Are spiders common in this region? Do ultrasonic bug repellents work to keep spiders away? (apartment)

[pagetrip29]

We moved into an older house a few months ago. The previous owners said that they cleaned out the crawl space and the inspector we hired also said that it was clean. But with more sunny warmer days, we are noticing a lot of spiders and random bugs in our house. We have a couple of spider kill sprays but would prefer not to spray it inside the house.

I was looking at Amazon for products and found ultrasonic devices that plug into outlets. Most of the discussions I found on these devises are about repelling mice and the consensus is that they don't work on mice. I am wondering if they are effective against spiders. Some products on Amazon have hundreds of verified reviews stating a decrease in spiders in their homes. The scientific research on these devices seems to be outdated (early 2000's). I wonder if they have improved the devices since then.

If these devices don't work then what is the best way to get rid of spiders?

Thank you.

[Ruth4Truth]

Spiders aren't common indoors in this region.

I wonder what it was in the crawl space, that required cleaning out. Most people don't store things in a crawl space. If sellers told me they'd cleaned out the crawl space, I'd be curious about what they had in there.

[Taz22]

I use a lot of natural DIY things to get rid of insects like fruit flies. For spiders, cotton balls soaked in peppermint or eucalyptus oil, placed around windowsills where spiders make their home. Last year a spider made her home in the dining room window, next to where my spouse sits. He wouldn’t let me get rid of her, she stayed for quite awhile, I called this spider his pet. FWIT, very few spiders are poison, most are just there to eat insects.

I try to leave outdoor spiders alone, they kill a lot of nasty biting flies, I’m grateful, along with the horses. Wasps are a much worse problem around here, every year they make a nest or two near the patio. Traps with water work pretty well for them, although I almost bought a bug zapper last year. May do that this year.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

The way to get rid of spiders is to get rid of their dinner. Spiders can't live where there is nothing to eat, so if you have spiders in your crawl space, you have some sort of bugs there that the spiders are eating.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by Taz22

FWIT, very few spiders are poison, most are just there to eat insects.

ALL spiders and scorpions are venomous, not "poisonous". Venomous means they can inject a disabling toxin into something else. Poisonous means the tissue of the creature itself is harmful to handle or eat. The vast majority of spiders either don't have venom potent enough to injure or kill a human or they can't inject enough of the venom they do have to hurt someone.

Fun fact: spiders taste and smell through sensory organs on their lower legs and feet. Dabbing substances they don't like the taste/smell of on surfaces where they enter the house can help discourage them. You just have to keep refreshing whatever you use. Keeping the house and storage areas clean and dusted discourages other insects they feed on.

[MechAndy]

Is a chicken an option?
You could get a nice hen that only makes noise when doing the egg laying song.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

The way to get rid of spiders is to get rid of their dinner. Spiders can't live where there is nothing to eat, so if you have spiders in your crawl space, you have some sort of bugs there that the spiders are eating.

So, I know I’m weird, but I actually ignore spiders that I find in my apartment and let them do their own thing for this very reason. I have screens on my windows but flies and gnats and spiders still find a way in especially this time of year, and I find flies to be far more annoying than spiders. I’ve got two cats and they’re great at catching the creepy crawly critters which never really come in, but the cats aren’t great at catching the flying ones. Spiders usually keep to themselves and set up shop by the windows. And the spiders are just small house spiders for the most part, totally harmless. If they were bigger than say a nickel I might be whistling a different tune but I’ve only ever had the little guys in my place, and they’re more than welcome to catch those annoying flies!

[Taz22]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

ALL spiders and scorpions are venomous, not "poisonous". Venomous means they can inject a disabling toxin into something else. Poisonous means the tissue of the creature itself is harmful to handle or eat. The vast majority of spiders either don't have venom potent enough to injure or kill a human or they can't inject enough of the venom they do have to hurt someone.

Fun fact: spiders taste and smell through sensory organs on their lower legs and feet. Dabbing substances they don't like the taste/smell of on surfaces where they enter the house can help discourage them. You just have to keep refreshing whatever you use. Keeping the house and storage areas clean and dusted discourages other insects they feed on.

Should have learned the difference, so thanks for the lesson on spiders! I’ve got bitten by a few, it’s similar to other bug bites, just more inflammation.

They aren’t the best things to look at, but serve a useful purpose, at least in the barn. Ortho or something similar will do for getting rid of them quickly, but I agree with your method. Keep floors mopped and corners dusted and the cleaning product smells are enough to keep them away, added benefits come from a dose of peppermint oil that their cute little eight legs don’t like.

[homesinseattle]

Originally Posted by pagetrip29

We moved into an older house a few months ago. The previous owners said that they cleaned out the crawl space and the inspector we hired also said that it was clean. But with more sunny warmer days, we are noticing a lot of spiders and random bugs in our house. We have a couple of spider kill sprays but would prefer not to spray it inside the house.

I was looking at Amazon for products and found ultrasonic devices that plug into outlets. Most of the discussions I found on these devises are about repelling mice and the consensus is that they don't work on mice. I am wondering if they are effective against spiders. Some products on Amazon have hundreds of verified reviews stating a decrease in spiders in their homes. The scientific research on these devices seems to be outdated (early 2000's). I wonder if they have improved the devices since then.

If these devices don't work then what is the best way to get rid of spiders?

Thank you.

Hi page, as mentioned on the other comments, spiders are smell sensitive. Here is a link with some good natural and practical ideas to limit them: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/10-na...ur-house-21939