There are many pleasant and cosy aspects of the colder months of the year approaching, however seeing spiders creeping into every corner of your garage is decidedly not one of them. Unfortunately, this is what many home owners are experiencing, but if you’re one of them, you don’t have to worry as there are some simple and easy ways to keep arachnids away. Here’s how to keep spiders out of the garage!
Garages often happen to provide the perfect mixture of food, shelter and quiet, undisturbed areas arachnids love. They offer easy entry points and plenty of cardboard boxes, old gear and dark corners which are ideal hiding spots, plus many garages have other bugs like flies, moths or beetles which spiders feed on. If there are cracks or gaps e.g. around the door, especially if your garage door seal is missing or broken, they can easily get in.
You may be noticing that with autumn approaching, you’re seeing more and more of these eight-legged creatures crawling around and this is because it is peak mating season and they’ve reached their full adult size. In addition to that, colder outside temperatures will be driving them to look for the relative warmth and dryness of outbuildings.
Spiders generally dislike strong scents which includes the scents of certain essential oils e.g. peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, etc. as those overwhelm their senses and discourage them from getting near a space.
You can mix a few drops (about 15-20 drops) of essential oil with water and use a spray bottle to spray around the garage, if you'd like you can also add some plain dish soap as it'll help bind the oil and water. Make sure to reapply it every week so the scent remains fresh.
If you’ve been seeing spiders in the garage, regularly cleaning and decluttering the space can actually make a big difference when it comes to keeping them at bay as it will reduce the amount of quiet and undisturbed areas which they’re typically drawn to.
Things like regularly sweeping or vacuuming and making sure any unnecessary clutter is removed will reduce the amount of hiding spots for spiders to crawl into and build their webs. It’s also worth opting for plastic containers for storage instead of cardboard since the latter tend to attract spiders.
Controlling any available food sources is key for keeping spiders out of the garage. Try to keep bins closed securely, sweep any leaves from around the entrance of your garage and deal with any standing water or excessive moisture as these are all things that can draw in insects that arachnids feed on making the space more attractive to them.
Outdoor lights can attract flying insects so it’s worth making sure you switch them off when you don’t need them or alternatively you could swap them for warm-coloured bulbs that are repellent to insects.
Take a look and see whether there is any vegetation growing directly against your garage. If there is, it might be acting as a bridge allowing arachnids to reach vents, windows, cracks, etc and enter more easily.
To keep spiders out of the garage make sure you're trimming back any plants touching the building and clearing away leaves and grass clippings away from the door / walls. You don’t need to completely remove the vegetation around the garage, you can just leave a small gap between plants and the structure, this should be enough to make the garage less accessible to spiders and other insects they typically feed on.
One of the most important things you need to do to keep spiders out of the garage is to make sure any potential entry points are sealed. Check whether there are any cracks in the foundation or any gaps around the windows and the door, keep in mind spiders can crawl in even through very small openings.
Seal the cracks with caulk and make sure to install good quality garage door seals on the bottom and around the perimeter of the door to close any gaps as these are the easiest entry point for arachnids to sneak in through.
The best way to keep spiders out of the garage is to make sure you install a durable bottom garage door seal and weatherstripping to close any openings around the door frame. Stormstop offers multiple effective solutions including brush strip, rubber and threshold garage door seals, all manufactured in the UK for long term performance and made of industry-standard materials.
If you’re not sure which product would work best for you then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team and we’ll be happy to help!
