NEW BALTIMORE, Mich. – We know spiders serve a purpose and we all might not be terrified of them.
But if you’re not a fan of spiders, you hate to see them in your home. If it seems like there are more invading your space, you’re not alone.
Mark Vanderwerp of Rose Pest Solutions said there is a reason more of them are crawling in. Temperatures are getting colder and they’re getting desperate.
“It’s their last chance. They’re looking for a lucky lady and they go wandering far and wide to find a mate and will do it until the weather gets bad enough that they die,” said Vanderwerp.
We asked Vanderwerp to visit Kathleen McKee’s house in New Baltimore. She just moved in and would like to know where and how the spiders are getting into her home.
Vanderwerp said the number one way spiders invade are places we do not think of, such as the gaps pipes create from the sump pump.
“You can see we got a cobweb up here, we got a spider’s shed skin up here, so there was a spider calling this little spot home,” Vanderwerp said.
You should also check around the electrical panel where the gaps are big enough for spiders. The easiest way to find these places is from the outside.
“Right here it looks like we might have an opening. So that would be the kind of thing where you could take a silicone sealant,” said Vanderwerp. “When you have vinyl siding you get these corner posts, and these are just hollow tubes. What I like to use is metal hardware cloth, and you get some tin snips and you cut it out to be the exact shape. You can stuff it in here and put a little bit of sealant to hold it in place.”
Some open areas are intentional to allow moisture to escape.
“But in general most seams are not supposed to be there. They can be filled,” said Vanderwerp.
Instead of hurting your back by looking for openings, grab your cell phone, throw it in selfie mode and do your inspection.
Outdoor lights might attract bugs, and spiders like to eat them. You can get a “bug bulb” that is yellow and will not attract flying insects.
“I never thought of the drains. A lot of little nook and cranny areas. I would think nothing can fit in there, but you’re not thinking about a tiny spider,” said McKee.
More: Let’s talk about Michigan spiders: Some to fear and one to keep as a house guest