Do Spiders Invade Your Home Before A Minnesota Winter?

Have you ever wondered what spiders do when the weather gets cold in Minnesota? Do they try to get into your home for a warm refuge like some other insects and pests do? I did some digging to find an answer because these things give me the heebie-jeebies.

Spiders are always in your home, no matter the season.

I found this fact amazing. Pest control company Romney says that fewer than 5% of the spiders you see in your home have ever stepped outside of it. That means most indoor spiders spend their entire life from birth to death inside your home. Isn't that crazy? Most of the spiders you see in your home were born there and will continue to live there.

Why do we see more spiders in the fall?

Spiders' mating season coincides with the transition from summer to fall. That means that male spiders will wander further distances to find a mate. That's why you may see more spiders in the fall. That doesn't necessarily mean you have more spiders, they are just more active. Kinda makes the whole spider webs for Halloween thing make more sense, doesn't it?

Outdoor spiders usually stay outdoors and do their own kind of hibernating.

Spiders are cold-blooded creatures. When our frigid Minnesota winter temps come into play, they go under a chemical transformation. They build up antifreeze in their tissue and super cool themselves to where they can handle temperatures as cold as 4 degrees Fahrenheit before their blood freezes. They'll borrow into dens, or through the snow for insulation. They then go into what is called diapause. It's a slowdown state where they wait for warmer weather. On warmer days they can still hunt for prey.

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Depending on the species, some adult spiders die at the end of the summer, with their eggs maturing over the winter months and hatching in the spring.

Some spiders, like the wolf spider, burrow down below the frost line to survive the winter.

There are actually "snow spiders" that exist.

There are some species of spiders that frolic in the snow. Ok, they're not building snowmen, but they do stay active during winter.

There is one spider you need to worry about coming into your home in the winter: The Brown Recluse.

Brown recluse spiders in Minnesota are very rare, but they are the one outdoor spider that will try to get into your home to escape the cold. They are drawn to dark areas and places that are cluttered. They like to go into shoes, clothing, bedding, and stored decorations, according to Terminix. 

People in climates that have more poisonous spiders know to never stick their hand anywhere that is a dark place that you can't see. The odds of you encountering a brown recluse in Minnesota are rare, but if you are bit, seek medical attention immediately.