Spider Prevention

Nobody likes to think about spiders lurking around their home or inside their log walls but unfortunately spiders are often drawn to the cool shade and hiding places provided by logs.
You can deal with the problem by not providing cover for them in the first place, keeping vegetation cut back from your walls and, if necessary, using spider treatments sprayed onto the logs.

Step 1

Be sure and keep your logs swept free of webs, an ordinary broom works perfectly well. This will remove not only the webs, but spiders and their egg sacs giving them no reason to return.
An alternative to sweeping is to use a hose to wash them off the cabin logs. This makes it easier to reach the higher portions of the logs instead of using a broom. A pressure washer makes for quick work but be careful not to point it directly at the logs as it can easily strip off finishes. If your logs are at all compromised, it can also allow water to settle in the logs, which is never good.

Step 2

Seal up any openings that allow spiders to get inside your cabin. This means using a log caulk to fill in any cracks around windows and/or door openings.
Pay special attention to your log corners. There can often be small gaps here that require sealing. An extra benefit from this care will be lower utility bills as you eliminate the air transfer both in the cold winter months and in the heat of the summer, too. This improves the energy efficiency of your cabin.
Ensuring that you have good screens on all of your doors and cabin windows is another way to keep out any insects that may want to creep inside.

Step 3

Regular cabin inspections to make sure you have eliminated places that might harbor spiders close to your logs. Pay attention to areas such as these and cut them back or remove them altogether:
• Wood piles
• Brush
• Tree limbs
• Other vegetation

Keeping the outside clear of close-lying vegetation is a good landscape strategy for many reasons, spiders being just one.

Step 4

Some people report good results using lemon, peppermint or eucalyptus oils (mixed with water) sprayed around door and window openings as a natural spider repellant.
Obviously, this won’t last forever so you would need to maintain a regular schedule to be effective, but this can be a good way to combat intrusion without using chemicals… The smell is much nicer too!

Step 5

A more aggressive way to address the problem is to use a spider repellant. This is mixed in a solution and sprayed onto your log walls. There are options for the DIY homeowners or you can call in the professionals, taking care to hire one that is familiar with added care for log homes.

The important thing is using a product that contains the active ingredient cypermethrin as this has been found to be the most effective agent against spiders. Another plus is that cypermethrin will also treat other insects, which has the benefit of eliminating their food source.

Keeping your log home free of spiders can feel like one more chore you’d rather not face, but regular upkeep and careful planning as part of your ongoing Log Home maintenance will keep your cabin pest-free. Call the team at 888 Log Guys today to be added to our annual or semi-annual Client Log Home Maintenance Check List!