How Spiders React to Colder Weather in Lexington, KY

People deal with the inevitable cold of Northern Kentucky winters in different ways. So do spiders. Some people stay indoors to eat comfort food and watch movies snuggled under a blanket; some embrace the cold and enjoy sledding, snowshoeing, and skiing; others head south until warmer weather returns. How about the eight-legged critters, that dwell among us?

If you’re thinking they all come into your house to stay warm, you are incorrect. In fact, most spiders that live outdoors would have a hard time surviving in your home because of the lack of food and water available to them. The spiders you see periodically in your home are most likely a type of house spider. They spend their lives indoors, just like the rest of their species has for centuries, living on bugs that have found their way indoors and moving from home to home by laying their eggs or hitching a ride on furniture or other belongings.

If you notice spiders in your home more often as fall nears, it is probably because they are out looking for mates, not looking for somewhere warm to overwinter. Many species, including those who live indoors, lay their eggs in the fall, so their search begins in late August or early September, coincidentally right when the weather can start to turn cool in our area. Occasionally a male outdoor spider may stumble into your home while searching for a partner, not because it’s cold.

Many spiders only live a year or less and they die when the cold weather approaches. They have found a mate and laid their eggs, so their job is done. Some species spin an extra-thick web in a protected place or burrow in the ground and hibernate until spring. Other spiders go dormant, which means they don’t move or eat as much as normal, but will occasionally come out of hiding when the weather warms up a bit to catch a slow-moving bug.

It is nearly impossible to keep your home spider-free, but there are ways to reduce their numbers besides using pest control in Lexington.

• Vacuum regularly
• Remove webs from corners, under cabinets, and behind furniture
• Minimize their food source – bugs – by keeping doors closed, window screens repaired, and cleaning regularly

Wolf spiders are generally harmless, but they are still an unwanted visitor in most homes. You can reduce the risk of one ending up in your home by making your yard uninviting. Don’t leave wood stacked near the house and keep the surrounding area free from leaf piles and yard clippings.

If you have a spider infestation or can’t stand the thought of even one spider being in your home, call IPM Pest and Termite, the Lexington pest control specialists.