How To Keep Spiders Off Insect Screens

Despite their rather unsettling appearance, spiders are our friends. Sure, they might look creepy, but they’re an essential part of the natural world and are great for keeping insect populations down. We’d be overrun by swarms of flies and other bugs every summer if it wasn’t for our eight-legged chums, you could even argue they help buildings to last longer. If spiders weren’t around, there’d be more insects to burrow into our homes and cause structural damage. 

That said, we recognise that spiders can make our houses look less attractive. Having webs in the corner of every room isn’t a good aesthetic, and they can make everything seem grimy and unclean. And some people have a phobia of spiders, so they’ll understandably want to keep them away. 

Can Insect Screens Keep Spiders Away?

The good news is that mesh insect screens can reduce the chance of spiders getting into your house. Those spindly little fellows won’t be able to get through the fine ClearVu mesh and there won’t be any gaps they can squeeze through. If you have fly screens installed, you won’t have any spiders coming in through the windows. They may still find their way in through cracks or other means, but your windows will be safe. 

However, there is a caveat to this. Insect screens will stop spiders from getting in, but they’ll still be able to build their webs near them. A fly screen with lots of insects trapped in it will be very attractive to a hungry spider, and we can understand why they’d want to build a home nearby. Thankfully, there are ways to stop them from setting up webs on the surrounding frame. 

Discouraging Spiders

You may have heard that leaving conkers around the house will stop spiders from coming in. We’re not convinced that this is true, but we do have a few more practical tips to turn them away. One thing you can do is spray your insect screens with vinegar every couple of weeks. Simply take a spray bottle, fill it up with diluted vinegar and apply it to the screen. This will leave a slight film of acetic acid and discourage spiders from nesting nearby. You could also try over-the-counter insect repellent sprays, but we recommend using diluted vinegar first. It does the job just as well and will save an unnecessary purchase.

We’d also suggest closing your blinds and reducing the light. Insects are active at nighttime and are attracted to the light, so if your house is in darkness, you’ll get less of them paying you a visit. Fewer flies mean fewer spiders, as they’ll have less food. Turning off any unnecessary lights and shutting your blinds should reduce the number of spider webs on your windows and insect screens.

You’ll probably still see a few spiders turning up, but hopefully, following these tips will make your home less enticing. If you do need to remove any though, try to do so humanely. They might make your skin crawl, but they’re a vital part of the natural world. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about our range of insect screens, you’re welcome to contact us. Why not download a free brochure or book a no-obligation design consultation today? We can’t wait to hear from you.