Spiders in the Apartment: Why They Like to Live Behind Household Appliances
Spiders are often considered unwelcome guests, but their presence in the home is often not a sign of poor hygiene. Rather, they deliberately retreat to areas that offer them optimal living conditions. Such a retreat area is usually found in the kitchen or adjacent laundry room – specifically behind large household appliances like the refrigerator, dishwasher, or washing machine.
Why Household Appliances Offer Ideal Retreats
A special microclimate prevails behind these appliances. Darkness, quiet, and constant temperatures create ideal conditions for spiders. Condensation or small leaks additionally provide increased humidity, which many spider species prefer. At the same time, these areas are rarely cleaned or disturbed – perfect conditions to build webs and wait for prey.
Which Spider Species Feel Particularly Comfortable
In Central European households, it is mainly the common house spider (Tegenaria domestica), the daddy longlegs spider (Pholcus phalangioides), and cobweb spiders like the Steatoda grossa (false widow spider) that seek out such hiding spots. They are all harmless to humans and play an important role in reducing insects indoors.
How to Curb Spider Visits
If you want to avoid spiders in the house, you don't need to resort to chemical agents. Regular cleaning behind and under household appliances, sealing cracks and crevices, and controlling moisture are effective measures. Reducing other insects – the main food source for spiders – through cleanliness in the kitchen can also help. Natural repellents like essential oils (e.g., mint, lavender, or citrus) also act as scent-based barriers.
The Garden Also Plays a Role
Houses with a lot of vegetation or gardens offer spiders many hiding places outdoors. If the garden is well-maintained, many spiders prefer to stay outside. However, outdoor lighting can attract insects and thus also spiders near entrances.
Why Spiders Are More Friends Than Foes
As unpleasant as their appearance may be, spiders contribute to the biological balance. They keep harmful insects in check and thus make an important contribution to the ecological household of a home – all without chemical insecticides.
- Effektive Schädlingskontrolle: Sie regulieren Populationen von Fliegen, Mücken und sogar Silberfischchen.
- Indikatoren für ein gesundes Umfeld: Dass Spinnen ins Haus kommen, bedeutet eigentlich, dass die Umgebung ökologisch „funktioniert“ – es gibt Insekten, die wiederum Spinnen anlocken.
- Keine Gefahr für uns: Mitteleuropäische Spinnenarten sind in der Regel völlig ungefährlich. Selbst die als „Giftspinne“ verrufene Steatoda grossa ist viel harmloser als ihr Ruf.
Common Species in Detail
- Hauswinkelspinne (Eratigena atrica / Tegenaria spp.): Die typische große „Kellerspinne“. Sie baut trichterförmige Netze in dunklen Ecken und kommt oft in Kellern und hinter Geräten vor.
- Zitterspinne (Pholcus phalangioides): Verfügt über extrem lange Beine und hängt zitternd in ihrem Netz. Sie frisst sogar andere Spinnen, manchmal deutlich größere.
- Kugelspinnen (z. B. Steatoda grossa): Ihre Netze sind unordentlich und klebrig. Sie sind berüchtigt für ihre Jagdtechnik: Sie wickeln Beute blitzschnell ein, auch Insekten, die stärker wirken als sie selbst.
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