How to Make Your Own Sticky Traps for Spiders
Sticky traps are nontoxic, and more effective for home spider control than dangerous insecticides are. Commercially produced sticky traps are readily available to catch just about any household pest you can think of. But you don’t have to spend money for effective sticky traps for catching spiders.
You can make your own traps out of common everyday materials that you probably already have. While your homemade spider sticky traps probably won’t look professional or very pretty, they’ll do the job every bit as well as store-bought traps. The bonus is that they’ll cost you little or nothing.
Things You Will Need
- Empty cereal box
- Scissors
- Water
- Corn Syrup
- Disposable plastic spoon
- Liquid soap
- Petroleum jelly (optional)
- Wax paper (optional)
- Plastic food storage bag (optional)
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Cut down the fold of an empty cereal box with scissors to make a flat piece of cardboard. Cut the cardboard into rectangles about 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. Set these aside.
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Combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Stir to blend well. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to simmer. Simmer and stir until the solution thickens into a sticky paste. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the paste to cool enough to be safely handled.
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Coat a disposable plastic spoon with a thin layer of liquid soap to make spreading the glue easier.
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Dip a spoonful of the paste out of the pan and spread it thinly over one side of a cardboard rectangle. Dispose of the spoon in the trash.
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Place your sticky traps paste side up in rooms where you have seen or where you suspect spider activity. Put one against the baseboard of each wall, preferably behind a piece of furniture. Spiders typically travel against walls and will get stuck in the glue when they try to run across it. If there are cabinets in the room, set one trap inside of each.
Tip
Petroleum jelly works nearly as well as paste for homemade sticky traps. Save yourself some time by making extra spider sticky traps for future use. Cut a piece of wax paper to the same size as the sticky area. Cover the paste with the wax paper. Seal the trap in a plastic food storage bag in a cool, dry spot. When you want to use one of the stored sticky traps, slowly peel the wax paper from the paste and the trap is ready to go to work.
Warning
Position your homemade sticky traps where children and pets can’t come into contact with them.
The Drip Cap
- Sticky traps are nontoxic, and more effective for home spider control than dangerous insecticides are.
- While your homemade spider sticky traps probably won’t look professional or very pretty, they’ll do the job every bit as well as store-bought traps.
- Combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of corn syrup in a heavy saucepan.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the paste to cool enough to be safely handled.
- Dispose of the spoon in the trash.
References
Writer Bio
A full-time writer since 2007, Axl J. Amistaadt is a DMS 2013 Outstanding Contributor Award recipient. He publishes online articles with major focus on pets, wildlife, gardening and fitness. He also covers parenting, juvenile science experiments, cooking and alternative/home remedies. Amistaadt has written book reviews for Work At Home Truth.
Photo Credits
- Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
- Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
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