Keep Spiders Out Of The House With One Easy Door Addition

Many people are uncomfortable with spiders in their homes, whether due to unsightly webs they leave behind, fear of venomous species like black widow spiders, or simply a general aversion to these creatures. While most common house spiders are harmless and pose no threat to humans, if you're inclined to keep these eight-legged critters out, then it's essential to know how they get in.

One common way spiders enter your home is by hitching a ride on items you bring inside, such as camping gear, plants, bags, or moving boxes from your old residence. To prevent this, it's a good practice to thoroughly inspect the items you bring into your home. Another, more straightforward way pests can enter your home, though, is through any openings. This includes holes in walls, windows, doors, and cracks or gaps. They can also find their way in through chimneys, vents, and pipes. 

However, the most common entry point for pests is likely the same way you enter: through the doors.

Entomologist Thomas Dobrinska shared with Family Handyman that the key to fixing your spider problem is making it so they don't get inside in the first place. As he explained, "Preventing spiders, and most pests for that matter, from entering the home altogether is the most important aspect of pest management."

While not easily detectable, there are likely small gaps in your door, including those between the door and door frame and the door and the floor, that give these little critters access to your home. While weather stripping is an excellent way to bug-proof the long vertical edges on your doors, installing door sweeps will place a barricade against spiders, bugs, and even mice at the bottom of your door.

Since many spiders just walk right into your home, door sweeps can help a great deal with your spider problem. Door sweeps are a type of weatherstripping you mount to the bottom of your door, forming a seal between the bottom of your door and the surrounding floor. Because this is the biggest gap in your door, it's the first thing to tackle if you want to avoid spiders.

If you enjoy having your windows and doors open during the day for fresh air, consider installing screen doors and windows to keep insects out. If you have a yard, a good prevention strategy is to keep it unattractive to spiders.

Spiders are attracted to areas where their prey, like flies, are abundant. That said, one spider-attracting cleaning mistake is outdoor trash maintenance — and keeping your outdoor trash cans clean and sealed can prevent drawing unwanted spiders to your home. You may also need to modify insect magnets like exterior lights, or at least turn them off at night. The lights from your windows can attract insects, too, so drawing the curtains at night can be a simple yet effective solution.

In your yard, natural spider habitats include weeds, foliage, and shrubs. Keeping your yard well-maintained will help deter them. The same principle applies indoors. A cluttered house offers many hiding spots for spiders. Regular cleaning and decluttering can significantly reduce the likelihood of spiders finding a comfortable spot in your home. If you love diffusing, you can also diffuse essential oils that spiders can't stand but you'll love, to help deter spiders from entering your home.