Many people are scared of them, but for the most part, spiders are pretty harmless creatures. They prey on other insects, so they can be very beneficial to have around, however, you may not wish to have them inside of your home. If you live in Northern Virginia, there is really only one type of venomous spider that you need to be concerned with, and that is the Black Widow. You can take precautions and eliminate the places where spiders like to hide.

Five Reasons You Might Have Spiders

While spiders do prefer to live outside, they will wander into your house if given the chance; especially as the weather turns cooler and/or damp. Dark, dry places are conducive conditions for spiders to dwell. Many spiders, including Black Widows, can be found in wood piles, in shrubs or other foliage. They can also be found in barns, your home’s attic or basement, crawl spaces, and under your porch. Spiders will also live in rocky areas, such as in stone steps or in rocky walls.

Reason One: Firewood

If you have a wood burning fire place that you actively use, you will probably have a wood pile near your home’s exterior. This is a perfect hiding place for spiders. To make sure you keep spiders outside, be careful when transporting wood from your wood pile inside of your home. It is recommended that you drop each log on the ground to dislodge spiders and keep the wood pile several feet from your house.

Reason Two: Outdoor Lights

While they are not necessarily attracted to your shining outdoor lights, other insects can be found hovering around them. These insects are food sources for spiders, so they will draw spiders toward the areas where your outdoor lights are burning. Switch to yellow sodium vapor lights if your outdoor lights need to be turned on. Insects are less attracted to those bulbs, which means there will be fewer insects and fewer spiders looking to feed.

Reason Three: Vegetation

If you have plants, shrubs or other vegetation growing around your home, you may be providing spiders a great place to live with easy access into your home. Trim overgrown shrubs, remove ivy and place potted places away from the perimeter of your house to keep spiders out of your home.

Reason Four: Poor Cleaning Habits

If you have food crumbs laying around on your counters or floors, you will attract insects into your home who are looking for food. Spiders will then be attracted to the other insects and follow them into your home. Keep your counters wiped down, sweep and vacuum on a regular basis, and remove clutter. Place food and other belongings in plastic containers inside of cardboard boxes to prevent spiders from hiding in them.

Reason Five: Easy Access

Check your house for cracks where spiders can crawl into your home and use caulk to seal cracks and crevices when you find them. Repair torn window screens and use mesh insect screens on vents and chimneys to prevent access.