Spider Control: How to Get Rid of Spiders

Most spiders in and around your home are harmless and even helpful, so effective spider control is less about spraying and more about sealing entry points, cutting off their food supply, and clearing webs. Professional treatment typically runs $100–$300 per visit (about $170 on average), with recurring quarterly plans keeping them down long-term. The only spiders that warrant real caution in the U.S. are widows and recluses.

Why spiders come indoors

Spiders are predators. They go where the food is, and their food is other insects. If you have spiders, you almost always have a supply of gnats, flies, moths, ants, or cockroaches for them to eat. That is the single most useful thing to understand about spider control: spiders are a symptom of a wider insect problem as much as a problem themselves.

They wander indoors looking for prey, shelter, and mates — most often in late summer and fall as temperatures drop. They slip in through gaps around doors and windows, foundation cracks, vents, and utility penetrations, or they hitchhike in on firewood, boxes, and plants. Once inside, they favor quiet, undisturbed spots: basements, garages, closets, attics, crawlspaces, and the corners of rooms.

Which spiders are actually dangerous?

The vast majority of spiders you will see — house spiders, cellar spiders (daddy long-legs), wolf spiders, jumping spiders, orb-weavers — are not a medical threat. Their fangs are too small or too weak to matter, and they have no interest in people. In the United States, only two groups are considered medically significant, and per CDC and university extension guidance, serious bites are uncommon even from these.

Widow spiders (black widow and relatives)

Widows are glossy black with a distinctive red hourglass or red markings on the underside of the abdomen. They build messy, irregular webs in undisturbed places — under decks and eaves, in woodpiles, garages, sheds, meter boxes, and outdoor furniture. A widow bite can cause muscle cramps, sweating, and pain that peaks over hours. It is rarely life-threatening for a healthy adult, but seek medical care, especially for children, older adults, or anyone with a strong reaction.

Recluse spiders (brown recluse and relatives)

Brown recluses are light-to-medium brown with a darker violin-shaped mark behind the head, and — unlike most spiders — they have six eyes arranged in three pairs rather than eight. They are native to the south-central U.S. and hide in cardboard, stored clothing, shoes, and clutter. Most bites heal on their own, but some develop into a slow-healing wound (necrosis). If you live in recluse territory, shake out shoes and gloves and don’t reach blindly into stored boxes.

Identify before you panic. Nine times out of ten the “scary” spider on the wall is a harmless hunter that eats the pests you actually don’t want.

How to get rid of spiders, step by step

A durable approach layers exclusion, sanitation, and — only if needed — targeted treatment. This mirrors IPM, the framework the EPA recommends for exactly this reason.

1. Knock down and remove webs

Vacuum webs, egg sacs, and any spiders you find, then empty the canister or bag outside. This physically removes the population and their next generation, and it makes fresh webs obvious so you can spot re-activity. A ceiling brush or vacuum extension reaches corners and eaves.

2. Seal the entry points (exclusion)

This is the highest-value step and the one that lasts. Caulk foundation and window cracks, add or replace door sweeps and weatherstripping, repair torn screens, and screen vents, weep holes, and utility gaps. Sealing also keeps out the insects spiders feed on, which starves the problem from both ends. See pest prevention for a full year-round checklist.

3. Cut the food and shelter supply

Reduce indoor insects: fix moisture, store food sealed, and manage ants and other prey pests. Swap white outdoor bulbs for yellow “bug” or warm LED lights, which attract fewer insects and therefore fewer spiders. Declutter garages, basements, and closets, and store items in sealed plastic bins instead of cardboard.

4. Tidy the perimeter outdoors

Move woodpiles away from the house, trim shrubs and vines back from siding, clear leaf litter, and keep gutters flowing. A tight, dry perimeter gives widows and other spiders far fewer places to set up.

5. Treat only if it’s warranted

If you still have persistent activity — or you’ve confirmed widows or recluses — targeted treatment helps. Options include crack-and-crevice residual insecticides, sticky monitoring traps in corners and along baseboards, and dusts in voids and attics. Blanket-spraying open floors and walls is low-value for spiders and best avoided; focus products where spiders travel and harbor, and always follow the label.

Spider control costs

Spiders are usually folded into general pest control rather than priced as a standalone job, so figures track national averages for a typical service call. A single visit runs about $100–$300 (roughly $170 average). Recurring plans cost less per visit and keep webs from rebuilding — the practical win for spiders. A confirmed widow or recluse situation, or heavy exterior activity on a large property, pushes toward the higher end.

DIY or call a professional?

For common household spiders, DIY works well: vacuuming, sealing, decluttering, and cutting the insect supply solve most cases without a single spray. Costs are just a caulk gun, door sweeps, and a vacuum.

Bring in a pro when you’ve confirmed widows or recluses (especially with kids or pets in the home), when activity keeps returning despite exclusion, when spiders are riding a larger insect infestation you can’t get ahead of, or when the harborage is in hard-to-reach voids, attics, or crawlspaces. A licensed technician can identify the species, treat harborage safely, and set up prevention. Weigh it out in DIY vs professional pest control, and if you decide to hire, use our 10-point checklist for choosing a company.

Keeping spiders gone

Prevention is the whole game with spiders because they’re driven entirely by prey and shelter. Keep the perimeter sealed and dry, keep indoor insects down, control outdoor lighting, and clear webs promptly so returning spiders have to start over. A recurring plan or a seasonal push in late summer and fall — when spiders move indoors — keeps activity from building. See seasonal pest control for timing, and natural pest control if you’d rather lead with non-chemical methods. A seasonal push keeps webs from ever building up indoors.

Frequently asked questions