Housekeeping
Helps you bring more business to your hotel

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Nearly everyone has noticed a spider inside their facility at some point in time.While the types of spiders you find inside are usually harmless and pose little threat to the health and safety of your staff, a spider sighting by a customer can be much more frightening and damaging than you thought!

The Problem

Spiders are generally beneficial predators that help to reduce populations of other pests, such as flies, crickets and mites in and around buildings, yards, gardens and crops. Most pest populations peak during the warmer seasons, which is when pests find ways into your facility. With the increased availability of prey during these times, spiders will also find their way indoors.

Most spiders spin webs, so the sight of a web is a telltale sign of spiders. Spiders and their webs can be found in many places, such as doorways, near vents, corners, undisturbed areas, and often around light fixtures. These sights can be unpleasant and even scary to certain customers, giving the impression of an unsanitary establishment.

The Solution

There are many ways you can control the outbreak of spiders, many of which are simple solutions. Removing spiders, webs and egg sacs with a vacuum and sealing possible spider access points are two simple solutions to keep populations under control. Another good solution is eliminating thespiders’ food source; if you eliminate the prey normally available to spiders, you eliminate the spiders.

If you see more spiders and webs than you’d like to, contact your pest control provider or Ecolab Pest Elimination. Ecolab offers a systematic approach to prevent pests from gaining access to your building. Ecolab can help reinforce your building by locating and blocking access to entry points and potential nestingareas. They can also help identify the species of spider to better determine from where they may be originating and whether or not they pose any health threat to your establishment.

QUICK TIPS

Don’t get stuck with a spider problem.Be proactive and use these tips to keep your facility spider free.

Exclusion

• Equip all windows with properly fitting screens and weather stripping.
• Seal up cracks and small openings through which spiders can enter.
• Use yellow or sodium vapor lights, which are less likely to attract spiders and their prey.
• Equip vents in soffits and foundations with tight-fitting screens.

Sanitation

• Eliminate the insects that spiders prey on.
• Physically remove spiders, their webs and their egg sacs. This can be as simple as using a vacuum.
• Keep woodpiles and debris away from outside walls, and cut back tree branches and plants around the exterior. Remove any heavy vegetation or leaf litter around the building’s foundation.
• Eliminate clutter in storage areas and store items off of the floor.
• If spider webs are found on the outside of the building, use a high pressure hose to wash them away.

While the majority of spiders are harmless, keep a look out for spiders like the Black Widow (black with a red hourglass shape on back) and the Brown Recluse Spider (light to dark brown with a violin-shaped marking on back) as these are known to cause painful, sometimes dangerous bites. To be safe, always wear heavy gloves when removing or working in areas where spiders nest.