Being able to identify early signs of spiders can help you act quickly and prevent infestations from becoming severe. When spiders enter homes, they search for prey, a place to hide, and moisture. Knowing what attracts spiders to your home can also help you spot signs of them early on.

If you notice signs of spider activity in your home, such as webs, egg sacs, or live spiders, it's time to contact a professional. Terminix technicians are experts at identifying spider species, determining the severity of the infestation, and locating where spiders can enter the home.

Common signs of spiders

Spiders like to live in dark, undisturbed areas around your home, including:

  • Basements: Dark, humid areas with plenty of hiding spots.
  • Attics: Quiet spaces that are rarely accessed.
  • Garages: Cluttered areas and corners provide shelter.
  • Corners of rooms: High and low corners where webs can be built.
  • Behind appliances: Areas that are warm and secluded.
  • Bathrooms: Moist environments that attract both spiders and their prey.
  • Window sills: Access points for insects, making them attractive to spiders.
  • Crawl spaces: Moist and dark areas that provide ideal conditions for spiders.

Webs

Seeing spider webs can indicate that spiders are building and maintaining their habitats in your home. You will see webs in various areas, such as corners of rooms, ceiling edges, around windows and doors, in garages, and on light fixtures. Regularly finding new webs can suggest that spiders are present and thriving. If these issues are not addressed, this could eventually lead to a spider infestation.

Spider web by garage door

Egg sacs

You will typically see spider egg sacs in secluded, protected areas. They can be in similar areas that spider webs are, including corners of rooms, basements, attics, garages, under eaves, in sheds, and behind furniture. Finding egg sacs suggests that spiders are reproducing and attempting to establish a presence in your home. Each sac can contain numerous eggs, making it likely for a spider infestation to occur if left untreated.

Spider protecting egg sac

Spiders

Spiders are generally shy and tend to stay hidden during the day, so spotting them out in the open suggests that there are more in less visible places. While the presence of a few spiders may not necessarily indicate an infestation, they can make webs and leave egg sacs, which can quickly increase their population. Spiders can be found on ceilings, walls, garages, basements, attics, bathrooms, and corners of rooms.

Spider crawling on the floor

Spider droppings

Spider droppings are not dangerous but can be a sign of spiders in your home. These droppings appear as small, white spots and can collect underneath where spiders spend the most time. Check walls, baseboards, floors, windowsills, behind furniture, and near webs for droppings.

Spider bites

If a person in your home is experiencing unexplained bites, especially ones that are painful, itchy, or swollen, it could be a sign of spiders in the house. Spider bites are relatively rare, and many bites attributed to spiders are caused by other insects or skin conditions. If you think the bite may be from a spider, it is best to seek medical attention for a proper diagnosis.

How to help control spiders

Dealing with existing spider infestations involves a combination of regular cleanings, sealing gaps, and professional pest control measures. DIY methods may seem cost-effective, but they can pose health risks and often do not address the root cause of spider infestations. Terminix offers comprehensive solutions to help eliminate spiders and prevent them from returning.

Preventing future spiders in your home

Implementing the following tips can help make your home less attractive to spiders:

  1. Seal entry points: Close gaps, cracks, and openings around doors, windows, and the foundation.
  2. Keep it clean: Regularly vacuum and dust to help remove webs, egg sacs, and potential prey.
  3. Control moisture: Fix leaks, use dehumidifiers, and have proper ventilation in damp areas.
  4. Outdoor maintenance: Trim vegetation, remove debris, and keep woodpiles away from your house.

Spiders are among the 25 household pests covered with our pest control plan, PestFree365.1 Our plans include multipoint interior and exterior inspections and convenient, regularly scheduled pest treatments. Our PestFree365+ plan protects you from 39 household pests, including black widow and brown recluse spiders.2

1Coverage includes: "House" Ants, Bird Mites, Indoor Ticks, Cockroaches, Carpet Beetles, Fabric Moths, Overwintering Insects, Ground Beetles, Centipedes, Crickets, Earwigs, Firebrats, Millipedes, Clover Mites, Pillbugs/Sowbugs, Psocids, Scorpions, Silverfish, Paper Wasps, Springtails, Spiders, Stored Product Beetles, Stored Product Moths, Mice, and Rats.

2Coverage includes: Black Widow Spiders, Brown Recluse Spiders, Voles (interior only), Bed Bugs, Fleas (interior only), Bumble Bees, Carpenter Bees, Solitary Ground Bees, Yellowjackets, Hornets, Baldfaced Hornets, Crazy Ants, Carpenter Ants, and Fire Ants.