Removing spider webs from your property is pretty easy. But when you have to deal with spider nests, the story becomes a little different. Because while a cobweb may house one or two spiders at most, a single spider nest can contain up to hundreds of big spiders, baby spiders, and spider eggs alike. Now, don’t panic. Getting rid of these spider nests is not very difficult. And in this article, we’ve compiled the most effective strategies to help you get rid of any spider nest for good! So, let’s start from the basics.
What Does a Spider Egg Nest Look Like?
Spider nests come in different patterns. Oftentimes, these patterns depend on the silk spun among the 7 types of silks that spiders have. Since no single spider can have a full combo of the 7 silks, the type of spider nests then boils down to the spider species. But first, let’s get something out of the way.
You see, spider nests, spider webs and spider egg nests (or more correctly, spider egg sacs) are three different things. Spider webs are like food webs. Spiders spin them up in places where they can catch their prey. Once they’re finished, spider webs may become abandoned.
On the flip side, spider nests are the homes for spiders. They have very complex patterns of webs. As such, many spiders reside in them to carry out their life activities, the most important of which is reproduction. Now, spiders reproduce by laying eggs. These eggs are laid in large numbers and in tiny bags made of silk. These whitish bags of silks are called egg sacs.
Within a spider nest, you can find more than one egg sac. So, if you want to see what a spider nest looks like, you start by scouting for spider webs, aka, cobwebs. Once you find them, examine the webs for egg sacs. If you find one or even more, be rest assured that you have just found a spider nest.
READ MORE: All the Information About Pregnant Spiders.
What Do the Patterns of Spider Nests Look Like?
While searching for the nests, you will discover that vary by pattern. Each pattern you see depends on the species of the spider in question. However, there is no full documentation on the exact number of patterning possible on spider webs. But so far, we’ve been able to identify nine (9) main types. Out of these nine, only 6 are the major ones. Namely, we have:
- Orb Webs – often spun by orb-weaver spiders that are found outside the house.
- Tangle Webs, aka, Cobwebs – spun by house spiders and others like the black widow spiders
- Funnel Webs – often found in grass spiders.
- Sheet Webs – found in most harmless spiders
- Triangle webs – found mostly in non-venomous spiders
- Mesh Webs – found in rare spiders of the Dictynid family.
READ MORE: How to Get Rid of Spiders in Your Car.
Where to Find Spider Nests?
Spiders like to reside in dark, undisturbed, and cool spots. These spots can be found within and outside our houses. And this is why most spiders often thrive within households. So, here’s a list of common places inside the house where you can find spider nests:
- around furniture;
- window ledges;
- kitchen counters and cabinets;
- cupboards;
- around bathroom fixtures;
- attics or basement;
- dark and abandoned spaces;
- shelves with books and boxes;
- fireplaces and closets;
- room corners near rooftops and ceilings.
As said earlier, spiders can also form their nests outside the house, especially in spaces that meet their dark and cool living requirements. Common places outside the household where you can find spider nests include:
- gardens;
- rarely in cars;
- trees and woodpiles;
- porches;
- and rafters.
How to Eliminate Spider Nests.
Normally, when we see spider webs or nests, our basic instincts think of brooms and feather dusters. Yes, these two tools come in handy. And for immediate gratification, they work just fine. However, with brooms, you only get to knock down the webs.
If you’re lucky, you might even be able to kill a spider or two. But then, if you truly are dealing with a spider nest (and not a web), the egg sacs in the spider nests would remain. If that happens, you only made way for another spider colony. This is because the pressure that comes with broom smashing can break the eggs. If the spider eggs break at a time close to maturity, the spiderlings would survive. Of course, their survival means you’ve done nothing.
So, if you’re really looking to kill off spider nests and ultimately your pest spiders, follow these steps after identifying the nests:
1) Locate the egg sacs.
To get rid of spider nests, locating the egg sacs should be your priority. If you look close enough, you should see them as small whitish balls hanging on a web. Then, you can kill them off using any of these three (3) methods:
- Vacuum Method.
Vacuum all potential areas with cobwebs and not just the nests. Once you’re done, try to put the bag in a freezer for a while to kill the eggs. Then, make sure to dispose of the trash bags somewhere far from the house. If you suspect that the spider species at hand is poisonous, then you use wearable gloves.
- Pesticidal Method.
There are several sprays out there that can kill spiders. Among them, the ones we advise for killing spider eggs are the oil-based ones. This is because spiders wrap their egg sacs inside water-resistant silk bags. For effectiveness, apply a considerable amount of oil-based spider sprays directly on the cobwebs and the egg sacks. This process will weaken the nettings and kill the eggs. You can then clean up afterward.
- Natural and Home-made Method.
To kill off spider eggs naturally, you can mix lemon, peppermint, and tea tree oils with water. Combine them with cider vinegar and orange oil and bottle the mix up in a spray can. Apply them as needed and clean up afterward. In the same way, you can also use a mixture of bleach and water.
READ MORE: Does bleach kill spiders?
2) Broom Down the Nest.
After killing the spider eggs and any residing spider in the nest, knock off the nest using a broom or perhaps, a feather duster. Make sure to get all the cobwebs or funnel webs and then clean up with a vacuum. Empty the vacuum bag somewhere far from your house. This strategy works well if the spider nest is inside your house. If you locate it outside, use a water-hose instead.
3) Use Repellent to Keep the Spiders from Coming Back.
After cleaning up, the next thing to do is to keep your house clean from time to time. In fact, you can use repellents made from essential oils or you can buy a preventive insecticide. This is important to deter the spiders from building a house in your home again!
How to Get Rid of Spider Nests in Your Room.
- Try to locate the eggs and kill them with oil-based pesticides or a cocktail of bleach and water.
- Dust down the webs with a broom.
- Clean up with a vacuum.
- Freeze and empty the trash bag somewhere far.
How to Get Rid of Spider Nests in Trees and Gardens.
- If the tree is tall and your ladder can’t reach it, call for professional help or spray with a water hose.
- If otherwise, use natural sprays like bleach and water, or a mix of essential oils to kill the spiders and egg sacs.
- Since it’s a garden, avoid using toxic pesticides.
How to Get Rid of Spider Nest in a Car.
Though having spider nests in cars is a rare thing to behold, it’s not impossible. Do the following to kill the spider nests in your car:
- Avoid bleach and pesticides.
- Instead, use a cocktail of water and peppermint oil to spray the spider nest in your car.
- Clean up with a vacuum cleaner.
- Always clear the cutter.
READ MORE: How to Get Rid of Spiders in Your Car.
Summarily, we can say that spider nests are not so tough to eliminate. The first thing to do is to locate the spider nests and identify the egg sacs. Afterward, you can use natural sprays made from a cocktail of essential oils and water. You can even use chemical ones like oil-based pesticides to kill the spider nests. Afterward, broom down all the cobwebs and clean up all associated areas with a vacuum. Freeze the vacuum bag and then empty the contents somewhere far.
