Hobo Spider Control: How To Get Rid of Hobo Spiders

Hobo spiders are a smaller sized spider that gets their name possibly from the fact that much like the term “hobo” describes a wandering and homeless traveler, the Hobo Spider is also an endless wanderer who doesn't like to reside in one place very long. Native to Europe, Hobo Spiders ended up in Seattle, Washington possibly through boarding on cargo ships sometime before the 1930s. Since then, Hobo Spiders have slowly expanded their population and have traveled throughout the Northwestern United States and Western Canada.

Once thought to be an aggressive house spider with dangerous venom, these mild-mannered pests can be beneficial as long as it stays outside of your home. Hobo spiders are notorious for their bites, so much so that they've received the nickname of “the aggressive house spider”. The venom in the bite, fortunately, is harmless and only causes minor skin irritation.

Hobo Spiders normally infiltrate a home looking to mate or because there are small insects available for them to eat. If you see Hobo Spiders invading your home, you can get rid of them with the help of our DIY treatment guide below. Our pest control experts have compiled easy to follow step-by-step instructions which are guaranteed to wipe out the Hobo Spider from your home quickly and affordably.

Identification

The first thing you should do before proceeding with a treatment plan is to identify the spider infiltrating your home. Careless identification can lead you to using the wrong treatment methods, costing you time and money. Listed below are the characteristics associated with hobo spiders.

• Adult Hobo Spiders are among one of the smallest species of spiders. The males grow up to 11 millimeters in body length and the females grow to 14 millimeters.
• They have a notable V-shaped pattern on their abdomen. They are also variations of hobo spiders with several shades of brown in bodies that feature stripes down the cephalothorax turning into a zigzag or herringbone pattern down the abdomen.
• Often mistaken for wolf spiders which has similar body markings. However, wolf spider stripes usually continue down the abdomen whereas a hobo spiders stops. Additionally, wolf spiders will grow much larger than any hobo spider, growing up to 35 millimeters in body length.
• Aside from appearance, both spiders also behave much differently and have different preferred habitats. Hobo spiders will spin funnel webs and wait for prey to approach and get trapped. These nests are usually found near the ground built into debris, wood, or overgrown vegetation. Wolf spiders dig burrows into the ground to rest or hide. They will actively hunt down prey either by ambush or by chasing it down. Wolf spiders won't usually spin webs.

Use the image and description above to help you identify hobo spiders on your property. If you're having trouble with identification, contact us and we will assist you in correctly ID'ing the pest and offer you our best product recommendations for the target pest.

Inspection

After you have properly identified Hobo Spiders on your property, you can move forward with an inspection to find out where the spider is active and gauge how severe of an infestation is present.

Where To Inspect

Hobo Spiders can be found in almost any habitat containing holes, cracks or crevices where they hide or nuzzle themselves into. Since they do not climb well, they are rarely found above ground level. They frequent dark, moist areas and are most often found in basements, garage, attic, window wells and crawl spaces.

What To Look For

Aside from the spiders themselves, you'll want to look for areas where their cobwebs have been formed as these are areas they frequent. Hobo Spiders build funnel webs that open at both ends with one end which expands out into a wide, curved sheet. They create an escape tunnel in the back of the web so they can easily slip out when needed.

Treatment

Prior to chemical application, remember to first read all product labels and follow their application instructions, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Hobo spiders are an aggressive spider and like to bite anyone that gets too close, but compared to other spider types, they are easy to control.

To control this spider species, we recommend a combination of Supreme IT insecticide treatment and putting down Solutions Pro Glue Boards.

Step 1 - Declutter

Before pesticide and trap applications, reduce clutter in and around the home. The more junk you have laying around, the more likely a spider will make themselves at home--in your home.

Tidy up your home, get rid of unnecessary things you are hoarding and especially clean up your storage spaces like closets and the garage and basement/attic. Also if you have insect problems, eliminate those insects since the Hobo spider is around because you have insects it can have for a meal.

Step 2 - Exclusion

You need to cut off access into your home by sealing cracks on the outside of the home and use screens on doors and windows. Do a scan around your home for possible entry and use caulk to fill those gaps. Larger voids that cannot easily be sealed with caulk may be done with copper mesh. You may also need to repair any torn screens or affix brush or rubber seals on doors and windows.

Do this both inside and outside, taking away any places that hobo spiders can enter or hide. Continue exclusion measures by making your outdoor area uninviting by clearing away any vegetation or debris on your yard.

Step 3 - Apply Supreme IT Insecticide

Indoors, we recommend treating all your baseboards, around windows and doorways and any other crack or crevices where you think Hobo Spiders might be entering or hiding with Supreme IT Insecticide.

Supreme IT is a broad-spectrum insecticide that is labeled for treating many pests, including spiders. It works great as a barrier treatment to keep pests away because it has a long residual effect that continues to kill for up to 90 days after application.

Determine how much Supreme IT you need for an application by calculating the square footage of the area you wish to treat. To do this, measure and multiply the area length times the width (length x width = square footage). For indoor applications, use Supreme IT at the rate of 0.33 to 1 oz. per gallon of water to cover 1,000 sq. ft. Fill half the required amount of water to a sprayer and then add the appropriate measured amount of Supreme. Add the remaining half of water and mix well by shaking the sprayer. You are now ready to spray.

Supreme can be applied both indoors as a crack and crevice treatment and outdoors as a perimeter barrier treatment. Here, we will focus on indoor spraying of cracks and crevices. Focus special attention spraying in corners in your basement and garage.

Step 4 - Set Up Solutions Pro Glue Traps

Another good product that works in tandem with sprays is setting glue traps such as the Solutions Pro Glue Boards. These boards come in increments of 12 which allow you to get good coverage around the home to capture intruding Hobo Spiders quickly.

Simply remove the traps waxy paper seal and lay the trap flat and flush against the wall near the area where pest activity has been seen. Keep out of the reach of any children or pets. If you, a child, or a pet become stuck on these glue boards, you can use cooking oil to loosen the traps stickiness.

Place traps in corners, along edges of walls and other suspicious areas, especially if you know that there is more than a few Hobo Spiders present. Before you know it, they'll be captured in a glue board and will be stuck. After that, you can easily dispose of them.

Prevention

After the Hobo Spider invasion has been resolved in your home, it is best to implement preventative measures to make sure they don't reinvade. Practicing good housekeeping and having a regular cleaning routine will do wonders in preventing spiders from stepping foot in your home again.

• Fix any leaky pipes, address any air conditioning problems, drain any standing water, and dry your sinks every night. All animals need water to survive, and pests are attracted to moist rooms, so by reducing your homes moisture content, pests will have less reason to invade.
• Rake the lawn regularly, pick up any debris, and keep firewood properly stacked away from your homes foundation. This will remove additional harborages that spiders or other pests can use outside your home, forcing them to seek shelter off your property.
• Retreat with Supreme IT once 90 days have passed after first application. You can reinforce your perimeter treatment around your home by spraying 3 feet up and 3 feet out.
• You can also continue exclusion measures by sealing any new openings, gaps, or cracks you discover in and around your home.

Key Takeaways

What are Hobo Spiders?

• Hobo Spiders are a common house spider that can be a nuisance in homes because of their tendency to build webs in dark secluded areas of the home.

How To Get Rid of Hobo Spiders

• Our top recommended ways to treat for hobo spiders are decluttering and exclusion along with a treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide in indoor cracks and crevices as well as placing down Solutions Pro Glue Boards to capture them.

Preventing Hobo Spider Reinfestation

• To prevent Hobo Spiders, keep your home free of clutter and place a perimeter treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide around your home to form a protective barrier.