How to keep spiders out of a room?

[Emotionlessness]

I am on another unrelated forum and someone PM how to keep out a room, I had to tell him I don;t know other than filling cracks, wiping webs away and try spraying some chestnut or peppermint oil around.

I tried google and it pretty much told me this as well, is there anything to do to keep them out, either lethal or non lethal.

 

[Smokehound714]

Clean your home. and dust daily to remove webs.


Or just tolerate them, at the very least. I dont get why people need them out. It's childish to me.


Im sorry if you fear them, but you already got plenty of advice it seems. I will never give information that results in the death of an arachnid.

 

[Emotionlessness]

Clean your home. and dust daily to remove webs.


Or just tolerate them, at the very least. I dont get why people need them out. It's childish to me.


Im sorry if you fear them, but you already got plenty of advice it seems. I will never give information that results in the death of an arachnid.

Lol I have 27 tarantulas I am not afraid of them. Its very ignorant of you to say its childish to be afraid of them, people are scared of things they can't help it just because you like them. Very juvenile.

What I mean about lethal methods is anything that revolves around using something other than pesticides, I am only curious as I had to research this question and can't find anything that works 100% of the time (Some people tried moth balls and they didn't work, some tried peppermint oil and it didn't work etc).

If someone has children and lives in an area where pokies, widows, and wandering spiders are in the house they have every right to be afraid, get off your high horse and respect other peoples feelings.

 

[MarkmD]

Keeping a tidy room does help, but over the years i've noticed that having spiders/T's in the room keeps others from outside coming in, not sure how that works but seems to, other than that buy bug repellent and put it around gaps etc.

 

[Smokehound714]

Lol I have 27 tarantulas I am not afraid of them. Its very ignorant of you to say its childish to be afraid of them, people are scared of things they can't help it just because you like them. Very juvenile.

What I mean about lethal methods is anything that revolves around using something other than pesticides, I am only curious as I had to research this question and can't find anything that works 100% of the time (Some people tried moth balls and they didn't work, some tried peppermint oil and it didn't work etc).

If someone has children and lives in an area where pokies, widows, and wandering spiders are in the house they have every right to be afraid, get off your high horse and respect other peoples feelings.

I would if i could. My horse has pneumatic legs.

 

[The Snark]

OP, you probably have researched various repellents and insecticides. I certainly have on a few occasions. None have proven to be 100% effective against spiderlings. They disperse without the use of olfactory sensing which is the basis of all repellents. Spiderlings have invaded containment areas where methyl bromide has been present in lethal concentrations. As such, they are also highly resistant to most residual insecticides.
Barriers are also only marginally effective as spiderlings will hitch hike on clothing and transported objects as well as ballooning.

So the answer is, there is no answer. Nothing that will completely replace vigilance and diligence.

 

[MarkmD]

+1 I agree with The Snark, and was contemplating on posting back earlier, even if the repellents did work for a time they will ware out, thus you will get more spiders in, especially in slings.

 

[Smokehound714]

IMO, your stress will be greatly reduced if you just tolerate them and learn to see them as just an ordinary everyday thing.

A common complaint is that the homeowners fear for the safety of their children. Is it really so hard to teach a child that a spider can bite and cause an owie?


I mean, of course that's moot if your child has developmental disorders or fails to obey you when you say not to touch.



In the vast majority of cases, even hospitals will refuse to give you or your children antivenin, because simple antihistamines are far more beneficial. You will pass the fear on to your children, leading to the continued hatred of spiders for no real good reason in future generations. this is how pesticide companies make money.

 

[Tongue Flicker]

Clean up, brighten up dark corners, incense i guess works to some degree, keep the room well ventilated to avoid stuffiness/humidity from building up, and spray if the numbers are too severe?!

 

[Smokehound714]

If you have tarantulas in your home (as OP mentioned above), spraying pesticide is a total no-no, and will put the lives of her tarantulas (or other inverts and pets) in danger.

These poisons are designed to kill spiders, and a big tarantula is just as susceptible to bug spray as any other invertebrate.

 

[klawfran3]

IMO, your stress will be greatly reduced if you just tolerate them and learn to see them as just an ordinary everyday thing.

A common complaint is that the homeowners fear for the safety of their children. Is it really so hard to teach a child that a spider can bite and cause an owie?


I mean, of course that's moot if your child has developmental disorders or fails to obey you when you say not to touch.



In the vast majority of cases, even hospitals will refuse to give you or your children antivenin, because simple antihistamines are far more beneficial. You will pass the fear on to your children, leading to the continued hatred of spiders for no real good reason in future generations. this is how pesticide companies make money.

my personal room in the house is a spider haven because I never kill them here. I just let them run around, even though my family crushes every single one of them that dares show its head. I've recently started moving them outside because of how many have started appearing in here. their numbers are getting so out of control that just moving my trunk causes a bunch of them to run out in different directions! I'm all for "live and let live", but there is such a thing as "too many spiders running free about your room."

 

[Python]

I would think repellents would be worse than pesticides since a T can't escape fumes while pesticides at least offer an end to the suffering. I always relocate when I can

 

[Smokehound714]

my personal room in the house is a spider haven because I never kill them here. I just let them run around, even though my family crushes every single one of them that dares show its head. I've recently started moving them outside because of how many have started appearing in here. their numbers are getting so out of control that just moving my trunk causes a bunch of them to run out in different directions! I'm all for "live and let live", but there is such a thing as "too many spiders running free about your room."

It just doesn't bother me. The only squatters I don't tolerate are ants.

In my area monomorium pharaohnis, and s. Invicta are the real pests.

I worry about both killing my specimens, so I guess my home being a wall spider stronghold helps ease my worries.

Oh man, pharaoh ants are the worst! They're basically dwarf fire ants, and they have a ravenous appetite for flesh.. When the infestation was at it's worst, I would wake up to them attempting to eat me alive..

 

[Micrathena]

I would if i could. My horse has pneumatic legs.

Well played.

 

[klawfran3]

It just doesn't bother me. The only squatters I don't tolerate are ants.

In my area monomorium pharaohnis, and s. Invicta are the real pests.

I worry about both killing my specimens, so I guess my home being a wall spider stronghold helps ease my worries.

Oh man, pharaoh ants are the worst! They're basically dwarf fire ants, and they have a ravenous appetite for flesh.. When the infestation was at it's worst, I would wake up to them attempting to eat me alive..

I heard that if you put the legs of your stand in a dish filled with oil, ants won't be able to get to your spiders and your animals will be saved.

 

[awiec]

My grandma would take ripe fruit from maclura pomifera and put it in a bowl in the area she wanted spiders to stay out; she likes spiders but she lived in an old farm house that had an over-whelming number of them. From what I can tell this works similar to peppermint in that the spiders don't care for the smell, but its not lethal.

 

[Lucidd]

Re: It being juvenile not to cater to fears. Not a clean argument but I wanted to add my two cents. If people are comfortable limiting their lives by their fears that is truly their business, but IMO succumbing to fears limits personal growth, which can also be interpreted loosely as being immature. Also consider how many people thoughtlessly crush and kill harmless creatures over such socially reinforced irrational fears. So it might make some who can see beyond these fears, less understanding/tolerant of such behaviors. Fear alone is a poor excuse to kill anything.

Re: Preventing spiders. I've heard that spiders don't like tea tree oil, which also doubles as an effective house cleaner. I don't have much else to offer for help, but I wouldn't recommend poisoning a living space with pest killers unless the spiders appearing in the house are a proven medical threat.

 

[StAugBob]

I know I am late to this thread but that is how I protect my bee hives. I have lots of ants outside. Carpenter and Fire ants are the worst. You have to check the oil moats because the ants will build a bridge across the oil with dead ants occasionally.

 

[The Snark]

Just to reiterate. Spiders on the whole are highly resistant to pesticides. Bottom line: if you have used enough pesticides to make your home spider free, you will have possibly shortened your life span and it is quite possible bone marrow tests a few decades down the road will contain traces of those pesticides. Always keep in mind, NO PESTICIDE is tested for life time exposure. Your health is not on the list of concerns at the chemical manufacturing companies. They follow loose regulations as established by regulatory agencies which are put together by politicians that almost invariably are told when and where to fart by lobbyists on the chemical company payrolls.

 

[awiec]

Just to reiterate. Spiders on the whole are highly resistant to pesticides. Bottom line: if you have used enough pesticides to make your home spider free, you will have possibly shortened your life span and it is quite possible bone marrow tests a few decades down the road will contain traces of those pesticides. Always keep in mind, NO PESTICIDE is tested for life time exposure. Your health is not on the list of concerns at the chemical manufacturing companies. They follow loose regulations as established by regulatory agencies which are put together by politicians that almost invariably are told when and where to fart by lobbyists on the chemical company payrolls.

Hence why I look for naturally derived products, tea tree oil is pretty effect at keeping out most pests and they do not gain resistance as fast as they do to chemicals. The fruit trick also works, its not lethal but still gets the desired results and I have not heard of anyone getting cancer from maclura pomifera being in their home. Many people have lost this traditional knowledge and don't think of anything when they are throwing down some raid; there are numerous remedies that work just as well, cheaper and less detrimental to their health.