Spiders Around Their Pool?

[J4ckBurton]

It's kinda hard to kill spiders unless you (or your bug guy) can spray them directly. You have a bunch of spiders simply because there is an ample food source for them. Kill their food, and they will go somewhere else. Killing the mosquitos and gnats is easier said than done. However, with the treat of Zika and West Nile, I've been fogging the yard 2x per day for the last few months. We are getting far fewer mosquito bites, and I'm seeing a lot few arachnids creeping around the pool and in the house lately.
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On a related note....when they started building the house next door several months ago, we got inundated by spiders. A few of the wolf spiders were the size of my hand. I didn't know we had tarantulas here in Texas!

Just bought a house with a pool in Texas and every time i clean the skimmers i find Wolf spiders and what looks like the fishing spiders. I had 3 wolf spiders in a skimmer yesterday and one was covered in baby spiders on it's back......
I am no spider lover it an it is beginning to freak me out. I am going to spray around the pool and start fogging regularly as my back yard is currently a haven for critters. Also, the previous owner put a 50x6 ft section of the yard as loose stones for some reason which i swear is harboring most insects. Astro Grass is going down... praying this helps as cleaning the skimmers is now becoming a daunting task

 

[Nursenini]

We get lots of spiders. It's just the area we live in. We have a service that comes and sprays regularly as we have had a problem with brown recluse in the past.
Our spiders-around/in-the-pool problem increased when we put sod back in the yard after the build was finished last summer. Spiders will go where there is food for them...

 

[Texas Splash]

I feel your pain. Every evening is a test in my arachnophobia skills, dodging those spiders as I quickly grab my skimmer and clean my skimmer sock. Some days I'll find a couple, other days 10 or more (I'm a bit out in the country). When it gets bad, I'll apply some insecticide granules around the perimeter of my pool decking which seems to help a bit. I can't use one of those skimmer handles because I do use a skimmer sock, but that handle is another option if you're interested.

 

[J4ckBurton]

I feel your pain. Every evening is a test in my arachnophobia skills, dodging those spiders as I quickly grab my skimmer and clean my skimmer sock. Some days I'll find a couple, other days 10 or more (I'm a bit out in the country). When it gets bad, I'll apply some insecticide granules around the perimeter of my pool decking which seems to help a bit. I can't use one of those skimmer handles because I do use a skimmer sock, but that handle is another option if you're interested.

i am a bit of a novice and actually just posted on the introduce yourself section as well. If i find 10 or more i might just pass out to be honest!! my skimmers have a little handle on them actually so i have started using a home made hook on a pole to fish it out. It just freaks me out massively. I Am going to buy granules and spray around the pool as well. Glad to see it is not just me suffering. I hope the astro-turf/fake grass helps cut back on the critters as the yard does have a good area of grass down, as well as this random stone section.

 

[pooldv]

I found a black widow in my skimmer weir while I was swimming last weekend. I need to go work on that. We had a black widow last year around the waterfall. Lots of wolf spiders and others too. We live in the woods and I'm not a big fan of trying to kill everything in the woods even if I wanted to buy that much pesticide. I spray Home Defense every month or two around the pool perimeter, screen porch, flagstone paths, outdoor bathroom and eaves/soffits. It works pretty well. It seems to just repel them and they leave, hopefully to my least favorite neighbor. I can definitely tell the difference in bug population where we hang out and where we don't. It helps with ants, wasps, chiggers and other critters too.

 

[z33tec]

I live near a lake and we get a ton of spiders (Upstate NY though... so different kind.) When I first moved in, they were all over the siding and had them everywhere around the house. I used some of that Ortho Home Defense perimeter spray and it cut down the amount by like 90% I'd say. You have to keep applying it, maybe twice a year. I got it from Home Depot. If you sprayed around the base of the pool (or pool area if it's in-ground) I would think that should help quite a bit. Not sure if you've tried something like that already or not.

 

[ag0207]

I spray a product called bifen I/T with a hose end sprayer. I generally spray the entire yard and any surrounding trees. I tend to do this once a month from spring to early fall and have minimal issues with bugs. Our backyard used to be horrible to go in as far as mosquitos, fire ants, scorpions, & spiders but no more issues since I have been doing this.

 

[J4ckBurton]

Some good advice with the sprays and i will take a look at both the Ortho and Bifen options mentioned above. My garden/Yard is a haven for Fire ants and Mosquito's just now and that has to be pushing the spider problem a bit. The ants are just a never ending battle, so maybe a full spray is something i need to do.

I am also doing a bit of research on a pool screen as you get in Florida. They are unsightly but i have an outdoor kitchen that i would like more use out of long term and it might solve some insect dramas. Anyone got any advice on that as an option?

 

[Divin Dave]

I have lots of the same types of spiders too. They don't freak me out, but I don't like them and one of them bit me once. Lesson learned. I use a skimmer angel on my basket now and some long sleeve aquarium gloves. The long gloves work great when the water is freezing cold too, not just protecting from spider running up your arm under your shirt sleeve and then who knows where from there !

I always just flick the top of the skimmer angle and if a spider is on it, it sends them flying off. Chances are that sooner rather than later the handle on the basket is gonna break anyway and the skimmer angel is the perfect remedy for that.

GABco Skimmer Angel® | MKM Pool Spa
North By Honeywell Chemical Resistant Glove, 26 L, Sz 11, PR NK803ES/11 | Zoro.com

I highly recommend that these two things be added to the pool arsenal.

i am a bit of a novice and actually just posted on the introduce yourself section as well. If i find 10 or more i might just pass out to be honest!! my skimmers have a little handle on them actually so i have started using a home made hook on a pole to fish it out. It just freaks me out massively. I Am going to buy granules and spray around the pool as well. Glad to see it is not just me suffering. I hope the astro-turf/fake grass helps cut back on the critters as the yard does have a good area of grass down, as well as this random stone section.

 

[rmasonjr]

TONS of spiders in my skimmer too. I'm not too scared of them though, just a quick tap to bump them off.

I am concerned that my area did not see a hard freeze this year. I suspect many mosquitos, ticks, fleas, pine beetles, ips beetles, spiders, etc.
We never really had a winter to kill any significant population of bugs.
I think I'll be spraying pesticide in my yard this year, which I really hate to do

 

[J4ckBurton]

I have lots of the same types of spiders too. They don't freak me out, but I don't like them and one of them bit me once. Lesson learned. I use a skimmer angel on my basket now and some long sleeve aquarium gloves. The long gloves work great when the water is freezing cold too, not just protecting from spider running up your arm under your shirt sleeve and then who knows where from there !

I always just flick the top of the skimmer angle and if a spider is on it, it sends them flying off. Chances are that sooner rather than later the handle on the basket is gonna break anyway and the skimmer angel is the perfect remedy for that.

GABco Skimmer Angel® | MKM Pool Spa
North By Honeywell Chemical Resistant Glove, 26 L, Sz 11, PR NK803ES/11 | Zoro.com

I highly recommend that these two things be added to the pool arsenal.

I just ordered two Skimmer Angels - what a find that is

Hero.. haha

 

[slickraft]

I found a black widow in my skimmer weir while I was swimming last weekend.

Black widows are easy to deal with. They have a very random tell-tale webs that let you know they are around. I just go hunting a little after sunset when they get active and then knock them down with a shot of Gunk brake cleaner spray. A squish of the foot while they are still stunned takes care of them.

Scorpions are what freak me out. We've got them too and go hunting often with our LED blacklights and brake clean spray cans.

 

[santacruzpool]

I had this surprise a few days ago cleaning out our cover vault.

I half expected it so I had gloves on, but this is the first Black Widow I have found in the vault...

She was a big one - once I hit her with a tool I saw the big red hourglass on the belly. I wonder if the small ones in the top corner are males or babies???

 

[Divin Dave]

Happy to help!

I just ordered two Skimmer Angels - what a find that is

Hero.. haha