How To Get Rid Of Webspinners And Keep Them Away?

Webspinners are small insects that spin silk tunnels on bark, soil, leaf litter, and sometimes the sides of buildings. To get rid of them and keep them away, remove the silk webbing and the moist, debris-rich conditions they feed on, reduce outdoor lighting that draws them in, and seal or dry out the sheltered spots they use. Chemical sprays are rarely necessary because webspinners cause no structural damage and do not bite or sting people.

Most people who notice silky white patches on a tree trunk or a baseboard assume spiders. Webspinners are a different group of insects entirely, and that distinction matters for how you handle them. The good news is that control is mostly about habitat, not pesticide.

What Exactly Are Webspinners?

Webspinners are insects in the order Embioptera. They are small, usually under half an inch long, with long bodies and legs built for running backward through tight tunnels. Nearly all of them are female; males are rare in many species and are often winged while females are not.

What sets them apart is silk. They produce it from glands in their front legs, not from the abdomen the way spiders and moth larvae do. That silk forms the flat, sheet-like galleries you see on surfaces. Some people describe the look as a thin, silvery film or a patch of fine white webbing pressed flat against bark or stone.

They feed on dead plant material — decaying leaves, lichen, moss, and soft bark. They thrive in damp, dark, undisturbed places. In the United States they are most common in warm, humid regions, though they turn up in greenhouses, potted plants, and damp basements well outside their usual range.

One point worth clearing up: webspinners are not a household pest in the way termites or cockroaches are. They do not damage wood structure. They do not bite or sting. They do not spread disease to people. They are mostly a cosmetic and nuisance issue, and in outdoor settings they are part of normal leaf-litter ecology.

How Do You Tell Webspinners Apart From Spiders?

Look at the silk pattern first. Spider webs are three-dimensional — funnel shapes, orb webs, tangled cobwebs with visible anchor threads. Webspinner silk is a flat, thin sheet laid tight against a surface, often running in narrow channels or galleries.

Then look at what is moving underneath. If you peel back a corner of the webbing and see small, elongated insects that dart backward into the tunnel, those are webspinners. Spiders have two body segments and eight legs; webspinners have three body segments and six legs, like other insects.

Another clue is location. Webspinners favor the same damp, shaded spots over and over — under loose bark, in mulch, along the base of a wall, in the crevice of a planter. Spider webs show up almost anywhere, including dry corners and ceiling edges.

If you are not sure, a close-up photo sent to your county extension office is a reliable way to get an identification. This matters because the treatment for spider mites, spiderlings, or moth larvae webbing is different from the treatment for webspinners.

How To Get Rid Of Webspinners And Keep Them Away

Control comes down to three things: remove the webbing, dry out the habitat, and cut off the food and light that keep them coming back. This is the keyphrase section, and it is also where most of the real work happens.

Remove the webbing and the insects

On sturdy outdoor surfaces, a stiff brush or a stream of water from a hose will strip the silk galleries away. On indoor surfaces, a damp cloth or a vacuum with a brush attachment works. Removing the webbing removes the shelter the insects rely on, and it also lets you see whether they return.

If you find them in potted plants, repotting with fresh, well-draining soil and cleaning the pot rim removes both the insects and the damp organic matter they feed on. Discard the old soil rather than reusing it indoors.

Dry out the area

Webspinners need moisture. Fixing a leaky pipe, improving drainage around a foundation, and increasing airflow in a damp basement or crawlspace all work against them. Reducing irrigation frequency near affected plants helps too. Let the top layer of soil dry between waterings.

Reduce outdoor lighting

Many flying insects, including male webspinners in species that have winged males, are drawn to lights at night. Switching outdoor fixtures to warm-colored bulbs and aiming them downward rather than outward reduces how many insects gather near walls and entry points.

Clear debris and seal entry points

Rake back leaf litter, mulch, and stacked wood from the base of your home. These are prime webspinner habitat. Seal cracks around foundations, windows, and doors, and repair torn screens. This is basic exclusion work that helps against many crawling insects, not just webspinners.

When to consider insecticide

For most infestations, chemical treatment is not needed. If webspinners are persistent indoors and habitat changes have not worked, some pest control professionals may apply a residual insecticide to cracks and crevices where the insects travel. The evidence that this is necessary or more effective than habitat control is limited, and any pesticide use should follow the product label exactly. Never apply insecticide to food surfaces, and keep children and pets away from treated areas per the label instructions.

Why Do Webspinners Keep Coming Back?

They come back because the conditions that support them have not changed. Webspinners are not aggressive invaders that travel long distances to reach your home. They establish where moisture, organic debris, and shelter already exist.

If you clear the webbing but leave the damp mulch, the leaking downspout, or the shaded planter, new individuals will move in from nearby leaf litter. In many cases the source population lives just outside — under a nearby tree, in a woodpile, or in ground cover.

This is why habitat correction matters more than any single treatment. It addresses the reason they are there rather than the symptom you can see.

One more thing people miss: webspinners can survive in very small, hidden pockets. A single damp crevice behind a downspout or under a windowsill can support a colony. If they keep returning to the same spot, that spot is worth a closer look.

Are Webspinners Harmful to People, Pets, or Plants?

Webspinners are not harmful to people or pets. They do not bite, sting, or carry diseases that affect humans. There is no medical concern from finding them in or around a home.

For plants, the picture is more mixed but still minor. Webspinners feed on dead and decaying plant tissue, not healthy living tissue, so they are not typically a threat to a vigorous plant. In a weakened or overwatered plant, heavy populations can add stress, but they are rarely the primary cause of decline. If a plant is struggling, look first at watering, drainage, and light.

Their ecological role is worth knowing. In natural settings, webspinners help break down leaf litter and return nutrients to the soil. Outdoors, in a garden bed or under a tree, they are doing a job. Removal is usually only warranted when they are on structures or in living spaces.

Should You Call a Pest Control Professional?

For most homeowners, no. Webspinners are a manageable nuisance with habitat correction and physical removal. Calling a professional is reasonable if the infestation is extensive, if you cannot identify the insect with confidence, or if you have tried habitat changes and the problem persists.

If you do hire someone, ask what they plan to apply and why. A good provider will explain the habitat issues driving the problem, not just offer a spray. Treatment without addressing moisture and debris tends to be a repeating cost.

If you have a known sensitivity to pesticides or have young children or pets, discuss this with the provider before any application. Follow all label instructions for re-entry and cleanup.