Garages in Eagle make good homes for spiders. They’re dark in the corners, rarely cleaned behind shelves, full of boxes and stored gear, and they open straight to the outside several times a day. Insects drawn in by the light give spiders plenty to eat. Most garage spiders are harmless, but a few deserve some care, and a garage full of webs is no one’s idea of a good storage space.
Here’s which spiders turn up in Eagle garages, why they settle there and what keeps their numbers down.
Why Garages Attract Spiders
- Easy access. Garage doors open and close all day, and worn bottom seals and side weatherstripping leave gaps even when they’re shut.
- Food. Lights over the garage door draw night-active insects, and crickets, beetles and other insects wander in from the driveway. Our post on crickets around driveways covers one common source.
- Shelter. Cardboard boxes, shelving, sports gear and seldom-moved items give spiders undisturbed places to build webs and lay eggs.
- Stable conditions. Garages stay cooler in summer and milder in winter than outside, and spiders can stay active much of the year.
Common Garage Spiders in Eagle
- Giant house spiders and hobo spiders are large, brown funnel-web spiders often seen running along the floor in late summer and fall, when males wander looking for mates. They’re commonly confused with each other. Montana State University’s Idaho hobo spider bulletin covers how to tell them apart.
- Cellar spiders have tiny bodies and very long legs and hang in loose webs in corners and along the ceiling.
- Wolf spiders are hairy, fast hunters that don’t build webs. They come in from the yard and run along walls.
- Western black widows are shiny black with a red hourglass under the abdomen. They build messy, strong webs low down in quiet spots, such as under shelves, behind stored items, in the corners of the door frame and in boxes. A bite needs medical attention, so wear gloves when moving stored things.
Our spider identification guide has photos of these and other Idaho spiders.
Prevention Steps for Garages
Seal the gaps
- Replace a worn or torn bottom seal on the garage door and check the side and top weatherstripping.
- Seal gaps where the slab meets the wall, around pipes and electrical lines, and at the door to the house.
- Add a door sweep to the side service door.
Reduce clutter
- Store items in sealed plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes.
- Keep shelves off the wall a few inches so you can clean behind them.
- Get rid of old boxes, newspaper and unused items stacked in corners.
- Shake out gloves, boots and gear that have been sitting a while before using them.
Clean regularly
- Sweep and vacuum corners, along the base of the walls and under shelves, removing webs and egg sacs.
- Knock down webs around the door frame and ceiling with a long-handled duster.
Cut down on insects
- Switch outdoor lights near the garage to yellow or warm LED bulbs, which attract fewer insects.
- Keep the garage door closed in the evening when lights are on.
- Clear leaves and debris from the driveway edge and the base of the garage.
Sticky traps along the walls are a useful way to see what’s moving through and where. They catch wandering spiders but won’t solve the problem alone.
How Professional Spider Control Works
A technician will look at where the spiders are concentrated, what’s drawing insects in and where they’re getting inside. Treatment usually focuses on the outside of the garage and house: the foundation, door frames, the garage door edges, eaves and light fixtures. Inside the garage, it’s limited to cracks, corners and the base of walls rather than open surfaces. Webs and egg sacs are removed. Because spiders keep coming in from outside, regular seasonal treatment keeps numbers down far better than a single visit.
For more on what works outdoors, see our post on outdoor spider spray options. If spiders are also turning up in the attic, our post on keeping spiders out of attics covers that space.
Common Questions
When are spiders most active in garages?
Late summer and fall, when males wander looking for mates and insects are plentiful. That’s also a good time to clean, seal and treat.
Can I use store-bought sprays too?
You can, as long as you follow the label. Let your technician know what you’ve used and where, so treatments don’t overlap.
Spider Control in Eagle
Spiders are part of our regular residential pest control plans, along with ants, wasps and hornets, mice, rats and fall invaders. We offer quarterly, bi-annual and one-time service. Quarterly service plan customers get free return visits. No contracts; cancel with 30 days’ notice. Rodent service is included at no extra cost with quarterly service plans; traps and materials are billed separately. We also service commercial properties, including warehouses, shops and offices.
ProGuard is based in Eagle and serves homes and businesses in Eagle, Boise, Meridian, Star, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, Emmett and Garden City. Call (208) 352-2062 or contact us to schedule an inspection.