These traps consist of little more than heavy cardboard with extremely sticky glue pasted on them. Wolf spiders and other pests get stuck on the glue as they step onto the trap. They become unable to move and die of starvation. Place glue traps in the corners of basements and garages. The traps should also be placed beneath and behind furniture, as well as on both sides of any door that leads to the outside. Keep these traps out of reach of small children and pets. Kids and pets could get stuck in these traps, and removing these traps can be a difficult process.
These insecticides come as a dust or powder that can be sprinkled beneath furniture, in dark basement corners, and other dimly-lit areas. Hexa-hydroxyl is also pet-safe and people-safe.
You can also track the spiders down outside by shining a flashlight into overgrowth, patches of woods, and dense shrubs. Wolf spiders have discs located in the back of their eyes. These discs are reflective, enabling them to see at night. It will also reflect the light from your flashlight, making these spiders easy to track in the dark.
Release the spider outside as soon as possible. Make sure that you release it far away from the perimeter of your home so that it does not crawl back inside as soon as it is free. Use a glove when trapping and picking up wolf spiders to reduce the risk of being bitten. While wolf spider venom is not usually toxic to humans, getting bitten can still sting considerably. It is also possible to have an allergic reaction to the venom, and wearing gloves will prevent a possible reaction from occurring.
You can also use a shoe or other solid object to squish the spider. Similarly, you can use a vacuum cleaner to suck the wolf spider up. Since wolf spiders are rather large, you can usually kill the adults with a broom. Smaller spiders are more likely to slip through the bristles of the broom, making brooms less effective as a weapon.
Water will not kill a wolf spider, but a strong blast of it will be enough to scare it away and may deter the spider from coming back. In addition to blasting any wolf spider you see with water, you should also spray beneath roof eaves, window ledges, patio and porch roofs, and decks.
Dark places attract wolf spiders, which hide in these areas during the day. By exposing as much of your yard as possible to sunlight, you make the area relatively unappealing to wolf spiders. Clear away as much debris and clutter from your yard as possible. Even objects like empty planters, stones, and grills can provide a dark hiding place that will attract wolf spiders.
Wolf spiders love to hide in dark places, and low vegetation is among the wolf spider’s favorite hiding spots. If possible, remove all heavy ground-covering plants from the yard. If this is not possible, you should at least move these plants away from the perimeter and to the outer perimeter of your yard to draw the spiders away from your home.
Use caulk to fill in gaps, holes, and cracks in the side of the foundation or along the exterior wall. Add weather stripping to doors and windows to minimize the risk of allowing a wolf spider to sneak in beneath. Patch up broken window screens or replace the screens completely.
Pay special attention to foundation vents. While wolf spiders can get into your home through attic vents and chimneys, they are primarily ground-dwelling hunters and are most likely to enter in through vents and crawl spaces along the foundation of the building.
Keep your lights turned off as much as possible to limit the number of insects drawn to your home. Draw your blinds or shades closed to keep indoor lighting from flooding out. [5] X Expert Source Chris ParkerPest Control Specialist Expert Interview. 21 April 2021. Switch to sodium vapor lights instead of standard outdoor lights. These lights have a soft yellow hue which is less likely to attract bugs. This is an especially effective control method against wolf spiders. Wolf spiders hunt at night, so the less food available to the at night, the less likely they are to hang around.
Sweeping and vacuuming the floor removes crumbs that may attract insects. Since insects are a food source for wolf spiders, having fewer insects will mean less food for wolf spiders, which will deter the spiders from lingering in the area. Pay close attention to any area where you see spider webs. Removing webs discourages spiders from resettling in the same area.
It is especially important to rid basements, attics, closets, crawl spaces, and other dark areas of cardboard boxes. Wolf spiders are drawn to dark areas, making them more likely to find their way to a cardboard box if it is placed in the dark. Airtight plastic containers are difficult for wolf spiders to sneak into, but a cardboard box is far easier for a wolf spider to squeeze inside.
Even if you filled in the gaps outside, it is still wise to do so inside, as well. There are some gaps that may not have been visible from the outside that you might be able to spot more easily inside. Start from the bottom of your home and work your way up. Wolf spiders are most likely to hang around basements and crawl spaces, so spider-proofing these areas is most important. Gradually work your way up, finishing with the attic.
A pesticide specifically labeled for wolf spiders is even better, but most chemical products designed to work against spiders will work effectively. Chemicals designed to kill spiders immediately will only exterminate spiders already in the home. These measures should be used in conjunction with measures designed to prevent wolf spiders from sneaking in for maximum effectiveness. Residual chemicals provide more long-term effectiveness and may be more helpful if you have difficulty preventing spiders from getting into the building. Residual pesticides sprinkled on the ground work better against wolf spiders than many other spider varieties. Many spiders travel along webs and walls, and as a result, they rarely cross over barriers made with residual pesticides. Wolf spiders hunt on the ground, however, so they are more likely to step into a residual pesticide.
Pyrethroids are a family of chemicals made from pyrethrum flowers. Insecticides made with pyrethroids are common and usually the most effective against spiders of all varieties. Common pyrethroids used in household insecticides include bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, permethrin, and tetramethrin. Aside from pyrethroid insecticides, insecticides containing deltamethrin, cypermethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, or bifenthrin are also generally effective against wolf spiders.
Boric acid, also called hydrogen borate, is a white powder used for insecticidal, industrial, and other purposes. It is relatively non-toxic for adult humans, but it may pose a threat to children and pets. The chemical is abrasive, cutting into the exterior of the wolf spider and causing it to leak bodily fluids. It also acts as a stomach poison. The spider gets it on its legs and ingests the poison as it grooms itself.
Do not spray firewood piles. If you do, throw the firewood away afterward. It is unsafe to burn firewood treated with pesticides.
