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How To Get Rid Of Wolf Spiders In The House

    In this article, I’ll be giving tips on how to get rid of wolf spiders in the yard, lawn, garage and other sections of your home.

    Most people do not like spiders, and for good reasons too. They have many legs, they creep, and some of them bite. The wolf spider is among those that bite, and they look pretty hideous too.

    If you’re having trouble with spiders in your home, here is a practical control guide.

    Wolf Spider Facts

    Unlike the black widow spider, wolf spiders pose no danger to humans, at least in terms of toxic poisons. However, they deliver a hard, painful bite that can be compared to that of a bee.

    They have bulgy eyes, wide jaws, and a furry body which is usually colored brown. Their brown fur and the hard bites are the major reasons they are called wolf spiders.

    They have a strong resemblance to the dreaded tarantula spider, but they are much smaller in size.

    Just like most spiders, the wolf spider is an adaptive creature, so they can be found in almost any environment, regardless of whether it is hot or cold.

    Wolf spiders can be found creeping in-between wall cracks, in the corners of your ceiling, under piles of garbage, and in dorms of debris, including wood.

    They prefer staying in dark, compact spaces so they will not be discovered.

    They aren’t all bad, being that they eat some insect pests, but they can be a major inconvenience when found in the home.

    How To Get Rid Of Wolf Spiders

    There are many ways by which you can eliminate wolf spiders in the home. The tactic you’d employ would depend on where you find them and how many of them you find.

    Follow the tips below to get rid of wolf spiders.

    Locate Them

    The first step to eliminating any insect infestation in the home is locating where they are. The same goes for wolf spiders.

    If you notice two or three creeping along your walls, then there are probably more of them hiding around your home. That being the case, you need to look around your house in search of them.

    Start by peeping through the cracks and crevices to see if you’ll find any. You should also check around your potted plants, they may be there in search of smaller insects to eat. If you have piles of old books stashed up somewhere, then you need to search those areas too.

    After you discover where they are hiding, you can proceed to make plans on how to get rid of them.

    Swat Them

    Wolf spiders may not be as large as the tarantula spider, still, they are of moderate size. This means you can swat them if they come your way.

    All you need to do is to buy a fly swatter.

    Go to the areas where they are lodged and swat as many as you can. All it takes is a swing in the right direction and they will be dead.

    This method of wolf spider elimination is effective against a small number. If you are dealing with a large number of them, then you would want to employ more devastating means of disinfestation.

    I have to mention, be very careful when swatting the wolf spiders, especially the females. This is because if they are crushed, you could release the eggs they are carrying and this will lead to the birth of more wolf spiders which you will have to deal with in the future.

    Keep your swatting as light as possible. It should be hard enough to kill or maim them, but soft enough so they won’t burst open.

    As extra insurance, make sure you sweep and vacuum the areas where they were swatted, just in case a few eggs were let loose.

    Use Glue Traps

    Glue traps work very well against crawling insects, and it will work very well against wolf spiders. You can make a DIY glue trap right at home, or you can just visit a store and buy one.

    It’s a simple invention and anyone can use it. It has sticky glue spread out across the surface on one side, and the other side is left dry. The dry part is the part that should be placed on the floor or wall. Depending on where you want to set the trap.

    Buy as many as you would need and place them in areas where they are most active. These include the flower pot area, inside your cupboards, beside the trash bin, by the cracks in your walls, under your kitchen sink, and the bathtub.

    As they crawl in search of food or moisture, chances are they will walk right onto the trap. Their furry body is a major disadvantage for them against a glue trap, as the fur will stick easily and they will not be able to move.

    To improve your chances of catching the wolf spider with a glue trap, you can add a few live insects on the board, which will serve as bait. If you can get your hands on a few ants or a roach, then simply place them on the glue traps to lure the wolf spiders in.

    Once again, this method is effective if you’re dealing with a small number of wolf spiders, as there are only so many that a board can catch.

    Use Wolf Spider Repellents

    Another way to get rid of wolf spiders is by using natural wolf spider repellents.

    You may not know this, but spiders hate the scent of peppermint, citrus, cinnamon, tea tree, and cedar. The hood news for you is that you can find these in essential oil form, ready to be sold in stores.

    Here’s what you’ll need.

    • About 10 drops of peppermint oil
    • 1/4 teaspoon of dish soap
    • About 12 ounces of distilled water
    • An empty spray bottle

    Once you have these ingredients in hand, add them into the empty spray bottle and shake thoroughly so they are well blended.

    Visit the areas where the spiders are hiding and spray directly on them and around the immediate surroundings. Do this once two a week until you notice that they are no longer active.

    Be sure to spray deep into the cracks, crevices, and other crawl spaces under your windows or doors. If their favorite hiding spots have been compromised, they will have no choice but to leave your home.

    There are also some species of plants that repel spiders.

    Use Commercial Insecticides

    No substance kills these insects faster than a commercial, chemical-based spider insecticides.

    If you have many wolf spiders to deal with, and you think the other above mentioned methods of removal are too slow, then all you need to do is visit a nearby store and buy a spray can of a chemical-based insecticide.

    Visit their crawl areas and spray as required. You can spray directly on them or onto the spaces where they frequent. They will be dead soon after they make contact with the insecticide.

    Remember to protect yourself before you begin to spray. Keep your nose and mouth covered with a face mask so you don’t inhale the insecticide. It kills insects, but it is also dangerous to humans if ingested.

    If you’ll be spraying in your kitchen, or anywhere you have food stored, make sure the foodstuff is first taken out before you spray. Leaving food in an area that is being sprayed will contaminate the food and it will be unsuitable for eating.

    After spraying, be sure to keep the spray can away from the reach of children and pets to prevent them from accidentally ingesting its content.

    Extra Wolf Spider Control Tips

    Besides repelling or killing the wolf spiders, there are other things you can do to keep them away from your home.

    Follow these tips.

    Seal The Cracks In Your Walls

    The more cracks you have in the walls, the more hiding spaces the spiders would have. All you need to do here is see off the cracks using caulk.

    Do a thorough inspection of your walls to discover where the cracks are. After you have determined the number of cracks you have, you will be able to ascertain the amount of caulk you will need to seal them up.

    Visit a home maintenance store near you to buy some caulk.

    Clear Out The Debris In Your Yard

    Wolf spiders love to hide in heaps of rubbish, including old woodpiles and garbage cans. If you clear these out, their hiding spaces around your yard will be reduced.

    The less hiding spaces they have, the more exposed they will be, and this will cause them to go elsewhere in search of comfort.

    Seal Off Your Windows

    Spiders can crawl through tiny spaces and will exploit these spaces to get into your home. Make sure those small spaces around your windows and doors are tightly sealed so the spiders cannot gain access.

    Conclusion

    Getting Rid of wolf spiders is not a difficult task, you just need to know what to do.

    I trust these tips on how to get rid of wolf spiders have been helpful.

    Good luck!

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