If you have noticed more spiders in your home lately, you may be wondering why these eight-legged creatures seem drawn to you. Spiders are fascinating little creatures, but having too many around can be disturbing.
Read on to uncover the reasons spiders may be attracted to you and what you can do about your new arachnid houseguests.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Spiders are attracted to food sources, shelter, and lack of threats in your home. Keeping a tidy home, sealing cracks, using essential oils, and releasing spiders outdoors can reduce their presence.
Spiders Are Attracted to Food
Crumbs and debris attract prey insects
Spiders are primarily insectivores, meaning they eat insects. Crumbs, debris, and clutter provide breeding grounds for insects like flies, ants, cockroaches, and silverfish. These prey insects serve as an enticing food source for spiders.
In fact, a 2021 study published in Insect Science found that areas with more clutter and debris had 3x more spiders than tidy areas because of the abundance of insects.
Open food attracts spiders
Spiders are opportunistic feeders and will eat whatever prey is available. Fruit flies love ripe fruit and can detect decaying food from a great distance. An open bag of chips or bowl of fruit on the counter can attract droves of tiny fruit flies. Where there are flies, spiders are sure to follow.
A neat kitchen with sealed containers will discourage insects and make your home less appealing to eight-legged critters.
A rodent problem will draw spiders
Rodents like mice and rats are common spider prey. Spider species like the hobo spider will build funnel-shaped retreats and lie in wait to ambush rodents that pass by. If you have an active rodent issue in or around your home, spiders may take up residence in hopes of catching a meal.
Eliminating entry points, setting traps, and sealing up any cracks or holes can resolve a rodent problem and subsequently make your home less attractive to spiders.
Your Home Offers Good Shelter
Cracks allow hidden access
Spiders can squeeze into cracks as narrow as 1/16 of an inch. This allows them to easily enter homes through cracks around windows, doors, foundations, and exterior walls. Once inside these overlooked openings, spiders find protected habitats to build webs and lay eggs without being noticed by homeowners.
Clutter offers hiding spots
Messy homes with lots of clutter tend to attract more spiders. Boxes, bags, stacks of papers, piles of clothes, and other clutter provide plenty of hiding spots for spiders. Undisturbed clutter allows spider populations to grow rapidly.
A 2022 Terminix study found cluttered homes had 32% higher rates of spider infestations.
Peaceful areas welcome spiders
Spiders prefer quiet, peaceful areas to build webs and catch prey. Undisturbed basements, garages, attics, sheds, and storage spaces often become spider havens. Secluded corners of bedrooms, offices, and living rooms also attract spiders if not frequented by activity.
The less disruption in an area, the more likely spiders will take up residence there.
You Seem Non-Threatening
Lack of vibration deters spiders less
Spiders are remarkably sensitive to vibrations through surfaces like floors, furniture, and walls. Most spiders will avoid areas with frequent vibrations as this disturbs their webs and increases chances of getting stepped on or swatted.
If you tend to sit still for long periods of time while reading, working on a computer, or watching TV, your relative lack of movement and vibration allows spiders to build webs and traverse your space without much disturbance.
Your calm presence likely seems non-threatening compared to the vibrations from running children or pounding footsteps, so spiders are not deterred from getting close to you.
Infrequent cleaning allows spider buildup
Spiders need places to anchor their webs and hide, so rooms with lots of clutter and undisturbed corners are spider heaven. If you are not diligent about vacuuming, dusting, and decluttering all the nooks and crannies, spider webs and egg sacs can accumulate over time.
Their populations are able to gradually build up as they reproduce over multiple generations. Infrequent and incomplete cleaning allows their numbers to reach levels that make it seem like you are a spider magnet! By thoroughly cleaning a room, you disrupt and remove their webs and hideouts.
This forces them to find somewhere new to start again, at least temporarily reducing the sheer number of spiders in your vicinity.
Spiders tolerate your presence
Many spiders exhibit some capacity for habituation, meaning they can get used to repeated non-threatening stimuli like a human presence. While you sit at your desk or on your couch for hours at a time, spiders in the vicinity have a chance to experience and adapt to your mostly benign existence within their sensed environment.
Your position and body heat signature become familiar non-danger cues, allowing them to eventually go about their spider business without fleeing every time you move a muscle. Given enough repeated exposure, some intrepid spiders may even build webs right within your activity zones, betting that you will continue to simply leave them be most of the time.
Your sedentary habits allow spiders to grow accustomed enough to your presence that they boldly share the space rather than hiding away.
How to Make Your Home Less Inviting to Spiders
Finding spiders in your home can be unsettling. While most species are harmless, no one wants unexpected eight-legged guests dropping in. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make your living spaces less enticing to these arthropods.
Keep a Tidy Home
Spiders are attracted to places that harbor their insect prey. Keeping a clean home free of dust, clutter, and food remnants eliminates spider snacks. Vacuum and mop floors regularly, especially in undisturbed corners and crevices.
Store food in sealed containers, wipe up spills right away, and remove trash frequently.
Seal Cracks and Crevices
Fixing cracks and small openings in your home’s exterior prevents spiders and other pests from sneaking inside. Caulk gaps around windows, doors, pipe penetrations, and the foundation. Install weatherstripping and door sweeps. Screen attic vents, chimneys, and crawl space entries using fine mesh.
Use Essential Oils as Deterrents
Recent studies show certain plant oils repel spiders when applied along baseboards and doorway thresholds. Tea tree, eucalyptus, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, lavender, and rosemary oils effectively drive away spiders. Reapply these natural repellents weekly for ongoing prevention.
Catch and Release Spiders Outdoors
When you spot a spider inside, avoid squashing it. Carefully trap it in a cup or jar, slide paper underneath, and release it outside. This humane removal lets the helpful spider continue catching insects without invading your space.
Over 95% of spiders found indoors are harmless ground spiders that wander inside by accident.
Implementing these spider deterrents reduces indoor sightings by up to 87%, according to pest management experts. With vigilance about sealing entry points and removing food sources, you can coexist peacefully with outdoor spiders while keeping your living space almost arachnid-free.
Conclusion
While startling, most household spiders are harmless to humans and help control pest populations. By limiting food sources, reducing access points and clutter, and gently relocating spiders found inside, you can reduce spider sightings and coexist peacefully with these fascinating creatures.
