Spiders tend to be very common on the lakeshore because there are lots of insects that they can eat. Waterfront homes also tend to have more exterior lighting, which draws even more insects in.
When the weather is finally warm enough to go to the lake, it’s not uncommon to visit the house and see a bunch of spider webs. And the reason for this is often simple: insects.
Insects do very well on the lake and there are all kinds of them including midges, mayflies, and other aquatic insects. Spiders like this because there is no shortage of food they can eat. Orb weavers have a habit of stringing webs across railings and window frames in order to catch the many insects that go toward the light. By late summer, the sheer number of webs on a lakeshore home can feel overwhelming, especially since knocking them down in the morning often means finding them in the exact same spot the next morning.
Humidity helps too. Spiders and insects alike do well in humid environments, and the lake is one such environment.
If you’re looking for one thing you can do about the problem: change the lights. Waterfront homes tend to have a lot of them. Bright white and blue-toned bulbs tend to attract insects more than warm-toned bulbs, so make sure the fixtures aren’t drawing more flies than they need to.
If you’re looking for another thing you can do: knock down webs. Weeks of undisturbed webbing accumulate fast, but if you knock down the webs, you’ll do two things. The first is that you’ll be able to clearly see where webs are being rebuilt and therefore spiders are active. The second is that you might just discourage the spiders if you keep doing it.
If spiders and lakeshore insects are taking over your exterior, Mosquito Squad of West Michigan Lakeshore can help. Mosquito Squad's home and yard coverage treats the foundation, decks, and entry points where spiders build. This will help you protect the outdoor spaces you came to the lake for.
