Wolf spiders are one of the most common types of spiders to come into your house. They can be large, hairy, and may look rather terrifying, and if you’re reading this article, chances are you don’t want to share your space with them. So today, in this article, we’re going to talk about how to keep wolf spiders out of the house. We’ll also discuss related information about what parts of the house they are most likely to hang out in and what attracts them into your house in the first place.
What You'll Learn Today
What Attracts Wolf Spiders Into the House?
Like many other arachnids, wolf spiders often find their way into your house while looking for food or shelter.
They prefer warmth over cooler temperatures, so they may wander inside during the fall and winter to get away from the cold. They may also head inside during times of bad weather, such as severe storms, drought, or heavy rains.
If you have insects hanging out inside your home, this may attract wolf spiders who are looking for a reliable food source. Wolf spiders hunt their prey by stalking and attacking it rather than trapping it in webs, and your home likely provides many nooks and crannies for these creatures to hide in.
Wolf spiders are nocturnal, hunting prey at night and hiding out during the day. That said, they are attracted by light, so if you leave lights on in your house at night, these spiders may find their way inside.
Wolf spiders can get inside your house through open doors and windows, cracks in the foundation, and other gaps in the building which you may not even recognize are there. They may also find their way inside through pipes, vents, drains, and other structures.
Wolf spiders generally don’t take up permanent residence in your house; if you see one, it is most likely just passing through. Though your home may provide warmth and some food, it probably doesn’t supply the necessary levels of humidity and a consistent enough supply of food to make the spiders comfortable with staying there.
What’s more, wolf spiders are shy and don’t like being around people. Though they will bite if forced to, they will most likely try to run away first, and they endeavor to avoid being seen at all cost.
Do Wolf Spiders Climb into Beds?
The chances of finding a wolf spider in your bed are pretty slim. There are a few reasons for this.
Wolf spiders generally stay at ground level in an effort to conserve energy. They can climb, but unless they are actively chasing an insect that flees into your bed, they probably aren’t going to waste the effort.
What’s more, as mentioned, wolf spiders try to avoid people. Though a bed may provide ample hiding places, these arachnids are unlikely to hide in any area that is frequently disturbed.
That said, they might scurry into a shoe or a pile of laundry if they hear you coming. They likely won’t stay in these locations for long, but if you know you have wolf spiders in your area, you might want to check your shoes before putting them on and shake out any dirty laundry before picking up the pile.
If you see a spider in your bed, it’s more likely to be a simple house spider or, worse, a brown recluse. Be very careful about removing it if you’re not entirely sure of the identity; brown recluse bites are poisonous and may cause serious localized tissue death.
Wolf spider bites are painful and may cause some minor symptoms such as swelling around the bite itself, but they are otherwise harmless.
Check out this video to learn how to tell the difference between brown recluses and wolf spiders.
How to Keep Wolf Spiders Away?
Having wolf spiders in your house is not necessarily a bad thing; they are generally non-aggressive, will help reduce the number of insects in your house, and they do their best to stay out of your way and avoid being seen.
That said, a lot of people don’t want spiders of any kind hanging out in their house. If you’re one of these people, what can you do to get rid of any wolf spiders you see and to keep them from coming back in the future?
- Get rid of their food sources: If you have insects, such as termites or cockroaches, getting rid of these infestations will likely convince the spiders to leave on their own. Even if you don’t have any active infestations, keeping your home as insect-free as possible will force wolf spiders to leave in search of more reliable food sources.
- Seal your house: Use caulk and weather stripping to close off insect entry points into your house, and have foundation cracks repaired. You may also want to keep your windows and doors closed as much as possible, or use insect screens to prevent spiders from coming inside.
- Clean regularly: Sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, and reorganizing furniture will disturb the areas where wolf spiders like to hide out. Doing these things on a regular basis will send them scurrying for quieter, human-free places such as the great outdoors.
- Declutter: While you’re cleaning, you might also want to clear any clutter out of your house; cardboard boxes, in particular, make excellent hiding places for wolf spiders and the insects they hunt. The more places the spiders have to hide, the more likely they are to stick around for a while.
- Use a repellent: You can use a store bought repellent; or you could make your own by mixing a few drops of peppermint, lavender, or citrus oil in water and spraying it around insect entry points and hiding places in your house. These strong-smelling oils will send many insects and arachnids, including wolf spiders, scrambling for fresh air.
- Use a pesticide (not recommended by us!): If you’ve tried everything else and you still have wolf spiders coming into your house, as a very last resort, you may decide to use a store-bought insect killer or call an exterminator. Though pesticides contain harsh chemicals and can be dangerous to use, they are highly effective at killing not just wolf spiders but other insects as well.
Conclusion
Wolf spiders frequently come inside the house when the weather gets cold or when they’re searching for food or shelter. Some of the things you can do to discourage wolf spiders from coming into your house include getting rid of their food sources, cleaning and sealing the holes, cracks and other small entry points in your house. You can also use a repellent if necessary.
We are building a home, not finished, and 3 of our window wells for the basement have quite a few of these spiders. How can I get rid of them?
I’d try the lavender or peppermint oil first. Give it a few days and if no results, I’d use a pesticide or call an exterminator (if the things give you the chills). Then, I’d get permanent screening on the windows themselves and if you want to open window and the screen won’t permit that, I’d put a screen across the entire metal well. Have some experience with spiders in the window wells while living in Virginia with a basement.