Preventing Spider Bites

Topic Overview

To avoid bites from spiders:

• Wear gloves if working in an area where spiders are likely to live.
• Avoid wood or rock piles and dark areas where spiders live.
• Look for spiders in low-lying webs in garages, in barbecue grills, around swimming pools, and in wood piles.
• Clear away old furniture, tires, junk, newspaper, and old clothes. This will eliminate places spiders like to live.
• Plug openings and crevices into the house.
• Move your bed away from walls so spiders will be less likely to creep into bed with you.
• Shake out and check bedding for spiders before getting in the bed.
• Shake out and check clothing and shoes for spiders before putting them on.
• Do not leave your child's toys outside.
• Consider spraying insecticides on any high-risk areas, such as known black widow spiderwebs, indoor cracks and crevices, closets, attics, wood piles, and under eaves and around baseboards and window areas. Repeat treatment is usually necessary.
• If a spider gets on you, brush it off. Do not crush it.