Spiders in your Basement? Here’s How to Get Rid of Them

Your basement can be ground zero for a lot of unwanted surprises, as we’ve discussed in our recent blog “You Found Water in your Basement, Now What?” Another unwanted surprise that can surface is the presence of spiders. This blog helps you understand why spider infestations occur, how to get rid of them, and when to seek spider pest control options.

Let’s start with why spiders choose to settle down in your basement.

Why are Spiders in my Basement?

Let’s say you walk downstairs to grab a box from the basement, and you’re surprised to see a large and unwanted spider staring at you from the corner of your basement. These can send chills up your spine and lead you to wonder, “Why did you choose my basement?”

Spiders have a few good reasons for gravitating to basements:

• As solitary creatures, they are drawn to dark, quiet, moist spaces where there is not a lot of activity.
• They like cluttered areas that remain mostly undisturbed.
• Much like other insects, they are drawn indoors to seek shelter from extreme weather like rain, excessive heat or cold conditions.

Once they have found a landing spot that suits the above conditions, their goal is to hide out, find a mate, and create an optimal web to catch prey such as moths, mosquitoes and other flying insects.

Another goal for female spiders is to lay eggs, and these eggs can hatch in as little as one week. This is how a spider infestation can occur rapidly.

How to Get Rid of Spiders

If a female spider has laid eggs, now you might have more than just a single-spider problem. How do you get rid of them?

The first fact to understand is that spiders are mostly harmless. Yes, there are a few species of spiders that you’ll want to look out for, namely the black widow and the brown recluse. Poisonous spider or not, we know that no one wants a “sea of spiders” in their basement (and you certainly don’t want them finding their way into the halls of your home).

So what can you do about it?

There are a number of ways you can repel and remove spiders from your basement:

• First, you’ll need to check your basement for any cracks or openings and then make sure those areas are sealed.
• Because spiders also like moist areas, seek out any damp areas that may exist. If you’re not sure where to look, or what a safe level of moisture is for your basement, feel free to talk to one of our waterproofing experts at Thompson Brothers.
• Next, grab your vacuum or a sturdy broom and sweep the area from the ceiling to the floor. As we’ve discussed, spiders like dusty, cluttered areas, so you’ll want to remove any existing cobwebs that exist. These webs may have eggs in them, so you’re also lessening the chance of an infestation when you do this.
• This is also a great excuse to go through the things in your basement and get rid of anything you don’t need. Spiders like cardboard boxes, so the less you have, the better off you’ll be. You’ll also want to pull boxes away from walls so that they don’t have easy access to them.

Call the Professionals at Thompson Brothers

Despite your best efforts, or when you weren’t looking, it’s easy for a spider infestation to get out of hand. Our spider pest control team at Thompson Brothers can help you identify the problem areas, create a plan, and help eradicate them from your home altogether.

Call us today to learn more about how Thompson Brothers can help with your basement spider problems.

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