One spider can do good, but hundreds can get out of hand
While spiders are a natural part of our ecosystem—and the MVPs of controlling smaller insect populations—you don’t want them to lay their eggs in your home or on your property. A single spider’s egg sac can lead to hundreds of spider babies, which can then lay their own eggs, potentially leading to an infestation.
If you’re looking for how to get rid of spider eggs, you can do so without killing the adult spiders. Here’s how to take out its web and any accompanying egg sacs before they hatch.
Even though you’re not likely to be bitten by a spider while doing this project, it’s always smart to wear gloves as a safety precaution.
The most important tool at your disposal will be your trusty household vacuum. Since spiders can lay their eggs in all sorts of hard-to-reach areas, from beneath furniture to ceiling corners, you’ll want to make sure you use a vacuum with an extendable hose and a crevice attachment.
Follow these four steps to halt an infestation in its tracks.
Most spiders lay their eggs in their web, so that’s likely where you’ll find an egg sac. If you don’t see one on the known web, check other quiet, cluttered corners of your home. Once you find it, inspect the sac to determine what species you’re working with. Most silk egg sacs are white or off-white and round or oval-shaped. They’ll be small—about the size of the spider responsible—and depending on the species, there may be multiple smaller egg sacs or just a big one. If you know through sightings that you’re dealing with a dangerous species, like a black widow or brown recluse, call your local exterminator rather than clean up the egg sac yourself. Luckily, most household spiders are harmless, and very few types will require medical attention for a bite.
Combine a mixture of equal parts household bleach and water in a spray bottle. Spray this solution directly onto the egg sac to kill the spider eggs inside. If the mixture hits a living spider, it will be killed, too, so don't spray the mama if you want her to stick around eating your household pests.
Remember that this solution can also be toxic to children and pets, so spray it with extreme caution and ensure it’s fully cleaned up once you’ve gotten rid of the spider eggs.
Using the long tube attachment, point your vacuum directly at the web to suck it up along with the egg sac. You can also dust the area with a duster after vacuuming to really make sure you’ve caught every inch of that web. Vacuuming a spider will easily kill it, but egg sacs may survive thanks to their outer protection, which is why the bleach step is important.
Immediately take your vacuum outside once you’ve sucked up the spider situation. Empty the contents of your vacuum into a plastic garbage bag and tie it up with an airtight seal before placing it in your outdoor garbage bin. This ensures that even if the egg sac were to hatch despite the bleach, the hatchlings wouldn’t be able to escape.
As an extra precaution, especially with a venomous spider species, you can freeze the bag in a freezer chest or cooler for a few hours to neutralize the egg sac before throwing it in a garbage bin.
Hiring a pest control service will cost you an average of $100 to $260, but it’s usually worth it. You should seriously consider hiring a pro if you have many egg sacs to collect, a potential infestation, or a venomous species. If you are only concerned about a single egg sac located in an easy-to-access part of the house, you should be fine to take on the project yourself.
Bleach and freezing are your best bets here. The soft exoskeleton of spiders and spider eggs is no match to household bleach. Create a mixture that’s half water and half bleach and spray it directly onto the egg sac, and the spider eggs will be killed in less than five minutes. Freezing the egg sac or drowning it in cold water is another option.
Spider eggs take two to three weeks to hatch, and their survival rate is low, which could be why many types of spiders have evolved to lay hundreds of eggs at a time. Even after hatching, spiderlings stick close to their nest before venturing out on their own after a few weeks.
