Keeping Spiders From Living In Your Patio Storage Box

If you have an outdoor storage box on your deck or patio area, you most likely enjoy the convenience in being able to grab a chair cushion or yard game without searching inside a shed or your home to find it. Opening the box to find webs and spiders however, can squash the convenience and make you reconsider putting your hand inside to get your needed item. To avoid this scenario, try the following steps to keep your patio storage box clean and spider-free.

Clean Before Warm Weather

At the end of the winter, take the time to completely clean out your storage area in anticipation of the warmer weather ahead. You most likely have placed your storage box in a shed or screened area for the winter to protect it from the elements. If not, open the box and assess it for any damage from harsh weather during your cleaning session. You may need to make repairs in this case.

Use a crevice attachment on your vacuum cleaner to remove debris from the storage box. If there are webs already present, slip a nylon stocking over the crevice tool before vacuuming. Larger webs and eggs will stick to the outside of the stocking. Before turning off your vacuum cleaner, slide the stocking off the vacuum, turning it inside out in the process. Any spider eggs will then be contained and you can throw away the stocking in a sealed plastic bag.

Select The Best Placement

Spiders are drawn to areas where there are easily accessible insects to feast upon. Avoid placing your storage box too close to any light source as spiders tend to make their webs near illumination since insects are attracted to the brightness. Place your storage box several feet away from deck rails, stone walls, shrubs, or flowers as spiders can easily use these items to connect their webs to your storage box.

Add A Fragrant Deterrent

There are several scents that spiders will stay away from. Luckily, they are pleasing to humans as well as natural, making them a great way to keep your items inside the box from becoming ruined from a bad smell or harmful chemical pest control solution. Add several drops of lavender or citrus oil to a spray bottle filled with water. Add a dash of dish detergent to help make the solution a bit less oily and shake well.

Spray the mixture directly into your empty patio storage box. Allow it to dry completely before placing your belongings back inside. Dip a few cotton balls into the solution and place them in the corners of your patio box. Every few days, swap the cotton balls with new ones dipped in the essential oil solution to keep spiders from wanting to get inside.

Contact a company like Security Self Storage for more help and tips on storing your belongings.

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