How to Get Rid of Spiders (and Keep Them Out)

The short answer

Vacuum the spiders, webs, and egg sacs you can reach. Put sticky traps along walls to find where the activity is concentrated. Then seal gaps and reduce the insects the spiders are eating. That combination lasts longer than spraying individual spiders.

Most spiders in and around a home are predators doing useful pest control. A spider on an outdoor web does not automatically need treatment. Indoors, frequent sightings usually point to open entry routes, cluttered hiding places, or enough insect prey to support them. Fix those conditions and the spider problem usually gets smaller with them.

Routine pesticide spraying is not the starting point. UC IPM says pesticides generally are not needed for spiders and that spraying provides only temporary control without housekeeping. If you choose a pesticide, use only a product labeled for spiders in the location you plan to treat, and follow the label exactly.

Which US spiders actually matter

Black widows and brown recluses are the spiders that deserve special caution in US homes. That does not mean every dark spider is a widow or every brown spider is a recluse.

• Black widow: The adult female is glossy black and usually has a red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. Look for widows in sheltered, undisturbed places such as woodpiles, garages, sheds, crawlspaces, utility boxes, and beneath stored materials. Bites usually happen when a spider is pressed against skin or disturbed by a hand reaching into its hiding place.
• Brown recluse: Its established range is concentrated in south-central and Midwestern states. Penn State Extension notes that reports outside that native range often involve isolated spiders rather than an established outdoor population. Recluses favor quiet storage areas, wall cracks, spaces behind stored items, shoes, and clothing left undisturbed. The familiar violin marking is not enough for a reliable identification because other brown spiders can look similar.

Cellar spiders, wolf spiders, and common house spiders are frequent indoor visitors and are not treated as medically important by the University of Kentucky source. Identification still matters before you decide a home has a widow or recluse problem. If possible, photograph the spider clearly or contain it without touching it and ask a local Cooperative Extension office or pest professional to identify it.

Do not diagnose an unexplained skin sore as a spider bite based only on appearance. Penn State Extension warns that brown recluse bites are overdiagnosed and can be confused with unrelated skin problems.

Remove spiders and find the hot spots

Start with a vacuum, broom, and sticky monitoring traps.

Vacuum along baseboards, in corners, beneath furniture, around window frames, and in accessible storage areas. Remove the spider, its web, and any egg sacs together. UC IPM notes that vacuuming is effective because spiders usually do not survive the tumbling. Outside, sweep webs down or remove them with water where they are a nuisance. Leave harmless webs alone where they are not in the way.

Place sticky traps flush against walls and in corners where spiders travel, especially in basements, garages, closets, and behind stored items. Keep traps where children and pets cannot reach them. A trap is useful even when it catches nothing at first: it helps you distinguish one wandering spider from continuing activity and shows you where exclusion work matters most.

Reduce hiding places while you clean. Move boxes off the floor and away from walls, and tape stored boxes closed. Clear loose paper, bags, and seldom-moved items from floor edges. Wear work gloves when handling firewood, lumber, boxes, or other materials that have sat undisturbed.

Seal the routes inside

Spiders and their prey use the same ordinary gaps around a building. Close those routes rather than trying to maintain a pesticide barrier.

• Repair loose or damaged window and door screens.
• Add a snug door sweep where light shows beneath an exterior or garage door.
• Caulk cracks around window and door frames and visible gaps in the foundation.
• Seal openings around pipes, cables, vents, and other utility penetrations with a material suited to that opening.
• Move firewood, boards, yard debris, and other stacked material away from the foundation.
• Trim vines, shrubs, and branches that touch the building.
• Inspect packages, stored decorations, and boxes before carrying them inside.

Do not invent a gap and start sealing blindly. Use the sticky-trap pattern and visible webs to prioritize the rooms and wall edges where spiders are actually moving.

Reduce the prey they are following

Spiders stay where food is available, and their food is other small animals. NC State Extension says that finding many spiders indoors usually means there is ample spider prey nearby.

Start with outdoor lighting. Lights beside doors and windows draw night-flying insects to the building, which draws web-building spiders. Where practical, move fixtures away from entrances and windows or use lighting that is less attractive to night-flying insects, as University of Kentucky Extension recommends. Turn off unnecessary exterior lights rather than illuminating an empty doorway all night.

Inside, address whatever supports insects. Fix moisture problems and plumbing leaks. Clean food residue that feeds ants, flies, cockroaches, and pantry pests. Keep trash covered and stored food sealed. If sticky traps show another pest is present, identify and control that pest rather than treating spiders alone. The goal is not a sterile house. It is to stop providing a dependable hunting ground.

The mistake most people make

The common mistake is treating the spider you can see while leaving the food supply and entry route untouched. A contact spray may kill that spider. It does not remove an egg sac, repair a screen, close a door gap, or eliminate the insects gathering at a porch light.

Foggers and bug bombs are a worse version of the same approach. University of Kentucky Extension says they are seldom effective for spiders, and NC State Extension warns that they are not likely to work and can be hazardous. Spiders spend much of their time in concealed areas the fog does not reliably reach.

If a targeted pesticide treatment is still necessary, read the entire label before buying or applying it. Confirm that both the pest and treatment site appear on the label. The EPA advises using only the labeled amount, keeping pesticides in their original containers, and keeping children and pets away as the label directs. Do not apply routine outdoor sprays just because webs return. Web removal, exclusion, and prey reduction are the long-term work.

Avoiding bites during cleanup

Do not reach bare-handed into a dark corner, woodpile, utility box, or stored carton. Wear gloves, look before lifting, and shake out shoes or clothing that have been left undisturbed. These precautions matter most where widows or recluses are known or suspected.

If you think a widow or recluse bit you, wash the area, apply a cold pack, and seek prompt medical advice. Seek medical care for any unusual or severe reaction. If the spider can be contained without another exposure, keep it for expert identification. Do not risk a second bite trying to catch it.

When to call a pro

Call a licensed pest professional when you repeatedly find suspected widows or recluses, activity is concentrated in an inaccessible crawlspace or attic, or cleaning and exclusion have not reduced frequent indoor sightings. Professional help also makes sense when spiders are established around electrical or utility equipment that you should not open, or when reaching the harborages would put you at risk.

Ask the company to identify the spider and show you the conditions supporting it before discussing treatment. The EPA recommends asking anyone you hire to find and correct the source of the problem before applying pesticides. Ask for the product name and EPA registration number for any pesticide they propose.

A good spider service should include inspection, web and egg-sac removal where accessible, exclusion recommendations, and a plan for the prey insects. If the proposal is only a recurring perimeter spray, it leaves the part that makes the biggest difference to you.