How To Get Rid of a Spider Nest | Practical Tips and Techniques

Spiders build nests all over the place – inside and outside, in windows and door frames. There’s no place safe from spiders’ nest building. When spiders stay outside and build their webs and nests in nature, it isn’t a problem, but it’s time to get rid of them if they move into your space.

How to get rid of a spider nest? To get rid of a spider nest, first spray them with a mixture of bleach and water or pesticide to kill any spiders or egg sacs that might be on them. Then, tear down their webs with a broom or feather duster. Using a vacuum to suck the webs up or spraying them with a hose also works.

If you have a spider issue, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll talk about identifying spider nests and how to get rid of them in specific areas without killing them.

Spider Nest Identification

Most of the time, identifying a spider web isn’t that hard. After all, we’ve all seen them. A spider nest is a spider web, but it’s more than just a few strings of webbing strung up in the corner of your house. Nests are more complex than that.

What are Spider Nests?

A spider nest is made up of spider webs, eggs, and newly hatched spiderlings. It can be discovered in nooks or dim spots that are shielded from sunlight and weather damage, such as behind furniture, beneath deck steps, and other places like these. But keep in mind that spider webs are strong and adaptable.

The most typical variety is a cobweb spider, which is found near windows and doors where it constructs substantial webs to catch small creatures for sustenance such as flies or mosquitoes. They aren’t dangerous, but if their nests aren’t cleaned up, they may soon become unattractive.

What Does a Spider Nest Look Like?

Spider nests can look different depending on what type of spider spun the web. There are five main types of spider webs/nests:

• Spiral orbs
• Tangle (sometimes referred to as “cobweb” nests)
• Sheet webs
• Tubular
• Funnel

This video does a great job of showcasing the various spider webs:

Spiders have a nearly inexhaustible supply of silk and can weave webs anywhere. If a spider finds a spot it thinks is good for catching prey, it can spin a quick web and wait for dinner. 

However, spiders live in their nests, so they’re usually larger and more complex than any small webs you run across. Another thing that differentiates a web from a nest is that nests usually contain spiders’ egg sacs, small balls of silk containing the spiders’ eggs. 

How To Find Spider Nests?

Luckily, spider nests aren’t hard to find. You just have to look for them. They’re usually in dark, out-of-the-way areas. Inside your house, you’ll find them in the following places:

• Under furniture
• Inside closets
• Under kitchen counters
• Basement/attic
• Areas with lots of clutter
• Small, dark corners of the house
• Inside fireplaces

Outside the house, spiders live in:

• Wood piles
• Areas with lots of clutter
• Porches
• Rafters
• Bushes/trees
• Garages

Look for spider webs. If you see small ones, look around the surrounding areas. If you see a bigger, more elaborate web with egg sacs in it, you’ve found the nest.

How To Kill a Spider Nest? | Step-by-Step Instructions

Killing spiders and getting rid of spider nests isn’t a complicated process. In most cases, you knock them down with a broom or feather duster. However, just destroying the webs won’t kill the spiders or the egg sacs. Furthermore, knocking down the nest could cause the egg sac to rupture, filling your house with tiny spiderlings, so it’s important to kill the egg sacs first.

Step 1: Spray the Nest With Pesticides or Bleach and Water Mixture

When it comes to spraying the nest, you have two options: pesticides or a mixture of bleach and water. Both work well; however, if you’re going to use pesticides, studies have shown that oil-based pesticides are more effective at destroying egg sacs than water-based ones. The Mighty Mint – 16oz Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil is a good, chemical-free option. 

You can also dilute bleach in water, pour it into a spray bottle, and spray the nest with that. Whichever product you use, be sure to give the nest a good soaking before you tear it down.

Step 2: Tear Down the Nest

After you’ve thoroughly soaked the nest, it’s time to get rid of it. You can vacuum it or brush it down with a feather duster, broom, or another cleaning tool.

If you vacuum it, be sure to empty your vacuum bag or canister immediately afterward. If the spray didn’t kill all the spiderlings, you don’t want them hatching in your vacuum. If the nest is outside, you can spray it with a high-powered water hose to knock it down.

Step 3: Spray Preventative Pesticides

Your final step is to spray the area and any other sites likely to be infested by spiders with a preventative pesticide. The Harris Spider Killer works well, as it provides residual spider kills for up to 18 months after the initial spray date. It’s also odorless and doesn’t stain, so you can spray it practically anywhere. It’ll help prevent spiders from setting up shop again.

Related: Will Ant Spray Kill Spiders?

How To Get Rid of Spider Nests in Specific Places?

People often want to know how to get rid of spiders in specific places. The removal process is pretty much the same, no matter where the spiders are. However, some methods are more effective in certain areas. You wouldn’t want to use a high-powered hose on a spider nest in the house, after all.

How To Get Rid of a Spider Nest Inside?

If you find a spider nest on a wall, in a ceiling corner, or somewhere else inside your house, your first instinct is probably to get the duster and knock it down. But check the nest for egg sacs first. If you see any, follow the steps above for spraying it. Then, you may want to vacuum it instead of knocking it down just in case any spiderlings survived the pesticides. 

How To Get Rid of a Spider Nest in a Garden?

If you find a spider’s nest in the garden, you’ll want to use more natural products to get rid of it. Don’t use the bleach and water mixture or the Harris spray. Instead, use the Mdxconcepts Organic Home spray mentioned above or some other non-toxic, chemical-free spider killer. Otherwise, you may end up killing your plants. Afterward, knock the nest down with the water hose when you’re watering your garden.

How To Get Rid of Baby Spider Nest?

A small nest is usually only a temporary web for hunting. If you find a small spider nest, it can also mean you’ve caught the spider in the middle of building what would’ve been a more elaborate web. Inspect the web for egg sacs; it’s unlikely there will be any on a small nest, but check to be sure. If there are no egg sacs, vacuum or knock the web down with a broom.

How To Get Rid of a Spider Nest in Car?

Chances are you don’t want to spray a bunch of pesticides or bleach in your car. Aside from the potential health hazards, it wouldn’t smell nice. Instead, if you find a nest in your car, spray it with a diluted mixture of peppermint oil and water. You can also wipe down your car’s interior with the same mixture. 

If you’re having trouble with spiders crawling in through your vents, use a Q-tip to swab inside them with the same peppermint oil mixture. You can also rub lemon peels inside the vents because spiders hate that, too. Either of these should be sufficient to keep them from coming back inside your car.

How To Get Rid of Spider Nest in Tree?

Getting rid of spiders’ nests in trees can be difficult, especially if they’re incredibly high up in the branches. 

If the nest is low enough for you to reach, follow the same tips for getting rid of a spider nest in a garden. If it’s too high and climbing the tree or using a ladder isn’t an option, the only other thing you can do is spray the nest with a high-powered water hose. 

How To Get Rid of Spider Nests on Windows?

If the spider nest is inside the window, follow the above-listed instructions for ridding yourself of spider nests inside your house. If the spider nest is outside the window, you can use these same instructions or use a high-powered hose to knock the nest down from the window.

Related: How to Get Rid of Spiders in Your Car | Simple Solutions and Prevention Tips

How To Remove a Spider Nest Without Killing Them?

There are plenty of spider extermination methods you can use to take care of spiders both inside and outside your home. But how do you get rid of spiders in your house without killing them? That’s not as easy, but you can do it. 

The hardest part of relocating spiders is catching them. Once you’ve done that, moving them somewhere else isn’t tricky. Try to catch the spiders in a large, clean jar. It needs to be deep enough so they can’t crawl over the side as soon as you place them in it. Then, take them outside and let them go.

Egg sacs are more fragile. If you’re going to move those, be sure to wear gloves, and then do the following:

1. Gently remove the whole section of the web containing the egg sac.
2. Put it in something that’ll be easy for the spiders to get out of once they hatch. Small cardboard boxes or Chinese takeout boxes work well. 
3. Take the entire container outside and place it in a safe spot. 

List of Sources

Peters. R., (2019). Physics of Spider Webs.

Rhea, C., Norton, K., Diawara, F., Thompson, B., (2018). The Effects of Diet on the Physical Strength of Spider Silk. The Journal of Biological Sciences at Rutgers Camden University.

Vetter, R.S., Tarango, J., Campbell, K.A., Tham, C., Hayashi, C.Y., Choe, D.H., (2015). Efficacy of Several Pesticide Products on Brown Widow Spider (Araneae: Theridiidae) Egg Sacs and Their Penetration Through the Egg Sac Silk. Journal of Economic Entomology

Hahn, J., Jesse, L., Lewis, D., Liesch, P.J., (2019). Spiders. University of Minnesota Extension.