Spiders
Spiders Below Street Level
A basement room is rarely disturbed in its corners, stays cool and often has a steady supply of small insects coming in from the lightwell. Spiders build webs where insects arrive and wait. Where spiders hide lists the places to look.
Lightwells
The lightwell outside a basement window gathers leaves, damp and insects, and garden spiders build across it. When the window is opened, or through gaps in an old frame, they come inside. Keeping the lightwell clear of leaves and litter reduces the insects and the spiders that follow them.
Cellars and vaults
Some terraced houses have a cellar, and a few have old storage vaults under the front path. These are dark, rarely visited and ideal for spiders. Why spiders keep appearing in the same rooms explains the pattern.
Boxes stored against a cellar wall, old paint tins and folded rugs give spiders cover and let webs build up out of sight. A single bare bulb that is switched on only now and then does little to disturb them. If a cellar is used for storage, lifting things onto shelves and away from the walls makes it far easier to keep clear, and it shows you quickly whether numbers are going down.
Sash Windows and High Ceilings
Old sash windows often have gaps around the frame and between the sashes, and spiders use them. High ceilings leave corners that are hard to reach with a duster. Reducing spiders around windows and doors has practical steps. In autumn, large house spiders wander in search of mates, and you may see them crossing the floor in the evening.
False Widows and Other Worries
False widow spiders are sometimes found around window frames and in sheds. Bites are rare and usually mild. If you are bitten and it becomes painful or swollen, speak to a pharmacist or GP, and call 999 for signs of a severe allergic reaction. Are there dangerous spiders in Barnet homes? has more.
Another pest behind the spiders?
Lots of spiders can mean lots of insects for them to eat. Do lots of spiders mean another pest problem? explains. If you are seeing small beetles on windowsills, see carpet beetle control; if you see insects in a basement kitchen at night, see cockroach control.
Spiders in a whole terraced house
In a terraced house spiders spread over more floors, but the pattern holds: most in the cellar and the lowest rooms, then in the back rooms facing the garden, then in the loft. Rooms at the back that open onto planting see more insects, and so more spiders, than rooms facing the street. Counting which rooms are affected before you book is useful, since the price is set by rooms.
What Treatment Can and Cannot Do
Spider treatment can reduce the numbers in the rooms treated, but it cannot stop new spiders coming in from outside, particularly in autumn. Can professional pest control reduce spider problems? is honest about what to expect.
Booking and preparing
When you book spider control, say which rooms are affected and whether they are below street level. Before the visit, clear clutter from corners and floors, and vacuum webs. If a cellar or store room is affected, clearing boxes back from the walls makes a real difference to what can be reached. You will be told what to expect afterwards; results depend on the property and the time of year, and if numbers stay high, get back in touch.
Fewer Spiders in a Basement Flat
- Keep the lightwell clear of leaves and litter
- Seal gaps around sash window frames and basement doors
- Vacuum webs and egg sacs in corners regularly
- Reduce clutter in cellars and store rooms
- Use a dehumidifier in a damp basement room
Stopping spiders coming back has more, and Spider Control Barnet covers garages and outbuildings elsewhere in the borough.
