Need a way to clear out spiders?

Question

I have this bench press that I'm gonna start using again that's been sitting in my backyard for some time.
The only thing is that it houses a good population of Black Widows,
Is there any way I can clean the whole apparatus/area to ensure that I wont have one of those bastards crawling on me while I work out??

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Make sure the equipment is dry and use a shop vac or regular vacuum cleaner with an hose attachment (one that has good suction!) and use it to get into all of the little hiding places. Be careful when emptying the vacuum. You don't want any live prisoners escaping, so you might want to spray some insecticide inside the vacuum cleaner bag or shop vac container before you begin vacuuming.

Then hose it down with the garden hose with a fairly high pressure. Then wash it with a solution of hot water and a good all-purpose cleaner like lysol, Mr. Clean, Pine-sol, etc. and then rinse it by hosing it down again with the garden hose. Between the vacuum, the cold water, the hot water, the chemicals in the cleaner you shouldn't have any left alive.

I would move the equipment inside where you are less likely to have the constant risk of more spiders finding it and taking up residence in what it sounds like what they consider to be prime real estate.

Fortunately, the reputation of black widows as deadly killers is somewhat overstated. They tend to avoid humans, only the females bite, (usually only when guarding their nest) and most bites to healthy adults, unless the individual has an allergic reaction to the venom, may be painful, but will not have lethal consequences.

Source(s):

http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG369/notes/black_wi…

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks.
Good info

Answer 2

A lighter and a canister of axe. Let em' burn

Answer 3

Hello,
I have had a problem with spiders, not black widows as such, but other spiders. I don't like them too much. i cleared out the whole area so it was free from any spiders, and put conkers around the place; aparently spiders dont like them as they give off something they are detered from. :S its working for me so far.

Answer 4

When I want to get rid of spiders and ants in my small greenhouse I set off a flea bomb. I guess you could wrap it in plastic and set one off with the bench wrapped up?

Source(s):

personal experience.