It’s Just a Spider, but Here’s How to Keep Them Out of Your House

Since we've been in our new home, I've seen a few spiders showing up here and there. They're harmless, but some people would think the devil himself sent a demon from hell.

Sure, they aren't pretty. Especially when you take a picture and zoom in on them like I did.

This one may look scary, but it's harmless. It's a female jumping spider by the way. You can tell by the white beard-like hairs under its eyes. Yes, I Googled it.

While it might look ugly and scary as hell, most spiders in Maine have their benefits. They typically feed on household and lawn pests that are more a nuisance than this little spider. I know what you're saying. "I don't care I don't want them in my house!" Okay. There are things you can do.

According to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, there are several things you can do to minimize the number of spiders that get into your home.

Get rid of the clutter in your basement and move wood piles away from the house. Reducing the humidity in your basement helps keep them away too. Make sure your windows screens are tight fitting and don't have holes for them to crawl through. Seal the cracks in your foundation so they can't get in. Use a yellow porch light or dim light so less moths and other insects attracted to light don't provide a spider smorgasbord at your house.

Clean up by dusting, sweeping and vacuuming in corners, under furniture, and other places spiders might like to hide. If you haven't touched a place with a broom in months, that's home sweet home for a spider to spin a web.  If you have any other insect problems, make sure to eradicate them as well, because that's also an invitation for spider to show up for dinner.

If you'd rather leave it to the professionals, a pest control company can come by and take a look at your home and point what can be done to keep your worst nightmares from coming true.

And don't panic. The most dangerous spiders like the black widow and brown recluse are nowhere to be found in Maine. They would never be able to handle Maine winters.