Ah, the joys of winter! Snowball fights, snowmen, hot cocoa, Christmas lights… it’s a magical time of year. However, as you begin returning decorations back to storage or digging through your basement to find a sled, don’t forget to keep an eye out for spiders. Spiders can be a year-round pest, meaning they don’t disappear during the winter. Do spiders hibernate? Well, the answer is complicated, but we’ll take a crack at explaining what happens to spiders during the winter and what you can do to keep your home spider-free this year.
Spider Species
There are actually thousands of species of spiders. Kentucky residents may encounter fisher spiders, orb-weavers, jumping spiders, wolf spiders, and others. Thankfully, only two types of spiders in Indiana are dangerous. These are the brown recluse and black widow. They aren’t aggressive, but their bites are venomous and should receive medical care.
Spider Hibernation
Where do spiders go in the winter? Some spiders lay eggs and die in the winter, ending their life cycle. Spiders living inside your home don’t need to hibernate or die, because the controlled temperature inside your home keeps them as active as always. Other spiders may find a protected area in which to wait out the winter, such as cracks in rocks or trees. They don’t need to go into full hibernation, because their body produces a natural antifreeze. This enters their bloodstream and allows them to survive until spring. It does take a while for the antifreeze to build up in their system. That means that taking a spider out of your house and directly into the winter cold will kill them.
Spiders in Your Home
We’ve established that spiders don’t need warm shelter to survive the winter. However, most pests come inside during the winter in order to avoid the cold. So why do spiders come inside? They come in following other pests. When pests such as flies or ants get inside, spiders are sure to follow. If you have other pests in your home, it becomes a feasting ground for spiders. How dangerous are spiders? Thankfully, not very. Although spiders can be scary, most aren't dangerous. Black widow and brown recluse spider bites can cause inflammation, rashes, or fever, but can be treated by prompt medical care. Most spiders aren’t venomous and are as scared of you as you are of them.
To prevent spiders this winter, you need to make your home less appealing. Take care of other pests in your home and spiders will go elsewhere where they can find more food. You can do this by sealing the exterior of your home, checking for cracks or holes that might be serving as entry points for pests. You can also lower your risk of a spider encounter by keeping storage areas clean and organized so that spiders can’t find hiding places.
Finally, the best way to prevent a spider infestation is to rely on Action Pest Control. Let us take care of any pest problems you may have. By letting us get rid of less frightening pests, we will also be lowering the spider-appeal of your home. Now that you know spiders can live through the winter, let us step in and make your house stay spider-free all season long.