Shop introduction and spider question

[Chuck.H]

Hi everybody, I thought I'd post some pics of my shop. It's approx 24x48, has an upstairs loft for storage, Rotary lift, metal working area, and mini-split HVAC. My neighbor and I built it about 10 years ago; we did all the work except the actual concrete finishing, I let an experienced crew do that to get a nice smooth surface.

While looking at the pics I again realized I have a huge spider problem. Of course they keep some of the mosquitos at bay, but what you see on the walls here is only a years worth - I cleaned them out and repainted last year! Any ideas how to keep them from coming back so quick?

Chuck.H
Gainesville FL

 

[pattenp]

Spray, Spray, Spray and glue boards on the floor either side of the garage doors. I have to change my glue boards every month because of being coated with spiders and other creepy crawlies.

Edit: The downside of the glue boards is with the doors open I have had small birds get stuck on them from trying to eat the bugs.

 

[Jagmandave]

I like the design, single slant roof, simple construction, clerestory windows for lots of light, great shop!

 

[gipraw]

Nice looking shop. Sorry about the spiders. I hate spiders. My previous shop was an awesome space, but it had a huge Brown Widow and Black Widow infestation that I could never get controlled. That is why it is now my ex shop.

Yep. I am so scared of spiders that I let them chase me out of this 2,000 sq ft space.

 

[Chuck.H]

I'm sure the roll-up doors don't help keep out the bugs, I should look at sealing off the tops better. I could use the glue traps inside, might help keep the birds out of them!

Thanks for the kind words Dave - the roof over the regular garage door part uses what's called 'attic trusses' which have an opening in the middle of them for the loft. I didn't know about them but my truss company told me about the idea when I met with them.

I used the clerestory design for two reasons - one it allows room for the lift, and two it matches my house; also why I have the bay window feature where the workbench is.

Chuck.H

 

[JakeKohl]

I too have a major problem with them. I've been advised to use the chemical bombs and vacate for a little while. I've been spraying like a fiend but I can't keep up with them. I've got tile being installed in a few weeks - I'll try to bomb after that.

 

[pattenp]

I put my glue boards on the inside right at the door against the wall.When the door is up the little bouncy wrens come hopping into the garage and see the bugs stuck to the boards and think it's a buffet. Have you ever tried to pull a small wren off of a glue board? It's not for the weak hearted.

I'm sure the roll-up doors don't help keep out the bugs, I should look at sealing off the tops better. I could use the glue traps inside, might help keep the birds out of them!


Chuck.H

 

[kbs2244]

They will not come where there is no food.

Good old fashioned fly paper should get their favorite food supply.
It is better than spray because the dead bugs don't fall into out of the way places.
That is why they are used in restaurant kitchens instead of bug spray.
The bugs don't fall into the food.

Of course if you don't like the look then spray and vacuum a lot.

 

[JakeKohl]

They will not come where there is no food.

Good old fashioned fly paper should get their favorite food supply.
It is better than spray because the dead bugs don't fall into out of the way places.
That is why they are used in restaurant kitchens instead of bug spray.
The bugs don't fall into the food.

Of course if you don't like the look then spray and vacuum a lot.

It's rolly polly (pill bugs) that feed my spiders. I only see piles of their dead, but they must be everywhere in my garage when the lights go out. Sealing better under the door is a good idea...hadn't thought of that. I can still see a little light through my side plates and the block stub wall...I'll hit that first.

 

[TwoInch]

spiders are one of the hardest pest bugs to control, many of the normal techniques such as spraying are largely ineffective, or short lived if effective. you will have to keep up the spraying pretty regularly.

i have used the glue traps, and they work very well for the roving spiders, not so well for the spiders that are web makers and hunt from webs. the roving type(brown recluse is one, and harvestmen) crawl around to find other bugs to eat, so setting glue boards around the perimeter under benches, toollbox, etc will catch tons of them.

you can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the inside perimeter too, its nontoxic, and kills pest bugs very well, ants, roaches, spiders etc... you can find couple pound bags at feed stores, and it will be food grade stuff. can be used for worming and killing parasites in your pets, or even yourself if you can get over the idea of ingesting it...

 

[JimmyTheMonkey]

I use Ortho Home Defense (or an equivalent) once or twice a year and it does wonders. Down here in Georgia, we have black widow problems as well. I usually spray around the bottom and top perimeter of the exterior and interior walls. It doesn't take long at all. It just needs a quick spray. I notice results by the end of the day! I would also soak all sides and corners of the doors

I had a serious cricket problem when I first moved in to my new garage. At night, dozens of the things would come out of nowhere and start jumping all over the place. I eventually got around to spraying Ortho and that night there were only a couple left. The next day they were completely gone and I haven't seen one since!

 

[AZ Pete]

Make sure you don't leave any lights on at night. That draws bugs that draw the spiders. You can also spread Diazinon pellets around the outside perimeter of your building. I do that a couple of times a year around our house for bug control. It does require spraying a pesticide at doors as well (Ortho Home Defense). I don't like pesticides in the house, because we have pets. otherwise I would use bug bombs.

So far as "sticky boards" go, they will trap birds and lizards too, if you don't put them under some kind of cover that will allow the spiders/insects under it, but not the birds and lizards....kind of like a rodent bait station that the rodent has to enter, but birds can't.

I have heard about diatomaceous earth, that is worth a try too since it is animal safe.

 

[ljhhontx]

We have good results with Demon, buy it at tractor supply, safe for pets once it drys and very little smell even when wet.

 

[Ct1]

Im having a spider problem too moved them into my new space on one of my stored cars, brand new space, no spiders to covered in spider webs in one week. Can't wait to bomb them but concerned about residuals chemicals w kids pets. It's an attached 3 car garage w 13 ft ceilings gonna take some serious bombing.lol

Ours are typically nuance spiders not black widows or anything like you guys have but still want them gone.

 

[txst]

I second the recommendation of Demon WP. That stuff is amazing, though I personally wouldn't use it around pets.

 

[G_P]

Speaking of glue boards, surely there must be some solvent that dissolves or at least softens the glue so that you could free any inadvertantly trapped animals.
Take a used board full of dead bugs and test some shop solvents on it and see if anything works.

Sent via carrier pigeon.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Spray bomb, every 3 to 6 months.

 

[TSirotock]

In Las Vegas I seem to have the biggest issue with Black Widows. While no expert, I use Tetracide in all the lawn to kill the cockroaches that the spiders feed on and because I have dogs I use the eco-friendly (i.e. harmless) spray inside, laying a perimeter, including around doors and in the windows. This seems to keep me virtually spider free. The Black Widows like dark places, especially under a covered car, so I often just leave the lights on for days at a time to convince them this is the surface of the sun and not a safe place to live, besides the food service is lousy, and so far I have very little webbing, dead bugs or nasty spots of their waste, often none. Good luck!

 

[Bojans]

I have had great luck with Ortho Home Defense. Spray it 2x per year and we have very few bugs

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I have had great luck with Ortho Home Defense. Spray it 2x per year and we have very few bugs

Add another to the Ortho HD fans. I live near Lake Huron and we are inundated with spiders, including some Black Widow and Brown Recluse. Brown Recluse I've seen-so far no Black Widows. I also have about a dozen electronic bug repellers between my house and garage. I will say the garage has more bugs than the house, but I'm less **** about keeping it sprayed properly. I'd say do both of these. In my house, which was covered in spiders when I first looked at it, I now kill a small spider maybe every two weeks.

 

[TwoInch]

Speaking of glue boards, surely there must be some solvent that dissolves or at least softens the glue so that you could free any inadvertantly trapped animals.
Take a used board full of dead bugs and test some shop solvents on it and see if anything works.

Sent via carrier pigeon.

im sure those shop solvents are just fine to dowse small animals with when they become trapped...