Wolf spiders are brown, hardy spiders that vary in size from 1 to 30mm. These spiders are land hunters who frequently hide in shadows and dark corners. While their bite isn't usually fatal, they can still become a problem if an infestation occurs in your home or yard. If you need to get rid of wolf spiders in your home or workplace, here's what you need to know.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Change the Outdoor Environment
Step 1. Remove debris and litter from your yard
Remove stacks of grass clippings, leaves, firewood, mulch, or compost.
- Dark places attract wolf spiders, which lurk in these areas during the day. By exposing your yard to sunlight as much as possible, you'll make the area unappetizing for wolf spiders.
- Remove objects that create shadows and hiding places. Items such as empty pots, stones, and grates can offer wolf spiders a lair.
Step 2. Remove the greenery from the perimeter of the house
Move bushes and other plants covering the ground away from the house.
- Low vegetation is one of the favorite hiding places of wolf spiders.
- If possible, remove all ground covering plants from the garden. If this is not possible, you should at least move these plants away from the perimeter of the house and the outer perimeter of the garden, in order not to attract wolf spiders.
Step 3. Seal the cracks and holes in the exterior walls
Make sure all cracks and openings leading to the outside are sealed so wolf spiders can't get in.
- Use putty to fill openings, holes and cracks in the foundation or along the exterior walls.
- Add waterproof ties to doors and windows to minimize the chance of wolf spiders entering.
- Patch the nets or replace them altogether.
Step 4. Install mosquito nets
Install a fine mesh mosquito net on all ventilation openings leading to the outside.
Pay attention to the foundation sockets. Although wolf spiders can enter the home from attic vents and chimneys, they are primarily land hunters and are more likely to enter the home from the vents and cavities of the building foundation
Step 5. Remove or change the outdoor lighting
The lights outside the house attract flies, moths and other nocturnal insects, a food source for wolf spiders.
- Keep the lights off as much as possible to limit the number of insects attracted to your home.
- Close the curtains or blinds to prevent internal light from illuminating the outside.
- Switch to sodium vapor lights instead of regular outdoor lights. These lights have a soft yellow light that attracts insects less.
- It is a very effective control method against wolf spiders. Wolf spiders hunt at night, so the less food they have available at night, the less they will stay around your home.
Method 2 of 4: Change the Indoor Environment
Step 1. Vacuum regularly
Use a broom or vacuum cleaner to clean the interior regularly.
- Sweeping and vacuuming the floor removes crumbs that can attract insects. Because insects are a food source for wolf spiders, having fewer insects will mean less food for wolf spiders, who will not frequent the area.
- Pay attention to areas where you see cobwebs. Removing cobwebs discourages spiders from inhabiting the same area again.
Step 2. Get rid of the cardboard boxes
Throw away boxes made of cardboard in favor of plastic vacuum containers.
- It is especially important to remove the cardboard boxes in the basement, in the attic, in the closet, in the cavities and in other dark areas. Wolf spiders are attracted to dark areas and will gladly inhabit cardboard boxes in the dark.
- Wolf spiders will not be able to get into sealed plastic boxes, while they will easily with cardboard boxes.
Step 3. Seal the openings
Put some putty on the cracks and threads that go outside.
- Even if you have sealed the openings from the outside, it is wise to do it from the inside as well. There may be openings that are not visible from the outside that you can seal from the inside.
- Start at the bottom of the house and work your way up. Wolf spiders prefer to inhabit cellars and cavities, so take care of these areas first. Reach higher areas gradually, ending with the attic.
Step 4. Avoid the junk
Wolf spiders will take advantage of all dark areas as hiding places, so remove piles of magazines, dirty clothing, books and boxes to prevent these spiders from infecting your home.
Method 3 of 4: Chemical Treatments
Step 1. Use specific chemicals for spider control
Spiders are not insects, which is why many generic insecticides may not have a strong enough effect against wolf spiders.
- A specific pesticide for wolf spiders will work even better, but most spider products will work just fine.
- Chemical agents that kill spiders immediately will only exterminate spiders already in the house. You should use these measures in conjunction with measures to prevent wolf spiders from entering in the future.
- Residual chemicals offer long-term effectiveness and may be more helpful if you can't stop spiders from getting into your home.
- Residual pesticides sprayed on the ground work better against wolf spiders than against other types of spiders. Many spiders walk along walls and on cobwebs, and as a result, rarely cross areas that contain the pesticide. Wolf spiders, on the other hand, hunt on the ground, and therefore will more often pass on a residual pesticide.
Step 2. Look for an insecticide that contains pyrethroids
This type of insecticide includes residual pesticides to be sprayed or poured.
- Pyrethroids are a family of chemicals made from the flowers of the genus piretrum. Insecticides made with pyrethroids are common and are often the most effective against spiders.
- The most common pyrethroids used in household insecticides include bifentrin, cyfluthrin, permethrin, and tetramethrin.
- In addition to pyrethroid insecticides, you can find products containing deltamethrin, cypermethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin or bifentrin, generally effective against wolf spiders.
Step 3. Sprinkle some boric acid
Sprinkle a small amount of boric acid in dark corners, cracks and under floorboards and furniture.
- Boric acid is a white powder used for pesticide, industrial, and other purposes. It is relatively non-toxic to adult men but can pose a danger to children and pets.
- The chemical is abrasive, and will cut through the body of the wolf spiders causing fluid loss. It will also act as a poison for their stomach. The spider will pick up the acid with its paws and ingest it in an attempt to clean itself.
Step 4. Spray some outdoor pesticides around the perimeter of the house
Using pesticides around the foundation will create a barrier that will prevent wolf spiders from entering.
Do not spray the piles of firewood. If you do, throw the wood later. It is not safe to burn wood that has been treated with pesticides
Method 4 of 4: Natural Solutions
Step 1. Place sticky traps around the house
Place a sticky trap in areas where you suspect the presence of wolf spiders, paying attention to dark and hidden corners.
- These traps consist of a sheet of cardboard with a very sticky glue on one side. Wolf spiders and other insects will stick to the glue when they pass over the trap. They will not be able to move and will starve.
- Place sticky traps in the corners of the basement and garage. You should also place traps behind and under furniture, and on the sides of doors leading outwards.
- Keep these traps out of the reach of small children and pets. Children and animals could get trapped, and removing these traps can be difficult.
Step 2. Use an organic pesticide
Plant pesticides made with hexahydroxyl are generally effective against wolf spiders.
- These insecticides are in the form of dust that can be sprinkled under furniture, in dark corners, or in other low-light areas.
- Hexahydroxyl is safe for animals and people.
Step 3. Go hunting for wolf spiders
If you plan to kill wolf spiders one by one, the best way to do this is to find them using a flashlight in the darkest corners of the house at night.
- You can also spot spiders outside by using a flashlight to illuminate the undergrowth and thick bushes.
- Wolf spiders have discs behind their eyes. These discs are reflective, allowing them to see at night. They will also reflect the light from your flashlight, and it will be easy to find them in the dark.
Step 4. Trap the wolf spiders in a container
When you find one, place a plastic container or glass on top of the spider and slide a piece of solid, heavy wood under the glass, being careful not to allow the spider to escape.
- Release the spider outside as fast as possible. Make sure you release it as far away from the perimeter of the house as possible so it doesn't come back as soon as you clear it.
- Use a glove when catching and collecting wolf spiders to reduce the risk of being bitten. Although wolf spider venom is not usually toxic to humans, being bitten can still cause pain. It is also possible to have an allergic reaction to the poison, so always wear gloves.
Step 5. Kill the spider with a broom
When you see a wolf spider, hit it with a broom to kill it.
- You can also use a shoe or other solid object to crush it. You can use a vacuum cleaner to suck it up.
- Since wolf spiders are quite large, you can kill an adult with a broom. Smaller spiders will likely be able to squeeze through the bristles, and brooms will not be an effective weapon in this case.
Step 6. Wash away the spiders
Use a strong stream of water from a garden pump to scare away wolf spiders outside.
- Water won't kill a wolf spider, but a strong jet will be enough to scare it away.
- In addition to hitting the spiders you see with water, you should also spray it under tiles, window frames, on the porch roof or on terraces.
