeing so many spiders around your house below.
The 6 Reasons Why There Are So Many Spiders Outside
1. Food Sources
Like all animals, spiders will move to find sustainable sources of prey to live and reproduce. Without food, spiders will leave the area to seek out a better spot. If you’re seeing lots of spiders, there are likely a lot of bugs in the area.
Follow the food chain all the way down and you’ll find plants. By keeping your yard neatly mowed, you can reduce the number of bug populations that spiders feast on. Decomposing lawn clippings may be good for your lawn and plants, but they also encourage bug and spider population growth.
If you leave food out sometimes, try to keep all food sealed in airtight containers. Barbecuing? Break out the Tupperware to keep food away from airborne pests. This will help discourage bugs from coming inside your house and spiders from following. Organic matter and residue in your sink, garbage disposal, or trash cans can attract bugs too, so keep them clean.
2. Gaps in Your Home
If there are spiders outside your house, they’re probably inside too. Much like other tiny pests, spiders can squeeze into the tiniest cracks and get into your walls, attic, basement, or gaps between your walls.
Once spiders get in, it’s likely that others will follow. Plus, they’ll lay eggs! If your outside spider friends are getting inside, take some caulk and seal all the gaps in your walls, floors, and literally any other type of gap to the outside you can find. Torn screens are another one to look for.
3. You’ve Already Got Spiders
Confused? It makes perfect sense, actually. Spiders make webs and then eventually abandon them when they leave or die. Other spiders will seek out these webs to use them like eight-legged squatters.
Removing spider webs will encourage spiders to leave, especially if you’re taking the multipronged approach and eliminating the local bug population at the same time. Use a broom or vacuum cleaner to suck up all spiderwebs in and around your home and you’ll immediately notice a difference.
4. Keep Things Dry
It’s hard to manage moisture outside, but you can do your best by reducing how often you water your lawn and plants, assuming you already do. Stagnant pools of water are prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which are both irritating and perennial favorite meals for spiders. Adding a slanting grade ending in gravel to your property can help water drain and reduce mosquitoes and other bugs too.
5. Turn Off Outdoor Lights
Mosquitoes, moths, and other flying insects flock to light. Spiders consider porches and other outdoor lit areas as buffets, so just start turning off the lights. If you prefer to keep the lights on, replace your bulbs with yellow sodium bulbs that don’t attract insects.
You’d think a bug zapper would help here, but it actually just kills the bugs, which spiders scoop up and eat. Repelling the bugs is far more effective at controlling spider populations outside your house.
6. Attractive Odors
Even if you’ve done your best to keep things dry, changing your bulbs, and so on, spiders may still be hanging around. You can’t see them, but tasty food-like odors may be attracting spiders. You can combat this by misting essential oils like peppermint and citrus oil in corners and other areas you want to repel spiders from. Adding a few drops of dish soap can even prove fatal if you have a particularly bad spider problem.
Conclusion
Spiders are generally beneficial to have around the house because they eat insects, but they can easily become a menace. These are a few of the major reasons that spiders may be hanging out around your home, and we’ll bet you notice a difference by addressing them swiftly.
Featured Image Credit: Baskoro Pakusadewo, Shutterstock
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