Spiders are one of the most common — and most over-feared — pests in Tallahassee homes. The truth is most of them are harmless and actually helpful, eating the other insects you don’t want. But nobody wants webs in every corner, so here’s how to sensibly reduce them.
The key insight: spiders follow food
Spiders are in your home because there are insects for them to eat. Reduce the insect population — the flies, gnats, moths, mosquitoes and roaches drawn in by lights, moisture and gaps — and the spiders lose their reason to stay. That’s why the most effective long-term spider control is really general pest control plus web removal, not just spraying spiders.
How to reduce spiders
- Cut the insect supply — a general perimeter treatment reduces the prey spiders feed on.
- De-web regularly — knock down webs and egg sacs from corners, eaves, garages and sheds; it discourages them from re-establishing.
- Reduce exterior lighting or switch to yellow “bug” bulbs — outdoor lights draw the insects that draw spiders. Move lights away from doors where possible.
- Seal entry points — door sweeps, window screens, gaps around utilities.
- Declutter garages, closets and storage where spiders hide; store items in sealed bins.
- Trim vegetation back from the house.
Don’t fear every spider. The vast majority around Tallahassee homes are harmless orb weavers, jumping spiders, and house spiders — free pest control, really. The two to actually know are the widow spiders. See widow spiders in Florida.
The ones worth watching
Florida has black and brown widow spiders, which build tangled webs in dark, sheltered spots — garages, sheds, under furniture, in meter boxes. Those are worth keeping out of the spaces your family uses. (The brown recluse is not established in most of Florida, so a “recluse” sighting here is almost always a misidentification.)
Quick answers
Why do I suddenly have so many spiders?
Usually because there’s an insect population feeding them, often drawn by exterior lights, moisture, or a seasonal insect surge. Reduce the insects and the spiders follow.
Does spraying for spiders work?
Spraying visible spiders helps short-term, but lasting control comes from cutting their food supply (general pest control), de-webbing, and sealing entry points.
Want fewer spiders inside? Book a free inspection and we’ll target them and the insects they’re hunting — see spider control.
Dealing with this pest right now?
See our pest control services in Tallahassee and pest control prices in Tallahassee. A free inspection identifies the pest, the entry points and an exact quote — in writing, with no obligation.
