There are pests you don’t want crawling around inside your Lincoln home, and then there are those that you need to stay outside. One pest that should absolutely not be allowed to invade your living areas is the black widow spider. This extremely dangerous arachnid poses serious health risks to residents and their pets. To help you deter black widows, here are some helpful prevention tips to try.
Why Black Widow Spiders Invade Homes
Your home might have trouble with black widow spiders for a few reasons. One of the main reasons these pests come indoors is to hunt for other pests. If you didn’t know, black widow spiders live by catching and feeding on insects, arthropods, and other arachnids. They catch their prey by building irregular webs low to the ground, between posts, or in the corners of rooms. They will also build their webs inside of storage areas where other pests are known for hiding.
How A Deep Clean Helps Deter Pests
Although spiders do not need a cluttered environment to feel comfortable, many of their prey does. By keeping your living areas clean and tidy, you will make it less comfortable to a wide range of pests and, in turn, reduce the black widow’s ability to find food indoors. Some things we specifically recommend you do include washing beneath large appliances and furniture, organizing storage areas to minimize free space, and addressing food and moisture messes as they happen.
Some Exclusion Tips To Seal Your Home’s Exterior
Both spiders and the pests they invade to hunt use damage in the exterior of homes to get inside. To make sure your home’s exterior is properly sealed, here are some great exclusion tips to try.
- Repair or replace window and door screens that are torn, broken, or installed improperly.
- Check the condition of your home’s weatherstripping. Replace damaged strips as needed.
- Make sure all of your exterior doors are protected with door sweeps.
- Close doors and windows when they are not in use.
- Use a caulking gun to seal off holes, gaps, and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation and spacing around utility piping and wires.
The Benefits of Moisture Control
All pests need at least a small amount of moisture to survive. To address moisture problems around your home and property, fix leaky piping, eliminate sources of water build-up, use a dehumidifier indoors, and make sure your gutters are in good working condition. In addition to these things, pour out any water that collects on your property after it rains.
Why You Should Turn Off Your Exterior Lights At Night
Many pests are attracted to homes by exterior lights. To make your home less visible to invasive pests, turn off your exterior lights at night. If you would like to keep your lights on, many LED options are much less alluring to pests or even deter them in a small way.
The Best Solution To Keep Out Black Widow Spiders
No amount of do-it-yourself (DIY) will guarantee your safety from black widow spiders. The only way to ensure these pests do not invade your home is to invest in professional pest services. At Pro Active Pest Control, we offer detailed services to deter invasive, annoying, dangerous, and destructive pests. We will implement defensive treatments in targeted areas to eliminate pests as they try to break into your living areas. We will also handle any existing infestations you are dealing with.
Call us today to learn more about our general pest control options or to schedule your Lincoln property for emergency spider removal.