Yellow Sac Spider Control: How To Get Rid of Yellow Sac Spiders

Yellow Sac Spiders have become an increasingly common insect invasion in homes and businesses. Yellow Sac Spiders can come in many sizes but they normally range from 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch in length. They have no apparent marks on their body and are often a light yellow in color or bright green.

As beneficial pests, Yellow Sac Spiders are hunters that prey upon insects or larger threatening spiders. However, like other spider species the Yellow Sac Spider are not hesitant to bite people when disturbed. These pests spend a large part of their time hiding under vegetation or yard debris. They are most commonly found out in the yard under areas that provide them with harborage. Many times homeowners might run into Yellow Sac Spiders when gardening outdoors, moving around the yard debris in their home, and during the cooler seasons. If doors or windows, especially windows to basements are left open, they might come inside.

If you are dealing with yellow sac spiders in your home, we can help. Our DIY treatment guide was put together by pest control experts to make it easy for you to eliminate Yellow Sac Spiders yourself easily and affordably. Follow the step-by-step directions below carefully to be successful.

Identification

Before you can carry out a treatment program, you need to make sure the pest you are dealing with is a Yellow Sac Spider and not some other insect. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong treatment products, which can be a waste of time and money. Below are identifying traits so you know what Yellow Sac Spiders look like for proper identification.

• The Yellow Sac Spider is about 1/4 inch long in body length, if including the legs they are 1 inch.
• Coloration is usually yellow in color or lime green. Despite their name, they can appear pale, or even brown.
• The cephalothorax is often a darker shade than the rest of the spiders body. There is often a dark stripe running down the middle of the abdomen, although this may not be so apparent in every spider, and the tips of the legs are often a darker shade than the rest of the leg.
• The yellow sac spider also has eight eyes, in two rows of four.
• Commonly mistaken for brown recluse spiders since they are the same size as Yellow Sac Spiders. Brown recluse spiders are identified by their violin-shaped marks on their cephalothorax.
• Yellow sac spiders usually are shipped in cargo on products such as grapes and other fruits and vegetables that you may bring home from the supermarket.
• The Yellow Sac Spider gets its name from how it builds its nest, which isn't a nest at all. The spider shoots out webbing, not in the traditional way, but by shaping their nest in a small tube-like structure which resembles a sac.

Use the image and description above to help you identify yellow sac spiders 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 the Yellow Sac Spider, you can then move on to inspection. During this phase, you will need to locate the areas where the Yellow Sac Spider is active and frequenting. This will help you to determine where you should focus your insecticide treatment.

Where To Inspect

Begin your inspection outdoors. You will focus your search on the yard. Scan yard debris, logs, rocks, stones, woodpiles, leaf litter, gardens, and other possible harborage areas such as underneath debris. Inside the home, inspect the corners of your walls and ceilings.

You may want to prioritize searching rooms that have high moisture and are seldom visited or containing food since pests invade structures for these reasons. Check underneath and around any clutter or furniture, since these are common hiding places for spiders and many other pests.

What To Look For

You are looking for the Yellow Sac Spiders and their sacs. Yellow sac spider egg sacs look like a cluster of about 30-40 individual spherical eggs, loosely held together with a thin layer of silk. The sacs are usually found under leaves, under yard debris, and in other areas that offer them protection.

The Yellow sac spiders are usually about ¼ of an inch in length and will be a pale yellow. If you have found any of these signs, take note of the areas, this is where you will apply the treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed Yellow Sac Spider activity, it is time to begin treatment, remember to read all product labels and follow the accompanying instructions, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

To get rid of Yellow Sac Spiders, we recommend an outdoor treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide, an indoor treatment of Supreme IT and Pyrid Aerosol and setting up Solutions Pro Glue Boards for trapping.

Step 1 - Preparation

Prepare your home for product application by removing yard debris from around your home.

Remove logs, rocks, stones, leaf litter, woodpiles, dead vegetation, and other areas where Yellow Sac Spiders could hide. In your home, inspect your basement and attic, and remove storage items, bins, and or boxes to get rid of possible harborage areas. If you keep firewood, properly stack it as far away from your home as possible.

Step 2 - Outdoor Treatment with Supreme IT

Supreme IT is our top recommended insecticide concentrate for treating all sorts of insects, including the Yellow Sac Spider. Aside from its broad label and quick knockdown, Supreme also has an impressive residual effect, remaining effective for up to 90 days after application. Just a small amount diluted in water will go a long way.

First, apply the product as a perimeter treatment around your home. For a bifenthrin product with a concentration of 7.9% active ingredient, you will mix a solution at a rate of 0.33 fluid ounces to 1 whole fluid ounce of product per 1 gallon of water. Use the higher amount if you're dealing with a heavy pest infestation. We recommend you make the application with a 1-gallon handheld pump sprayer, since it makes both mixing and applying product quick and simple.

To mix your solution, first fill your sprayer halfway with water. Add your measured amount of product into the sprayer. Then add the remaining water, up to the 1-gallon line. Close the sprayer and shake to ensure an even distribution. Pump the sprayer a few times to produce a low-pressure spray.

To apply your solution as a perimeter application, just spray along your homes outer perimeter spraying 3 feet up the structure and 3 feet out.

Step 3 - Indoor Treatment with Supreme IT

Now you are ready to apply treatment indoors. You will use three products: Supreme IT, Pyrid Aerosol, and Solutions Pro Glue Boards. Supreme IT will be used in attics and basements, while Pyrid will be used as a contact spray to quickly kill any Yellow Sac Spiders you are able to find.

Read label instructions for indoor treatment. You will spray along baseboards, around windows, doorways, and other cracks and crevices where you have noticed Yellow Sac Spiders. Also apply in attics, basements, and garages.

Pyrid Aerosol

Pyrid Aerosol is a ready-to-use botanical insecticide that comes in a convenient aerosol spray. To apply, simply shake, aim and spray the Pyrid as a contact spray to kill any Yellow Sac Spiders you are able to find.

Solutions Pro Glue Boards

Solutions Pro Glue Boards come in increments of 12 and are effective for trapping any straggler Yellow Sac Spiders indoors Place the Solutions Pro Glue Boards in your attic, basement, and garage. This will both prevent and catch the remaining spiders that survived treatment.

Prevention

After treating your home for Yellow Sac Spiders, prevent reinfestation by following the methods listed below.

• Seal and closing any potential entry points into your home. Use caulk to seal and close off any slits, gaps, openings, cracks, or crevices both inside and outside your home.
• Repair any torn screens or affix brush or rubber seals on doors and windows.
• If possible get rid of clutter both in the yard and indoors (in attics, basements, garages) like yard debris and storage items that are unorganized and could provide a harborage area for spiders.
• Use Supreme IT every 90 days around the perimeter of your property to discourage Yellow Sac Spiders from coming close to your property.

Key Takeaways

What are Yellow Sac Spiders?

• Yellow Sac Spiders are a nuisance spider pest because of their sac building and aggressive nature.

How to Get Rid of Yellow Sac Spiders

• To treat for Yellow Sac Spiders, we recommend an outdoor perimeter treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide. Indoors, we also recommend spraying Supreme IT, direct contact spraying visible spiders with Pyrid Aerosol and laying out Solutions Pro Glue Board traps.

Preventing Yellow Sac Spider Reinfestation

• Once the infestation has been eliminated, enact preventative measures like sealing and closing off cracks and crevices and spray Supreme IT quarterly for year-long control.