Jumping Spider Control

About 300 species of jumping spiders are found in the United States and Canada. They come in a variety of colors, usually black, sometimes brown, tan, or gray, and usually with pale markings of white, gray, yellow, red, blue and/or green. Jumping spiders are very small, reaching just 1/8-3/4 inch long.
Their distinguishing characteristic is their jumping ability. They can jump forward, sideways, and backwards in the blink of an eye. Since they’re daytime hunters and don’t use a web, their daytime eyesight is impressive for a spider.
Jumping spiders do sometimes bite, but their venom is not considered to be dangerous (unless you’re allergic to spider bites). They are sometimes mistaken for black widow spiders, but they are far less dangerous.
Jumping spiders don’t hunt using webs, but they do build a web-like nest called a retreat. Retreats may be built almost anywhere: under furniture, in drapery folds, between books on bookshelves, in cracks in wood floors, around door and window molding, between boxes in attics and basements, etc. Cleaning up these retreats regularly will discourage jumping spiders.
Jumping spiders often are found hunting around windows and doors; insects are attracted to these areas, and their vision is best in sunlit areas.

Getting Rid of Jumping Spiders

The first step in controlling spiders (and many other pests) is to seal up places where they can get into your house. we reccomend a professional pest control company to Seal cracks on the outside of the house, especially around doors, windows, and where utility lines enter the house. Pay special attention to any cracks or gaps in the foundation. Make sure screens are present on windows and are in good repair. If there are gaps underneath doors, install weather stripping or sweep strips. Fill any gaps around water pipes under sinks. Use yellow light bulbs for exterior lighting. Use a dehumidifier in basements, cellars, and crawl spaces, or take measures to improve ventilation.
Once you’ve sealed off spider entry points, it’s time to clear out their hiding places within your home. In many houses, storage and clutter are inevitable. Unfortunately, stacks of boxes or debris can serve as spider hiding places, so pull boxes away from the wall. Leave one foot clearance between stacks of boxes. Pull beds one foot from walls, and furniture at least a few inches out. This makes ongoing cleaning and vacuuming easier, which is crucial to controlling spiders and insects. Vacuum under and behind furniture, and along baseboards regularly.
Outside, clean up debris piles and wood piles (gloves are recommended). Clean up any debris present under decks or outdoor staircases. Spiders can hide in and under disused lawn furniture, so clean these areas up as well.

Chemical Control of Jumping Spiders

Now that entry points are sealed off, and hiding places inside and outside your home are eliminated, you can effectively use aerosol bombs or powders on resident spiders.
Sprays can kill visible spiders, and can help immediately reduce numbers in cases of severe infestations. For long-term control, use insecticidal dusts or boric acid (after you’ve made modifications to your house to minimize their presence, of course; chemicals won’t be as effective if you don’t prevent the spiders from entering in the first place).
Indoor aerosol bombs or foggers will be a lot more effective if you’ve done the work to clean up spider hiding places first. They probably won’t provide residual control for any spiders coming in later, though; seal up cracks and openings as described above, if you haven’t already.
It’s crucial that you use a product that’s labeled for use on spiders, and is labeled for indoor use; follow label instructions and do not use more product than recommended. If your first round of fogging doesn’t work, look again for hiding places outside and inside your home, or call in the pros.
Boric acid works, but a bit more slowly. The upside is that it isn’t toxic to humans. Spiders pick it up on their bodies as they go about their business, then ingest it when they groom themselves. If you’re building a house or adding a room, have the wall voids treated with boric acid.
If you spray outside: Reading the small print on the label might not be fun, but it is extremely important. Use only pesticides labeled to be effective against spiders and for use outside; spray around any crack or opening. Do not overspray. Don’t spray the firewood pile, unless you plan on throwing it all away afterwards. It is not safe to burn firewood after you’ve doused it with pesticides.
If getting the insecticidal powder in the walls and behind the baseboards of your home seems overwhelming, save yourself the headaches and call in the pros. Professional pest control operators or exterminators will tackle the job for you, saving you a lot of work and worry. Look for ones with experience with spider problems in your area.