They’re creepy. They’re crawly. They spin webs that stick on your face and tangle in your hair and absolutely freak you out.
They lay hundreds of eggs at a time in webby sacks the size of their own bodies. Each egg sack gives birth to hundreds of tiny little predators that fan out to infest every nook, cranny and closet in your house, each with the potential of begetting multiple multitudinous generations.
They might be hiding right now in your slippers or shoes, or in the rolled-up newspaper you’ll be fetching from your lawn, or in the sleeve of your coat hanging in a dark closet. (Think about that the next time you throw on a coat you haven’t worn in a while and shove your hands into those deep, dark pockets!)
We’re talking about spiders, of course. If you’re like most people, you don’t like them very much. If you’re like a lot of people, you dislike them very much. And if you’re like a significant number of people, they scare the absolute bejeebers out of you.
They’re Not So Bad…Mostly
Would it help to know that spiders are beneficial creatures for the most part? No, probably not.
It’s true, though. There are around 4,000 species of spiders that call North America home. Of those thousands of species, only two are considered to be truly dangerous: the black widow and the brown recluse.
And experts say that the commonly perceived dangers of these two species of spiders are probably overblown. Fewer than 10 Americans die every year as a result of a spider bite. Statistically speaking, you’re far more likely to die from bee stings, dog bites or lightning strikes.
And spiders actually do a lot of good. They are predators of insects, and having a population of spiders in your home can do wonders in keeping insect pests at bay. If the spiders in your home aren’t bothering you, most experts recommend that you just leave them be.
Not buying that, huh? Most people don’t.
In fact, the fear of spiders, called arachnophobia, is one of the most common of phobias. In the U.S., only glossophobia (the fear of public speaking) and necrophobia (the fear of death) are more common. And even most people that aren’t irrationally afraid of spiders prefer not to share hearth and home with them.
Your First Point of Defense is your Garage
Experts tell us that your best chance of keeping down the population of spiders in your home is by keeping them out of your home. Spiders are awfully good at hiding, and once they’re established in your home they can be very difficult to root out and destroy.
And the most inviting entryway into your home, from a spider’s perspective, is through your garage.
Most spider home invasions gain the first foothold in the garage – especially garages that are cluttered-up with lots of stuff. A garage loaded with junk and clutter is spider heaven. It gives them lots of places to hide and raise new generations of young. And such an environment also plays host to the insects that spiders eat.
So clearing, cleaning, and organizing your garage should be your first campaign in your counteroffensive against spidery invaders.
Once you’ve cleaned the clutter out of your garage, stay vigilant for spider webs on an ongoing basis, and use a shop vac to keep your garage clear of any webs and spiders that you happen to spot. Do that on a regular basis, and you’ll likely destroy any egg sacs before they’re able to hatch their hordes of home invaders
We Ain’t Afraid of no Itty Bitty Spiders!
Getting your garage clean, neat and organized – and keeping it that way – is your single best defense against having an arachnophobic meltdown. But if just the thought of wading into a full-scale cleanup of your spider-infested garage sends shivers down your spine like fingernails screeching across a blackboard, give us a call. One of our crews will be glad to handle your garage cleanup for you.
After all, we’re professionals. We clean up spidery garages all the time. You think we’re afraid of a few little spiders? Don’t be silly; course we’re not. They don’t bother us a bit. Mostly.