If it has been a while since you gave your property a deep cleaning, and you look around your home, you may find what appear to be strings or structures of webs covered in dust. These are what are known as “cobwebs.” They are frequently found in abandoned properties, but may be found in any type of home, even one that is kept generally clean.

Not only are cobwebs not dangerous, but the spiders that create them pose no risk to humans as well. But finding cobwebs can still mean there are problems on your property, ones that may require a professional pest control company to address.

Cobwebs and the Spiders that Make Them

Cobwebs are essentially abandoned spider webs that have collected dust and debris over time. They are typically created by house spiders, particularly from the Theridiidae family, also known as cobweb spiders. These spiders build irregular, tangled webs in quiet, undisturbed places where they can trap insects for food. Unlike the classic, structured orb webs that we associate with outdoor spiders, cobwebs are messy, random, and lack a defined shape.

“Cobwebs” as a team, however, can be a reference to any type of spider that makes any type of web on your property. Spiders use webs not only to trap pray, but to travel, and so if a spider entered a property through the roof (for example), and used a web to drop to the floor, the web they left behind may gather dust and create what we call “Cobwebs.”

Cobwebs may be sticky to the touch because they are made from silk threads coated with a type of glue-like substance that helps trap prey. When a cobweb spider abandons its web – often after the web becomes too damaged or dirty to function effectively – it remains in place, collecting dust, dirt, and other small particles from the environment, which gives it the dusty appearance we commonly see.

What Cobwebs Indicate

There is no pest control that is 100% effective against spiders. Spiders are unique in their ability to find entrance points nearly anywhere in the property, and their long and thin legs mean they can typically walk over any pest control just enough to minimize how quickly it eliminates them. They are still likely to pass on, but not as fast as other bugs.

As a result, finding cobwebs is going to be common even in properties that have outstanding pest control, like those that use our team here at ExtermPRO. It’s just the nature of spiders, and not an indication that your property is unclean or uncared for.

However, frequent cobwebs do indicate many things:

• Spiders Have Been There – We may not know if the spider is still alive, but we can know that a spider has been present by the existence of a cobweb. Spiders are the only pests that create cobwebs, so the more you have, the more you know spiders have successfully entered.
• Spiders Like a Spot – If you see cobwebs popping up often in the same spots, this may be a sign that either you have an entrance point nearby, or that specific location is popular with spiders for some reason (eg, access to bugs). It can help us direct pest control or determine that there is an entrance point we can seal for better long term prevention.
• You May Have Other Pests – Spiders are more common on a property that has other pests they can eat, and so frequent cobwebs can also mean other bugs that the spiders are trying to catch and chase. That is why cobwebs are often a sign that you need professional pest control.

Typically, frequent cobwebs mean that there is a place on your property that spiders are able to enter, and so we can try to seal those holes if possible, or use pesticides aimed at spiders for the locations they appear most likely to congregate. All of these help you stay pest free.

What’s Next for Cobwebs?

If you see a cobweb, you can knock it down with a broom or cobweb cleaner, or ask us to do it at your next visit. It is very unlikely to still have a spider in it if it has been gathering dust, and they are so sticky that they fairly easily grab onto anything that you wipe them with.

But if you’re seeing cobwebs often, you have spiders coming onto your property. Whether or not they are surviving after they enter is unclear, but the existence of cobwebs will always indicate the existence of spiders – and likely other pests as well. If you’re not currently engaged in prevention, you need to contact ExtermPRO today. We can help eliminate and prevent pests, and make sure that your home is more pest free.

Contact ExtermPRO today to get started.