Straight answers from a licensed New York exterminator and Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) — serving all five boroughs, in English and Spanish.
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Quick answer: Common house spiders are small web-building spiders that are largely harmless and actually help by eating other insects. Reducing spiders indoors is mainly about removing their food supply (other pests), knocking down webs, reducing clutter, and sealing entry points and outdoor lighting that attracts insect prey.
What do house spiders look like?
Common house spiders are typically small, brownish, and build irregular cobwebs in corners and quiet spots. There are many species, but the ones found indoors in NYC are generally harmless and non-aggressive. Spiders are arachnids, with eight legs and two body regions, not insects.
Signs of house spiders
The main sign is webs in corners, around windows, in basements and garages, and behind furniture, along with occasional wandering spiders. Round egg sacs in webs indicate breeding.
Why spiders are usually beneficial
Spiders are predators that eat flies, mosquitoes, and other insects, so a modest number actually helps. A noticeable spider problem is often a clue that the home has plenty of other insects for them to hunt.
How to reduce house spiders
Because spiders follow food, the best approach is indirect: control other insects so prey is scarce; vacuum away webs and egg sacs regularly; reduce clutter and undisturbed harborage; seal cracks, gaps, and add door sweeps and screens; and reduce bright outdoor lighting (or switch to less attractive bulbs) that draws insect prey to the building.
When to call a professional
If spiders are numerous, if you are concerned about a species, or if there is an underlying insect problem feeding them, a professional can identify the spider, treat harborage, and address the pest food source.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For spiders, NYE provides targeted spider control and the prey pests that attract them. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
House Spider FAQ
Are house spiders dangerous?
Most common house spiders are harmless and their bites are rare and minor. Medically significant spiders are uncommon in NYC homes. If you are unsure of a species, a professional can help identify it.
Why do I have spiders in my house?
Spiders follow their food. A spider problem usually signals plenty of other insects to eat, plus clutter, undisturbed corners, and entry points that let both prey and spiders inside.
How do you get rid of house spiders?
Reduce their food by controlling other insects, remove webs and egg sacs by vacuuming, cut clutter, seal cracks and gaps, and reduce outdoor lighting that draws insect prey to the building.
Where do house spiders hide?
In quiet, undisturbed places: corners, closets, basements, garages, behind furniture, and around windows and ceilings where they build webs.
How do I keep spiders out?
Seal entry points, install door sweeps and screens, keep the perimeter clear, reduce clutter and webs, and manage the insects spiders feed on.
More in our Pest Library · Not sure what you have? Try the NYC Pest Identifier. Reviewed by Jorge Bedoya, ACE.
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