Diatomaceous Earth For Spiders
Many ask if diatomaceous earth is effective against spiders in your home and yes it is! They are no match for this natural spider repellent product and will be deterred from crawling in it or even being around it. Diatomaceous Earth has the ability to get stuck on the outer shell of an insect and when it moves, the product will irritate the shell or skin and eventually dehydrate the insect, keeping it away from the area it was applied to. Sounds like a great way to make a spider go! If you are wondering how to use diatomaceous earth for thrips be sure to click the underlined link in bold. With this natural product, you can get rid of spiders and other insects!
How to Identify a Spider
Spiders come in a variety of colors and sizes but most are 1-188MM in size. All spiders have eight legs and that is how you can really tell if it is or not a spider. Along with eight legs some spiders even have 8 eyes! Some can be hairy and large and others can look skinny and fast. Most everyone has seen a spider in their lifetime and through our genetic history, we know full well that we do not like them.
What Does a Spider Bite Look & Feel Like?
Depending on the size and type of the spider that bites you, you may be able to see fang marks, or two small, side-by-side holes. Spiders can become itchy and painful like mosquito bites. In most cases a simple non-venomous spider bite can be cleaned and washed. Then an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen to help with the swelling and an antihistamine like benadryl to help the itch.
In the United States we have two very venomous spiders that are common in all areas of our country. The black widow and brown recluse spider can cause problems for the household and can be dangerous to children and adults alike. Venomous spiders like the brown recluse can cause a bite that is initially red but over time will develop necrosis (skin dieing around the bite). Black widow bites are very very painful and are accompanied by a rash and sometimes a bullseye rash. Seek medical attention if you are experiencing your whole body itching or hives. This may be a sign of a venomous spider bite.
Spider Life Cycle & Behavior
All spiders, from the tiniest little cute jumping spider to the largest bird eating spiders, have the same general life cycle. Their life cycle consists of three stages: egg, spiderling, and adult. Between species the details of our each stage happens may be a little different but overall they all share the same three stages.
Spiders tend to be noctural and use a variety of ways to catch. Depending on the species most spiders like a cool, dark, and damp environment. Dark basement with a bunch of boxes is the perfect environment for attracting spiders. Household spiders and garden variety spiders build their webs to catch prey and actually are very beneficial to have in your garden or home. If you are unsure of the type of spider you have, do some research and find out.
How to Apply Diatomaceous Earth to Kill Spiders
In whatever part of the US you are in it is time to get some pest control going as any and every insect is searching for warmth and food. Diatomaceous earth is an effective and safe way to repel spiders and kill insects inside and outside your home. Lets take a look at how to apply diatomaceous earth to kill spider infestations!
Indoor & Outdoor Application Instructions
Step 1: Inside your home, focus on dark and damp areas of your home and mark them with sticky notes. As an example, your bathrooms, basement rooms, and any utility rooms. Remember to keep your home clean and clutter free to reduce the number of hiding spots and to have an easier time finding them.
Step 2: Outside your home, focus on entry ways to your home and mark them with either sticky notes or flags. Examples would be your entire foundation and entry ways into the home like your doors and windows.
Step 3: Firstly, seal cracks and gaps you find on the inside or outside of your home with some calking. Apply in a thin layer around the locations that you marked outside and also inside. Basically for the outside you may apply to window sills and by the door and around the entire foundation. Inside you want also apply about a ½ thick application to the locations you marked.
Step 4: Focus on baseboards and wall outlets inside. You may use our pest pistol powder duster to get into those hard to reach locations. As for the corners of rooms and such please apply to those locations as well.
Step 5: Please leave application outside for 7 days and then reapply. Please leave applications inside for 7 days and then clean and reapply to the same locations, in the same fashion.
Step 6: Repeat if necessary and please continue until the first real heavy frost.
*Product needs to be dry to remain effective. If it gets wet, its time to reapply. For smaller spiders that can come in droves, please mix a few tablespoons into a spray bottle full of water. Spray the solution onto baseboard and around entryways. Overtime and movement they will eventually die. In dry form, you may mix in a few drops of peppermint oil as well to help repel them further.
