Tarantula Control: How To Get Rid of Tarantulas

The tarantula is the world's largest spider and a very rare spider to come in contact with if you live in a residential area. Because of its sheer size and girth, most people who come in contact with it are frightened.

Despite how big the tarantula is, the spider is not dangerous at all. However, if they feel provoked they will sting causing pain and swelling. In fact, the tarantula is actually a very shy and docile creature that isn’t an aggressive biter and are even kept as pets by some people. Even if they do bite, the effect is similar to a bee sting and not deadly. However, if they’ve embarked upon your home during its travels, they can be alarming to see.

Tarantulas are nocturnal creatures of the night and do most of their hunting for food when it is dark. They like to eat small insects and even occasionally eat frogs, smaller lizards, and other smaller spiders. They are very shy and tend to scurry away from humans unless threatened and that is when they will bite. When hanging around yards and homes, a tarantula likes to make a habitat around dark corners in garages, storage spaces and crawl spaces.

If you have encountered a tarantula in 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 directions to help you dispose of tarantulas from your home quickly and affordably.

Identification

Before you can carry out treatment, you need to be certain that you are dealing with Tarantulas and not some other pest. Knowing what tarantulas look like is important for proper identification. Here are the defining characteristics of a tarantula:

• There are over 800 different species of tarantula on the planet, and they came in a variety of different color patterns. The common trait that all species share is their large size which can range between 1 to 4 inches in body length with leg spans of up to one foot (12 inches). This means that a tarantula can be as large as the size of a dinner plate, which makes it the largest known arachnids in the world.
• Most tarantulas are usually black or brown in color and have hairy bodies. The body hair of the Tarantula is also a distinguishing trait since it is very dense and plentiful and makes tarantulas appear larger than they really are. Specific species can also feature red, orange, or yellow fur.

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

Inspection

After you have confirmed that you are dealing with a tarantula, you can proceed with an inspection. During this phase of the process, you will need to locate the areas where the Tarantula is active or hiding. This will help you in determining the treatment approach and where to focus your insecticides and traps.

Where To Inspect

Wild tarantulas in the U.S. are typically encountered in warmer dried climates, like in California, Arizona, or Texas. They can be found outside in desert regions, but are known to wander into homes throughout the summer and fall. They sometimes do this by slipping through open doors or torn window and door screens. They can also find their way into window wells or gutters. From here, the pests move into houses through cracks in home siding or spaces under the homes crawl space. Check dark and quiet areas of your home to find a Tarantula on the loose.

What To Look For

Tarantulas are nocturnal and hunt for food at night. During the day, these pests can be found in their underground burrows or hiding underneath debris. Tarantulas do not make webs like most spiders do, but they do spin silk to create egg sacs.

Though Tarantulas are normally timid and prefer to stay away from humans they will be guarding their eggs closely. Be cautious, as tarantulas will bite if they feel threatened. The bite is painful and may cause swelling or lesions, but is overall non-lethal.

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.

To control tarantulas, the main objective would be to discourage the tarantula from harboring by removing conducive conditions that are attracting the pest to your home.

This is done by applying insecticides to take away the tarantula's food supply and carrying out environmental modifications around your property to make your home less appealing for the tarantula to settle.

Step 1: Declutter

Reduce the 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. Tarantulas can establish burrows in overgrown areas and hide where clutter is dense.

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. To further reduce their hiding places, you can also mow the lawn, trim overgrown shrubs, and pick up wooden debris.

Also if you have insect problems, eliminate those insects since the Tarantula is likely around because you have insects it can prey upon.

Step 2: Address Entry Points

Address any entry points you have found and apply exclusion methods to ensure tarantulas and other pests cannot invade. Tight cracks and crevices may be filled with caulk, while larger voids may need to be stuffed with copper mesh.

Repair any torn screens or affix brush or rubber seals on doors and windows. After you have cleaned and addressed all possible entry points, you can proceed with the following step.

Step 3: Broadcast Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules

Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules is a granular insecticide made to eliminate turf-dwelling pests. The goal of this application is to eliminate the tarantulas main food source so they are encouraged to travel away from your property.

With a broadcast spreader, apply 4.6 lbs. of Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules per 1,000 sq. ft. of treatment area for full coverage of pests in your yard. Once you have evenly distributed the product across your lawn, you will need to activate it with water. You can do this with an application of liquid insecticide like Supreme IT.

Step 4: Insecticide Treatment with Supreme IT

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.

To apply Supreme IT, simply mix water in a hand pump sprayer then add Supreme IT at a rate of 0.33 to 1 oz. per gallon to cover 1,000 sq. ft. Use the higher rate if you facing a heavy pest infestation.

With your selected sprayer, evenly broadcast your mixed Supreme IT solution over the treatment area. Be sure to use a fan or cone setting with a low pressure to ensure a full, even coverage.

Once you have activated the Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules, spray around the perimeter of your home. Spray around any entry points like doors, windows, and other voids pests and spiders can use to invade. Next, spray your structures outer perimeter by spraying 3 feet up the structure and 3 feet out.

Once outdoor application is complete, you will move on to indoor treatment. Treat entry points like doors and windows and where pests may be hiding such as cracks and crevices. This includes baseboards, around water pipes, around doors and windows, and behind and underneath appliances. You will also want to treat in attics, basements, and garages. When complete, allow the solution to dry.

If you encounter any spiders while applying, you may spray them directly.

Step 5: Set Up Glue Traps

After chemical treatment, set up glue traps to monitor for future activity by tarantulas and other pests. Use the Solutions Pro Glue Boards for easy setup and placement.

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

Prevention

Once the Tarantula has been killed or trapped, dispose of the insect properly or turn it in to animal or insect control for collection. If you are using a non-lethal means you can safely release them outdoors somewhere. After that, you can discourage future tarantula invasions by:

• Vacuuming up egg sacs and putting in place exclusion measures that will keep spiders out of your house.
• Some suggestions include: screens on doors, weather stripping to eliminate gaps under doors, caulking to seal up holes and possible points of entry. You can also use an insecticide to create a barrier around your home to discourage Tarantulas from trespassing.
• Address moisture issues inside of your home since pests are attracted to moist rooms. For this reason, fix any leaky pipes, address air conditioning problems, drain any standing water, and dry your sinks every night.
• Continue to pick up and clean inside and outside of your home to get rid of any potential spider harborages. Rake the lawn regularly, pick up any debris, and keep firewood stacked away from your homes foundation.
• Finally, Spray a quarterly treatment of Supreme IT around your home and yard for continued insect and Tarantula control.

Key Takeaways

What are Tarantulas?

• Tarantulas are a large, hairy spider that can be scary to encounter but are harmless and non-aggressive.
• Tarantulas often wander into yards and homes in search of smaller insects to eat like beetles, crickets, lizards and moths.

How To Get Rid of Tarantulas

• Our top recommended ways to kill or capture a tarantula is a treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide, Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules, or placing down a large glue board to trap the tarantula.

Preventing Tarantula Reinfestation

• To prevent tarantulas, conduct exclusion measures around your home and spray a barrier treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide to repel tarantulas from exploring your home.