Want to deal with spiders for good? Stop them before they ever settle in. Three things do most of the work: close the gaps they crawl through, clear out the dark clutter they hide in, and cut off the insects they come to eat. Stay ahead of those and you'll see far fewer spiders all year long.
Quick answer
To prevent spiders inside, do three things together: seal entry points like foundation cracks and torn screens, clear the dark clutter they hide in, and control the insects they feed on. Cutting their food source matters most, since spiders follow flies, gnats, and ants indoors.
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Still finding webs in the garage corners after sealing and cleaning? Get matched with a licensed local pro who can treat the harborage spots and put up a barrier so they stop coming back.
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Seal the entry points spiders use
Spiders barely need any room to get in. Hairline cracks around the foundation, gaps in siding, worn weather-stripping, a torn screen. Each one is an open door. Closing them is the most direct way to keep spiders out, full stop.
Walk the perimeter of your home and hunt for the obvious weak spots. A couple hours with a caulk gun makes a real, measurable difference.
- Caulk cracks and gaps in walls, siding, and around the foundation
- Repair torn screens and check that they sit tight in the frame
- Add weather-stripping to windows and a sweep to every exterior door
- Seal openings around vents, pipes, and other utility lines coming through the wall
Clear out the clutter they hide in
Spiders want quiet, undisturbed corners, and the darker the better. A cluttered garage, a packed storage room, the back of a basement closet. These give them exactly the shelter they're after, so those are the spots that collect the most webs.
Declutter and you take the shelter away. Trade stacked cardboard boxes for sealed plastic bins. Keep storage tidy and up off the floor where you can. Clear the piles that creep into corners and crawl spaces, because a forgotten heap in the corner is prime spider real estate.
Control their food source
Here's the step most people skip. It's also the most important one. Spiders follow insects, plain and simple, so a house full of flies, gnats, ants, and moths is a house that draws spiders. Cut the bugs and you remove the reason spiders move in.
Keep the basics tight. Take the trash out on a schedule, wipe up crumbs and spills, fix the moisture problems that pull bugs in, and stop leaving pet food out on the floor. Less insect activity means a thinner food supply, and that means fewer spiders.
Rethink your exterior lighting
Outdoor lights pull in insects all night, and the spiders follow the insects right up to your door. A porch or garage light left burning after dark is a big reason webs cluster around entryways.
You don't have to sit in the dark. Move fixtures away from doors and windows. Put them on motion sensors so they aren't lit all night. And switch to warm-toned or yellow bulbs, which draw fewer insects than the bright white ones.
Stay on a regular routine
Prevention works best as a habit, not a one-time blitz. A little steady effort keeps spiders from ever settling in.
Knock down webs and egg sacs the moment you spot them, inside and out, then vacuum the area so the spiders learn those spots don't work. Keep cleaning the low-traffic places they love. And watch your yard's edge. Firewood, mulch, and dense plantings tucked against the foundation give spiders a staging area right up against the house, so keep them pulled back.
- Sweep away webs and egg sacs the moment they show up
- Vacuum corners, baseboards, and storage areas on a regular basis
- Keep firewood and stored gear away from exterior walls
- Trim back vegetation that touches the foundation
When prevention isn't enough
Spiders still showing up after all that? There's usually a hidden insect problem feeding them. Good moment to call in help.
A licensed local pro can read the conditions drawing spiders in, treat the harborage spots and the insect population together, and lay down a barrier that keeps new spiders from getting a foothold. Someone working in your area can also spot the entry points you walked right past.