Apartment is Infested with Spiders

Are the spiders in my apartment dangerous?

Almost always, no. The spiders that show up in North Jersey apartments are mostly house spiders and cellar spiders, which don't bite people in any meaningful way. Wolf spiders and sac spiders can bite if they're trapped against skin, but the bite is usually like a bee sting or less.

The two spiders people worry about most:

• Black widows do live in New Jersey, but they prefer undisturbed outdoor spots and garages and are rarely found inside living spaces.
• Brown recluse spiders are not native to New Jersey. Most “recluse” sightings here turn out to be other brown spiders.

Where spiders hide in apartments

When you clean, focus on the places spiders like most:

• Ceiling corners and the tops of window frames, especially near lights.
• Behind and under furniture that never moves — beds, dressers, couches and bookshelves.
• Closets and storage areas, inside shoes and folded clothes.
• Bathrooms — behind the toilet, under the sink and around the tub. Spiders in the tub usually fell in looking for water; they didn't come up the drain.
• Around window air conditioners and radiators, where gaps lead to the outside or into the wall.
• Basement and laundry rooms in the building, which can feed spiders into ground-floor units.

In older North Jersey apartment buildings and multi-family houses — the brick walk-ups and converted two- and three-family homes you see in Passaic, Paterson, Jersey City and many other towns — gaps around old pipes and radiators are often the main way in.

Professional spider control for apartments

A professional visit makes sense when spiders keep coming back after you've cleaned, when they're showing up in several units, or when you're seeing other pests along with them. When Silver Bullet Pest Control looks at a spider problem, we focus on the cause:

1. Identify the spiders and any other insects they're feeding on.
2. Inspect for entry points and moisture — windows, pipes, baseboards, basements and shared areas.
3. Remove webs and egg sacs in problem areas and treat where it will help, using products labeled for the location. We explain any precautions for kids and pets before we start.
4. Treat the insects that feed the spiders — gnats, ants, roaches or crickets — so the problem doesn't rebuild.
5. Give a plan for the building if the source is shared.

We're based in Garfield and serve Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties, and same-day appointments are often available. For buildings with ongoing pest pressure, ask about recurring pest control, which comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. More on spiders: spider control.