Like any other household pest, when you find a spider lurking in the corner, you want it gone- yesterday. It can be challenging to get close enough to the offending arachnid to kill it, so sucking it up with the vacuum hose is an attractive option. But does it work?
This article will discuss what happens when you vacuum a spider, if they can live inside a vacuum, and if they can crawl out of it. We’ll also tell you if spider eggs can hatch inside a vacuum, what type of vacuum works best for spiders and webs, and give you other solutions for keeping your home spider-free.
Does Vacuuming A Spider Kill It?
If sucking the spider up with the vacuum hose doesn’t kill it immediately, a spider will often die of thirst inside the vacuum. Larger spiders may live inside a bagless vacuum for some time because there’s no dirt to suffocate them.
What Happens When You Vacuum A Spider?
According to a spider expert answering a child’s question at The Conversation, a spider first has to live through the low pressure that sucks air and debris into a vacuum.
Next, it may sustain damage getting through the hose or roller brush. If it does make it into the bag or canister, spiders can live in low pressure and low gravity.
We know this because NASA has run experiments to find out how spiders respond to the weightlessness of space.
Can Spiders Crawl Out Of A Vacuum?
A vacuum expert reported that spiders could potentially crawl out of a vacuum depending on the model (the same goes with ants).
Some vacuums have one-way doors that keep them from spilling their contents back out, but that feature is usually only present in models with short openings like handheld vacuums.
Any models without this feature give the spider a chance to escape, provided they survive their trip through the machine in the first place.
What Type Of Vacuum Works Best For Spiders And Webs?
Different types of vacuums have different features that make them effective at killing spiders and getting rid of their webs.
Bagged Vacuums
Bagged vacuums work best for killing spiders without getting close to them again.
Everything gets sucked into a central bag you don’t empty after each use, so there will be a lot of dust and debris inside the bag. This dust will likely suffocate the spider before it can climb out of the bag.
Bagless Vacuums
Bagless vacuums often have hose attachments that make them more effective at sweeping up spiders at different angles and getting into nooks and crannies to suck up spiderwebs.
Although spiders may survive in the canister of a bagless vacuum, the canister is clear, so you’ll often be able to see the spider.
If you empty the canister into the trash and take the trash bag outside, you can be certain that the spider is really gone, rather than using the out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach with the bagged vacuum.
Can Spider Eggs Hatch In A Vacuum?
Yes, spider eggs can hatch in a vacuum, and spiderlings can crawl out of the vacuum. To avoid hatching hundreds of spiderlings inside your vacuum, throw away the bag or empty the canister immediately if you sweep up a spider nest.
What’s The Best Way to Keep Spiders Out of the House?
They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This adage is true about keeping spiders out of your house too.
A few ways to keep spiders out of your home include:
Peppermint Oil
You can spray peppermint oil around your home to repel spiders. Add 15-20 drops to a spray bottle filled with water and spritz the solution anywhere you’ve noticed spiderwebs in your house. Reapply as needed to keep spiders away.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a natural spider repellant that’s safe to use around your home. Mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spritz it in all the nooks and crannies of your home.
Reapply this solution every few days to keep spiders out of your home.
Screens
Make sure all of your windows and doors have screens that are free of tears.
If you already have spiders inside your house, here are a few simple ways to get them out:
Remove Webs
You can easily remove spiderwebs by using a broom to knock them down or sucking them up the vacuum hose.
Set Traps
You can buy sticky traps at your local home and garden store to cut down on spiders in your home. Simply place them in areas where you often see spiders, keeping them out of reach of kids and pets. Check them often and dispose of the traps when you catch a spider.
Conclusion
When you see a creepy, crawly spider in your house, you don’t need to get up close and personal to kill it; just reach for your vacuum. Sweeping a spider up the vacuum will usually kill it right away, but there are some factors to consider, such as
The Size of the Spider: Small or young spiders will most likely die from the force of being sucked up by the vacuum, while larger adult spiders may survive all the way to the bag or canister.
The Type of Vacuum: Bag vacuums are more likely to trap and kill any spider who lives through being vacuumed up, but you’ll be able to see the spider to dispose of it in a clear canister. To be on the safe side, throw away your bag or empty your canister into an outside garbage can to ensure the spider doesn’t return.
You can also reduce the number of spiders in your home by spraying peppermint oil or vinegar to keep them out. Set traps and vacuum up spiderwebs to get rid of the spiders that are already inside.
Hi, my name is Shauna Stone and I love improving my home to make it perfect. Researching new cleaning techniques is one of my favorite things to do - have you ever fallen into the rabbit hole that is cleaning TikToks?
I think my love of cleaning and home pride came from my time at college. I know that college kids are meant to be messy - but some of my roommates were on another level altogether. I don’t even want to recount the images I saw throughout college… *shudder*
A tidy house is a tidy mind, after all, and I cannot get anything done if my house is a mess. I like to think of it as my safe haven, and I don’t want my safe haven to be anything less than perfect!
If you’re like me and want to improve your home through cleaning and DIYs, I hope you’ll love my website. I want to impart my knowledge to anyone who finds cleaning to be as therapeutic as me - enjoy!
