Pests don't wait. Protect your home today.
Spiders in the Pool Cage? What's Living in the Corners
Family-run, licensed and insured pest control in South Florida.
$50 OFF your first service + FREE inspectionNew customers · No code needed · No expirationSpiders in the pool cage are part of living in South Florida. You sweep the corners on Sunday, and by Wednesday there's a new web across the top rail and a little spiky spider sitting in the middle of it. A pool cage is basically a big frame full of corners, next to water and lights that draw insects, which is exactly what spiders look for. Most of them are mostly a web nuisance. One is worth being careful around. Here's who's living in the corners and what actually helps.
The four spiders you'll usually find in a pool cage
- Spiny orb-weaver ("crab spider"). Small, hard, colorful and spiky, in the middle of a round wheel web. Most common in fall and winter, and often strung across the cage, lanai and fences. Not a danger to people; the webs are the problem. See the spiny orb-weaver.
- Common house spider. Round, mottled brown body and messy cobwebs in the upper corners and along the frame. Mostly a web nuisance. See the house spider.
- Golden silk orb-weaver ("banana spider"). Large, with long banded legs and a big golden web, often near pool enclosures and porch lights. Most noticeable in late summer and fall. A bite is rare and mild. See the golden silk orb-weaver.
- Brown widow. Tan to dark brown with an orange or yellow hourglass underneath. This is the one to watch for (below). See the brown widow.
The one to be careful with: brown widows in the pool cage
Brown widows are venomous, but rarely bite, and bites are generally less serious than a black widow's. The issue is where they build: in tangled webs under railings, chair arms, the edges of pool furniture and around pool equipment, right where hands go. The easiest giveaway is the egg sac: round, tan and covered in small spikes, like a tiny burr.
- Wear gloves when you reach under railings, chair arms and pool equipment.
- Check under the patio table and kids' pool toys before grabbing them.
- If someone is bitten, wash the area, apply a cold pack and watch for symptoms. Seek medical care if symptoms are more than mild, or if the person bitten is a young child, an older adult or has health conditions.
Why spider webs in the lanai keep coming back
Spiders build where food is. A pool cage has two things going for it: lights that pull in moths, gnats and other night-flying insects, and plenty of protected corners along the frame. The more bugs, the more spiders. That's also why no-see-ums and spiders often show up together; see no-see-ums on the lanai.
How to keep spiders out of a pool enclosure (as much as possible)
- Knock down webs in the corners and along the frame with a long-handled broom every couple of weeks.
- Cut down on bugs near your lights. Fewer bugs near your lights means fewer spiders. Turn off lights you don't need.
- Move things now and then. Furniture and equipment that never moves give brown widows an undisturbed place to settle.
- Look under railings, chair arms and the pump area when you sweep.
What regular service does
We remove webs along the home and treat around the perimeter, eaves and lanais as part of regular service. We don't spray trees, shrubs or landscape plants. We never spray toward the pool water. Spiders are part of the outdoors here, so no service can promise a cage with no webs at all, but regular visits keep it from getting out of hand. Keep kids and pets off treated areas until dry, and follow your technician's instructions. See our spider library for more types.
Our general pest plan is $125 per quarter, about $42 a month, and monthly or custom schedules are quoted after the inspection. For plan customers: "If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost." There are no long-term contracts and no cancellation fees, just a simple service agreement. We're family-run and licensed, with 30+ years in the business, and hablamos español. See our pest control service or our guides.
Pool cage spider questions
Are the spiders in my pool cage dangerous?
What's the spiky spider in my pool cage?
Why do the webs come back so fast?
Can you make my pool cage web-free?
Take back the corners of your pool cage.
Get $50 OFF your first service plus a FREE inspection. No code, no expiration. Call or text anytime: 833-845-9284.
Prefer to text or email? Text us · info@prospraypest.com