When the Alabama skies open up during spring and summer, it doesn’t just bring flowers and green grass. It also brings out critters, especially spiders. If you’re wondering why you’re seeing more of them during wet weather, it’s because the rain flushes them out of their outdoor hiding spots and drives them inside. Fortunately, you can take simple steps to stop them from turning your home into theirs.
Key Takeaways
- Rain pushes spiders inside, especially through small gaps around garages, windows, and baseboards.
- Sealing cracks, vacuuming webbing, and clearing yard clutter are your first defense.
- Spiders often signal other pest problems like mites or cockroaches.
- Dangerous species like the brown recluse and black widow need professional help.
Why Spiders Come Inside When It Rains
Rainy weather doesn’t just dampen your plans; it disrupts where spiders live, too. Flooded mulch beds, soggy basements, and soaked crawl spaces push them out and into dry areas, like your home.
Garages, windowsills, and baseboards are common entry points that they take advantage of. To prevent spiders during Alabama’s rainy season, seal, clean, and maintain your home’s structure.
Seal Up Entry Points Before the Weather Turns
Start with a walk around your house. Look for gaps around windows, doors, baseboards, and especially near your garage. Spiders can fit through cracks as thin as a pencil
Add weather stripping to doors, seal cracks with caulk, and pay extra attention to crevices where pipes or wires enter your home. Don’t forget the attic and basement, which stay damp longer and are spider favorites.
Clear Out Webbing and Egg Sacs
Even a single web left untouched invites more arachnids. Use a vacuum with a hose attachment to remove spider webs, egg sacs, and spiders you find along ceilings, corners, and around windows. This is especially important in basements, garages, and attics. Dispose of the vacuum contents immediately in a sealed bag outside.
Clean Regularly to Avoid a Bigger Infestation
Spiders go where their food is. That means if you’re seeing house spiders, there’s a good chance you also have other pests like cockroaches, mites, or even flies.
Regular vacuuming and dusting keep down the insect population and make your home less appealing. Use a spray bottle with vinegar or essential oils like peppermint or tea tree to wipe down windowsills and baseboards.
Don’t Forget the Yard
Spiders nest in mulch, leaves, and woodpiles, all things Alabama yards have plenty of. Keep piles of wood and compost away from your home. Trim back bushes and remove standing water, which attracts the insects that spiders eat. If you have termite or cockroach issues outside, spiders won’t be far behind.
Know the Types of Spiders in Alabama
In addition to house spiders and wolf spiders, Alabama is home to venomous species like the brown recluse and black widow. These spiders prefer undisturbed places and often show up in garages, basements, and closets.
You can’t always spot them easily, but their bites are serious. If you think you’ve found black widow spiders or brown recluse spiders, it’s time to bring in an exterminator.
Black widow spiders are shiny, black, and about the size of a paperclip, often with a red hourglass mark. Brown recluse spiders are smaller, with a violin-shaped marking on their back. They hide in shoes, boxes, and storage areas that don’t get much traffic.
While these spiders don’t go looking for a fight, they’ll bite if they feel trapped. Both species can cause serious skin reactions or require medical attention. If you’re not sure what kind of spider you’re dealing with, don’t take chances. Call pest control and let a professional identify and deal with it safely.
Make Your Home Less Attractive to Spiders
Aside from sealing cracks and cleaning regularly, think about long-term habits. Avoid leaving piles of laundry or cardboard boxes sitting around, especially in basements and closets. These items attract not only spiders but also roaches and other pests. A clean, dry space with minimal clutter is your best shot at staying pest-free.
You should also address lighting. Outdoor lights attract moths and other insects that spiders love to eat. Consider switching to yellow-tinted bulbs or motion-activated lights to cut down on activity near your doors and windows.
Indoors, dust regularly, especially in corners, ceilings, and under furniture where spider webs start. Even moving furniture occasionally can help disrupt their patterns.
If you store holiday decorations or seasonal clothes in garages or attics, seal them in plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes. That small change alone can reduce hiding spots. The fewer spots spiders have to settle in, the less likely they are to stick around.
When to Call Pest Control
Sometimes, spider prevention isn’t enough. If you’re seeing wolf spiders regularly or finding multiple egg sacs, it’s likely a bigger infestation. Magic City Pest Control can inspect and treat entry points and hiding spots. We offer year-round pest control services that keep spiders and other pests out no matter the season.
From sealing entry points to dealing with full-blown infestations, just give us a call, and our professional pest control team knows exactly how to handle the challenges that come with Alabama’s rainy season. We understand the kinds of pests homeowners here face and how to get rid of spiders before they become a serious problem.
