Spider Control for Kansas City Homes

Spiders usually show up where there is food, shelter, and access. That means other insects may also be active around the home.

A good spider service targets webs, cracks, exterior hiding spots, garage areas, basement areas, and pest activity that attracts spiders.

Spiderlings hatch in spring and spread out on the wind and along fences and siding. Through summer, orb weavers and grass spiders build bigger and bigger webs in landscaping, and by September the large orb weavers strung across porches and between shrubs are full-grown.

From about August through October, adult males of many species — house spiders and wolf spiders especially — leave their webs and burrows to look for females. That is when they turn up crossing the living room floor, in bathtubs and in basements. Many of the spiders people see indoors aren't coming in to get warm; some species live their whole lives inside the house. Brown recluse stay active indoors year-round in a heated home.

Common house spiders build tangled cobwebs in corners, windows and light fixtures. Cellar spiders have tiny bodies and very long, thin legs and hang in loose webs in basements and garages. Wolf spiders are large, hairy, fast hunters that run across floors without a web; females carry an egg sac and then their young on their backs. Grass and funnel-web spiders build flat sheet webs with a tunnel in lawns and shrubs. Jumping spiders are small and compact with big front eyes, and yellow sac spiders are pale spiders often seen on walls and ceilings at night.

The brown recluse is tan to medium brown with a darker violin shape on its back, though that mark is easy to misread. Better tells: six eyes arranged in three pairs, and legs that are a single even color with no bands or obvious spines. The body is about three-eighths of an inch. They hide in undisturbed spots — boxes, closets, behind furniture, in stored clothing and shoes — and Kansas City is within their native range.

Black widows are not commonly found here, but they are easy to recognize. The black widow is glossy black with a red hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. Its web is messy and low to the ground: woodpiles, utility meter boxes, window wells, under decks and outdoor furniture, and the corners of garages.

Webs that come back in the same corners within a day or two, egg sacs in webs or tucked into corners, lots of spiders on sticky traps, and small shed skins in undisturbed areas — a classic sign of brown recluse. A basement full of webs usually also means plenty of the small insects spiders eat.

Warm weather, landscaping, porch lights, cluttered garages, basements, and foundation gaps can all increase spider activity.

We focus on prevention and reduction instead of only knocking down visible webs.

Put sticky traps flat along walls, behind furniture and in closets. They catch wandering spiders and show you which kind you have and where. Store things in sealed plastic bins instead of cardboard, shake out shoes, gloves and clothes left on the floor, and keep beds a few inches from the wall with bedding off the floor — that matters most if you have brown recluse.

Vacuum webs and egg sacs and empty the vacuum outside. Outside, switch porch lights to yellow bulbs or motion lights so fewer insects gather at the doors, trim shrubs off the siding, keep firewood away from the house, and wear gloves when moving it. Replace worn door sweeps and weatherstripping, repair torn screens, and run a dehumidifier in a damp basement.

Bug bombs and foggers rarely reach where spiders hide, and spiders aren't much affected unless a spray hits them directly. Hedge apples, peppermint oil and chestnuts are popular home remedies with no good evidence they keep spiders away. Knocking down webs alone doesn't solve anything either — a spider can rebuild overnight, and the insects that drew it there are still around.

Call if you've found a brown recluse, if spiders keep turning up indoors after you've cleaned up and sealed gaps, or if webs keep coming back across the outside of the house. If you think you've found a black widow, or you're not sure what you have, text us a clear photo. We'll get to you as fast as we can.

Our treatments are designed to be effective while staying mindful of families, pets, and pollinators.

We protect homes the smart way.