volcamp
Member
I have an infestation of spiders in my horse barn. What is the best and safest means by which to eradicate them without killing my horses? Please help.
Spiders in barn/stable
- Thread starter volcamp
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BB_TX
Veteran Member
- Joined
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- Tractor
- JD 950
If the barn is not too large and is reasonably tight, I would take the horses and any food stuff out for a while and set off some bug bombs. May take several depending on the volume of the barn. We set one in our deer hunting cabin each year when we go down hunting. Set it off, close the cabin for about an hour, open it up to air out, then spend several days in it. Hasn't killed us or made us sick yet.
midlf
Platinum Member
The previous owner of our barn talked about always leaving the spiders alone until the webs would fall out of the rafters. He said he then had no problems with flies in the barn. When the webs would start to fall out of the rafters he would sweep them down with a broom on a pole and let the spiders start over.
I use Cypermethrin in my horse barn and around my house. In the barn I just spray the inside and outside perimeter and any cracks and crevices they might hide in. I'll usually mix up a gallon or so every couple of months in spring, summer, and fall. I had a great collection of black widows before I started.....now I don't see any. I've got a fly spray system to keep the flies down and it didn't seem to bother the spiders in the least.
You can get the stuff as a powder sold as Demon WP but it's pricey. The cheaper (but same active and concentration) alternative that I use is Cyper WP.
You can get the stuff as a powder sold as Demon WP but it's pricey. The cheaper (but same active and concentration) alternative that I use is Cyper WP.
Kyle_in_Tex
Super Star Member
I'm in the same situation as Mike120. My new barn has a black widow infestation. I sprayed Demon WP and so far, so good. My barn is not a horse barn though. I'm getting good at recognizing black widow webs. Trouble is, they usually hide in a crack. I think their egg sacks look like a little spikey cotton ball.
browns40
Gold Member
Hi volcamp,
Are they dangerous spiders? Black widows & the like I can understand, but spiders, like bats, are great at keeping down insect populations... they must have a good food source to be so plentiful, and if you remove them, what infestation will follow?
Unless you & the horses are getting bit by them, I would think they are good to have around.
Are they dangerous spiders? Black widows & the like I can understand, but spiders, like bats, are great at keeping down insect populations... they must have a good food source to be so plentiful, and if you remove them, what infestation will follow?
Unless you & the horses are getting bit by them, I would think they are good to have around.
I don’t like to kill the wolf spiders or the yellow garden spiders and generally don't like to use pesticides.....but I really don’t want the black widows or brown recluses in my house, garage, barns, or sheds. If I have collateral damage from just spraying those places, I’m sorry. I’ve seen the results of a bite from those two and I don’t want it to happen to me. Since I’ve started spraying regularly, I haven’t seen a one.
wroughtn_harv
Super Member
I don't like spiders per se. But I see them like snakes, a necessary evil.
Friday I was putting in a later line to a barn I'd built. The home is block and beam so all the plumbing and electrical is underneath. I found a cold water line near an outer wall and tapped into it. I opened the skirting near the cold water line Thursday. Friday morning when I got there a large garden spider had filled the opening with web. I gently removed the web so the spider moved over to one side.
The client moved the spider over to a cedar while we were working under the house. When we came back to relocate the spider back to his home we found two front legs and a very fat praying mantis. The mantis wasn't near as big as the spider. But it was the only thing besides the legs that was left of the spider.
When I worked telco work as a young man in California I've found thirty plus black widows in one pedestal. It's really unnerving to have to open up a splice and work after seeing so many adult widows in such a small area.
Friday I was putting in a later line to a barn I'd built. The home is block and beam so all the plumbing and electrical is underneath. I found a cold water line near an outer wall and tapped into it. I opened the skirting near the cold water line Thursday. Friday morning when I got there a large garden spider had filled the opening with web. I gently removed the web so the spider moved over to one side.
The client moved the spider over to a cedar while we were working under the house. When we came back to relocate the spider back to his home we found two front legs and a very fat praying mantis. The mantis wasn't near as big as the spider. But it was the only thing besides the legs that was left of the spider.
When I worked telco work as a young man in California I've found thirty plus black widows in one pedestal. It's really unnerving to have to open up a splice and work after seeing so many adult widows in such a small area.
browns40 said:Hi volcamp,
Are they dangerous spiders? Black widows & the like I can understand, but spiders, like bats, are great at keeping down insect populations... they must have a good food source to be so plentiful, and if you remove them, what infestation will follow?
Unless you & the horses are getting bit by them, I would think they are good to have around.
I'm like M120. I have no problem ith the garden variety spiders. My problem is I have a large presence of Black Widow and Brown Recluse. I have had a few of the Recluses that were World Class!! I've seen the damage they can do to the human body. It ain't nothin' to take lightly. I also don't care about the collateral damage, except for the horses. Therein lies the rub.