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Spider Traps Work

Do spider traps really work? You betcha! Spider traps will snare spiders, ants, water bugs, roaches, crickets and other creepy crawly pests.

We Need Spiders

While I understand the need for spiders, I still don’t want them in my house.  My champion spider catcher, Luna spends plenty of time prowling for anything that moves but she isn’t always as thorough as I’d like.  Frequent dusting and vacuuming helps to keep the pest population down, but there are some deep, dark places in my basement where even the cat won’t visit.  That’s where the spiders and other pests hang out.

That’s where the spider and insect traps do their work!

Terro Spider & Insect Traps

Spider & Insect Traps are strips of thin cardboard like material with a thick, sticky surface that instantly traps what comes in contact with it.  They are glue traps.  You can lay the strips directly on the floor or bend them to form a box shape.  Bugs go in but they don’t come out.

I prefer to keep them flat, on the floor and up against the wall, directly in the path I think the bugs travel.  I tried the box form but for my house, the flat surface was much more effective.  In addition to some ugly brown spiders, I snagged some water bugs and a few other squiggly things I never even knew where in the house.

Spider traps are glue traps and therefore it is very important to keep them out of the reach of pets and children.  I know where my bugs hang out so I lay the traps in their path up against the basement wall.  I keep the corner accessible to the bugs but covered so they are not reachable to the cats or the dog.

Tips For Successful Spider Trapping

This is not a ‘catch and release’ project.  We catch them and toss the trap in the trash.  Here are a few helpful tips for success:

• Read the package directions first.  It only takes a minute.
• Decide on flat trap or box trap – flat trap is easier but box shape is more desirable if you want to avoid viewing the collection of dead bugs.  Box is also preferable if you put the trap anywhere a cat can reach.
• Don’t put the trap anywhere a cat can reach.  Cat, bugs, glue …
• Cut and/or shape the trap before removing the trap covering – you don’t want to be working with the sticky part if you’re folding into a box shape.
• Do not touch the sticky part – it will stick to fingers, clothes, etc.
• Position the trap where bugs are most likely to cross over the trap.  My bugs tend to hide out in the darkest, hardest to reach corners in my basement.
• Check the trap regularly and dispose of as needed.  I check my traps every time I clean the basement. After a few months, I have noticed a significant decrease in spiders around the house.

While I would love to just toss my spiders back outside where they should be, that’s not going to happen.  ((shudder))  

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