What Attracts Spiders?

What Attracts Spiders?

Spiders don't usually enter your home because they're looking for people—they're looking for food, shelter, and safe places to build webs. If your home provides these conditions, spiders are more likely to stick around.

Fortunately, making a few changes around your home can help reduce spider activity.

Insects

The number one thing that attracts spiders is a steady supply of insects. Flies, mosquitoes, ants, moths, and other small bugs are an important food source. If insects are present, spiders are likely to follow.

Keeping other household pests under control can also help reduce spiders.

Dark, Quiet Spaces

Spiders prefer places where they won't be disturbed. They often hide in:

• Basements

• Garages

• Attics

• Closets

• Crawl spaces

• Storage rooms

• Behind furniture

These sheltered areas provide ideal conditions for resting and building webs.

Clutter

Boxes, storage bins, firewood, cardboard, and piles of stored items create excellent hiding places for spiders. Reducing clutter makes it harder for spiders to find protected areas inside your home.

Outdoor Lighting

Bright exterior lights attract flying insects after dark. Since spiders feed on these insects, they often build webs near porch lights, garage lights, and entryways where insects gather.

Easy Access

Small cracks, gaps around doors and windows, damaged screens, and openings around pipes or utility lines make it easy for spiders to enter your home. Sealing these entry points can help reduce indoor spider activity.

How to Help Prevent Spiders

Regular cleaning, reducing insects, removing clutter, sealing entry points, and treating areas where spiders commonly hide can all help keep spider populations under control.