Garages provide a perfect habitat for spiders to thrive in. Spiders are always in search of food, moisture, and an ideal place to build their nests. Unfortunately, garages present these factors in abundance.
These frightful 8-eyed, 8-legged creatures feed on flying insects and other invading pests such as cockroaches, fleas, moths, crickets, ticks, and more. They are also attracted to moist and undisturbed places with little to no lighting.
It's true that though extremely terrifying, spiders pose more nuisance than any health hazards. However, these furry pests should never be left to take residence in your garage. Spider bites have been reported to trigger severe reactions in some people, accompanied by symptoms such as sore bumps, aches on the bitten area, and fever.
Some types of spiders, like the black widow and hobo spiders, are poisonous. A bite from these spiders is risky, causing breathing problems, severe headaches, and excruciating muscle cramps that require immediate medical attention. If you suspect or run into any signs of a spider infestation in your garage, the safest thing to do is contact professional pest exterminators to inspect and get rid of the spiders while preventing chances of re-infestations.
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What Attracts Spiders Into My Garage?
When keeping spiders out of your garage, the most important thing to understand is why they are there in the first place. This way, you can take proactive measures to keep the unwanted guests away, for instance, by eliminating all food sources and sealing all possible spider-entry points.
Easy access to food: Spiders are never really after you or your loved ones. In fact, these primarily harmless creatures come to help create a pest-free environment. Spiders tend to follow their prey closely. So if there's a steady supply of insects in your garage, spiders will be happy to take residence and multiply rapidly.
Dark and damp conditions: Spiders envy dark, undisturbed places with little to no traffic. The moist parts in your garage make the perfect playground and hunting place for spiders searching for prey.
Improper garbage disposal: Uncovered trash cans will attract filthy pests like cockroaches and flies into your garage, in turn attracting spiders.
Unfavorable climates outside: When the weather gets tough outside, like during autumn or when it's too cold, spiders will seek refuge in your garage. Your garage provides the best environment for the pests to mate and produce young ones.
Improper insulation: How did spiders get into my garage? This is a commonly asked question by home and business owners when they spot a spider infestation. Naturally, garages are a prime environment for spiders, thanks to the dark, moist corners. The presence of any gaps in your foundation, cracks, and crevices in your walls, or open doors and windows make perfect entry points for spiders.
8 Effective Tips To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Garage
Now that you know the factors attracting spiders into your garage, the best way to keep them away is by eliminating or minimizing these factors. Below are the best tips on how to prevent these fearsome intruders from lurking around:
1. Get Rid Of Pests
The best way to keep spiders out of your garage is by eliminating all their possible food sources. Spiders survive on insect meals. Therefore, if you treat your garage with the most effective insecticides, you literally destroy their food supply, and they will have no reason to invade your garage.
However, DIY pest control is often unsuccessful, leaving a few pests lurking around. The most accurate thing to do is contact the best pest control company to exterminate all insects and treat the outsides of your garage. The experts will then create a protective barrier to prevent pest re-infestation.
2. Keep Your Garage Clean And Dry At All Times
Spiders tend to frequent dirty and dusty areas. Dirt provides an ideal hiding and nesting place for spiders and other insects. Regularly vacuum, sweep all corners, and eliminate any grime or spilled foods to discourage pests.
Cleaning also works to kill spiders and destroy any eggs that you might have missed during treatment. Spiders have a soft abdomen that is easily popped during vacuuming. You should also ensure that all moisture is dried up before leaving your garage.
3. Get Rid Of Clutter
An organized and tidy garage keeps spiders away. Clutter, empty boxes, and piles of unused papers create a perfect place for spiders to hide. Get rid of all unused materials, eliminate any clutter, and keep things tidy.
If, for some reason, you can't move the empty boxes out of the garage, it's best if you keep them organized and away from the wall where spiders bustle about. You may consider investing in storage cabinets to ensure a more organized environment.
4. Throw Out What You Don't Use
Don't accumulate things that you last used decades ago in your garage. Chances are that you might never use these items again. Worse still, spiders aren't picky and will hide in wooden materials, plastics, and metallic items as well. They especially love to lay their eggs in the undisturbed junk. Eliminate all unused items, or consider arranging them neatly in a box and seal it tightly.
5. Embrace Recycling
Unused containers attract arachnids and provide them with a safe place to breed and raise their young ones. Keeping spiders away means eliminating all the possible places they can thrive. You can achieve this by filling all unused containers tightly with items and sealing them. Spiders and other bugs keep off sealed containers.
6. Keep The Lights Off
Spiders are indeed attracted to the dark corners and crevices. However, leaving the lights on won't keep them away either. In fact, light tends to attract a spider infestation in your garage. How? Spiders locate and follow their prey closely. Insects such as moths are insanely attracted to artificial lighting. Long story short, where moths are, spiders lay close by.
Keep spiders away from your garage by using natural sunlight in the day and leaving the lights off at night.
7. Seal Off All Possible Entry Points
Spiders are agile coaches. Meaning, unlike other pests, spiders can squeeze even through the tiniest of holes and cracks on the roof into your garage. Because there's frequent traffic in and out of the garage, these opportunistic creatures crawl inside via the open doors and find a perfect hiding spot.
Inspect your garage keenly to spot any cracks, holes, or crevices on walls, roofs, or around the foundation. You can easily fix these errors using caulk, which you can buy from a local hardware store.
Check to see if the weather stripping around your door is intact. Finally, ensure that windows close tightly. If need be, invite a pest expert to install protective screens over your garage windows and doors.
8. Use Spider Repellent Sprays
Because of their behavior, spiders are especially challenging to get rid of on your own. If you ever examined one closely, you'll quickly notice that they walk on their tippy-toes. Hence, they rarely come in contact with enough treatment to kill them. Your best chance is to use the best spider repellent sprays to deter and keep them away from your garage.
Spiders bite when they feel threatened, and if not used appropriately, spider sprays can pose health risks to children and pets. Follow the instructions on the labeling carefully while targeting spider activity areas like windows and walls.
For those looking to avoid using chemicals to repel spiders, below are the most effective natural and homemade spider treatments.
The Most Effective Homemade Remedies To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Garage Naturally
Even the best spider sprays may be toxic to you, your loved ones, and your pets. Unless applied by a trained expert, spider treatments can cause sicknesses and life-threatening breathing symptoms when inhaled.
Chemical pest treatments are better off left to the trained professionals. Thankfully, there is a boatload of natural and safe options to keep spiders away from your garage:
Peppermint Oil
Spiders hate the smell exuded by peppermint oil and will avoid it by all means. One amazing fact about arachnids is that they smell odors and taste flavors with their feet; therefore, spiders will keep off crawling through such pungent smells.
Peppermint leaves and plants also possess insecticide properties. Place them in spider activity areas, and they'll keep off.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Thanks to its powerful acidic properties, apple cider vinegar effectively keeps spiders away from your garage. They dread the bitter taste and strong vinegar aroma and will crawl out of your property without you needing to move a muscle.
Citrus
Spiders will keep off citrus worse than they do vinegar. Apparently, spiders consider the fresh, clean smell released by citrus fruits terrible! Luckily for you, all you need to do is sun dry some citrus peels, grind them and sprinkle the highly effective powder in places where spiders frequent (they'll hate you for it). Sprinkle the powder every few days, and the spiders will soon disappear.
Tobacco
Nearly all bugs, including spiders, hate the strong tobacco smell. You can effectively use this natural repellent against them. Prepare a thick dough using flour, tobacco, and warm water. Roll small balls and strategically place them in your garage, targeting places where you've spotted spiders.
You can also prepare a tobacco spray by adding some tobacco to hot water. Let it simmer for a few minutes, shake well and filter the liquid into a spray bottle. Spray targeted areas in the garage but be careful because this liquid can colorate bright surfaces, including walls.
Professional Spider Control Services
Spiders are pesky pests that can be hard to get rid of on your own. Often, homeowners have reported unsuccessful DIY spider control. That's because, with time, spiders have developed some pesticide resistance and mastered their way around the commonly used treatments.
Professional pest control experts are trained in all the ways, behaviors, and tricks of arachnids. They will do a detailed inspection of your entire garage to identify the exact spider species causing you trouble. They will also discover the factors attracting the annoying pests into your garage and reveal all spider entry points.
Based on these findings, the experts will customize the most effective treatment plan that will get rid of the spiders and provide long-term protection from chances of re-infestations. They will also advise you on the best proactive measures to keep spiders away for good!
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