Spiders are commonly found in homes, especially in unused rooms or corners where their webs won’t be disturbed. If you’ve noticed more spiders in a particular room, there are some possible reasons why they may have decided to set up residence there.
Do spiders prefer certain conditions?
Spiders do prefer certain environmental conditions that may be more present in some rooms of a home than others:
- Darkness – Spiders avoid brightly lit areas since light can damage their sensitive eyes and make them more visible to predators. Rooms with little natural or artificial light are ideal.
- Calmness – Spiders don’t like rooms with a lot of noise, vibration or human activity. Infrequently used rooms provide the peaceful conditions they need to build webs and rest.
- Clutter – Rooms with piles of stored items, corners full of dust, or general disorder allow spiders to find abundant nooks and crannies to spin their webs and hide.
- Moisture – Spiders flourish in humid environments. Rooms with sources of moisture like old pipes, leaks or poor ventilation tend to attract more spiders.
What attracts spiders to certain areas?
Aside from environmental factors, spiders can also be drawn to rooms for other reasons:
- Prey – Rooms that contain lots of other insects or arthropods, like flies, moths, cockroaches or silverfish, provide ample food sources for spiders.
- Access points – Small cracks, crevices or openings in walls, floors or ceilings allow spiders easy entry from outdoor areas into specific indoor spaces.
- Established webs – Once spiders have built webs in a location, they rarely abandon them and will continue returning to maintain and expand them.
- Mating sites – Male spiders follow the scent trails of female spiders to find them for mating. More females in a room means more males will converge there.
What conditions make my room spider friendly?
Looking at the particular conditions and features of the room where you’ve noticed abundant spiders can help pinpoint why they favor it over other spaces in your home:
| Room Feature | Spider Friendly Aspect |
|---|---|
| Windows | Cracked windows or torn screens allow easy access from outside. |
| Doors | Gaps under the door let spiders enter from other rooms or outside. |
| Clutter | Piles of boxes, clothes, books, etc. offer hiding spots for spiders. |
| Moisture sources | Old pipes, leaks, or condensation provide the humidity spiders need. |
| Infrequent use | Minimal human activity allows undisturbed web building. |
| Poor lighting | Dark conditions support spiders’ sensitive eyesight. |
| Ceiling corners | High corners are ideal web attachment points. |
Making a list of the possible “spider friendly” conditions specific to the room, like those above, can help identify the main factors that make that location so attractive to spiders.
How can I make my room less spider friendly?
If you want to discourage spiders from settling in a particular room, there are some steps you can take to make that space less inviting:
- Increase lighting – Install bright overhead lights and keep them turned on as much as possible.
- Reduce clutter – Get rid of stored items, piles of materials and objects that create hiding places.
- Seal access points – Caulk or weatherstrip windows and doors to block gaps that spiders use to enter.
- Fix moisture problems – Repair leaks, improve ventilation and eliminate sources of humidity.
- Make the room inhospitable – Place spider repellents like vinegar, lemon, or essential oils in corners.
- Clean regularly – Vacuum, dust, and sweep frequently to clear away webs and spiders.
- Let it dry out – Use a dehumidifier to reduce excess moisture that attracts spiders.
Making the room cleaner, drier, brighter and less secluded will help discourage spiders by removing the conditions that make it an ideal habitat for them.
Conclusion
Spiders are drawn to indoor spaces that provide darkness, seclusion, access, humidity and places to build webs uninterrupted by humans. Rooms with these characteristics, like basements, attics, garages and spare bedrooms, tend to accumulate more spiders than frequently used, well-lit and dry areas of a home. Identifying and altering the specific environmental factors that make a room “spider friendly” can go a long way in convincing these clever arachnids to spin their webs elsewhere.