If you are planning on getting rid of spiders from your home, you’ll need to get a cobweb duster. I never used to use one, in fact, the first pest company I worked for did not supply them and told us when asked by the customer to tell them that there was no need for them. I would get so many callbacks for spider issues. I moved away and went to another pest company that made us use cobweb duster treatment on every home. I found after using this technique that I was getting a lot fewer callbacks for spider issues.
When I worked for the first pest company I never realized that there was a big issue here. The reason you use a cobweb duster is when you only use a chemical you aren’t taking care of all the issues. Spiders will place their egg sacks up high, they look like a little piece of cotton, but what it really is, is 150-200 spiderlings getting ready to be released and this was just one issue. Another issue you may run into is the spider’s nerves are only affected when the chemical causes nerve damage to the spider. With all the spider webs gone there is now nothing holding you back between the chemical and the spider.
The cobweb duster I recommend for web busting spiders is the Mr. Long Arm 12’ extension pole (click to see the one i use on Amazon). It is AWESOME for web busting spiderwebs indoors and outdoors. This cobweb duster has a strong aluminum frame with a telescoping pole so that it can reach the eaves of your home. I find that because of the frame on this pole it will last you many years.
There are good options at Wal-Mart. Lowes and Home Depot have decent options as well, but I have used these dusters from these providers many times and they only ever last me 1 ½ months tops. Now, I know that I am hard on my tools and I brush down many more houses than the average consumer that would generally be treating only their own home.I just want to share what I feel is the best cobweb duster. I am recommending this because it will last a really long time.
What to Look for In A Cobweb Duster
In my opinion, these are the most important things to look for:
- Fully extended, it should be able to reach the eaves and gutter area of my home. Don’t get a pole that extends under 10’ a lot of times you won’t be able to get the height you need out of a web buster if you don’t get the right size for your home
- Most cobweb heads are made of polystyrene bristles. This type of bristle is broken down into lots of fibers that are perfect for grabbing things.
- A quality duster head. You want a duster head that can manage being put through lots of wear and tear, the harsh material you brush it against, mostly the exterior part of your home will wear down the material of the web head quickly.
- A pole that won’t bend or break easily. A lot of the time the products that just use a very thin steel material won’t hold together with daily use after a month. Here is the Duster Head I recommend on Amazon.com
- Aluminum is lighter material and they make the tubes that telescope out thicker causing less bend and therefore lasting longer.
- The fittings that hold the telescoping parts together. The fittings need to be able to hold the pole together and be strong enough to support the pole while it is being pushed and extended, gravity also pulls down on it the higher it gets.
Not all cobweb dusters are created equal. For example, I have heard other technicians I know in the industry say to me that they have had more success with an aluminum extension pole as compared to the thin steel ones. The price of the aluminum extension poles can be very expensive (often over $80) The benefit of having an aluminum pole is that it will last you years, only the web-head will need to be replaced if you care for it properly.
Another thing you want to consider is the price to replace the heads on your extension pole. I have used different webheads and most of them are the same, with a few exceptions. You will want to make sure that the aluminum extension pole that you buy can is the correct threading size. The most common threading of cobweb heads and most broom handles is ¾” x 5. One of the many reasons I am suggesting this pole to you is so you can put any webhead you desire to get on the pole.
The last thing you will need to consider in choosing your web pole is to consider getting an indoor webhead and an outdoor webhead so as to not make your inside walls nasty by using the same head inside and out. Also if you have an issue outside and you are wanting to use a dusting agent to help with that you won’t want to use that head inside anymore.
Other Benefits of A Cobweb Duster
- Reach is probably one of the best benefits I can think of. Now you will not have to stand on a chair or use a broom that has been sweeping the dirty floor to wipe your walls and ceiling fans down.
- Safety is another. If you reduce your in range movement with this tool you will reduce the risk of falling.
- Ease of use. It is so great all you do is twist extend and go. It couldn’t be easier.
- Convenience, it is not every day that you will dust the molding at the top of your walls, which is why no one really thinks about it. Having a tool that can make those areas clean is something you would consider more if it is there.
Tips For Maintaining Your Cobweb Duster
- It is best to hang the cobweb duster. If you leave it with the head leaning on something for an extended amount of time it could make one side of the bristles flatten out.
- Never fully extend the pole while using the duster. If you are brushing vigorously and you’ve extended the pole all the way it can cause the pole to bend or the pieces holding it in place to snap.
- Don’t brush your home while it is rainy or wet on the house. There are 2 reasons you shouldn’t do this, one is it will smear dirt on your house and that doesn’t look good, and two is it causes breakdown of the bristles on the head if you use it while it is wet.
- I would only use this tool for what it is intended for, that is the way that the duster can break as well.
- When your web-head gets dirty it is good to clean it with dish soap in warm water to get all the debris off the head.
A garage, building or shed are all good places you can store your web duster.
What If I Want Something Cheap?
I really recommend that you get the cobweb duster I recommended at the start of this article. If you’ll be maintaining your home for bugs from now on, it is worth it to have a quality tool that is going to last a very long time. However, it is not on the cheap side. If you can’t spend that much money, then I do have another good option it is made by Ettore which is a very reputable window cleaning product manufacturer. This is one of the thin steel poles I mentioned earlier but for under 20 bucks, it will get the job done. You can check it out here on Amazon.com. This will give you the same results as the before mentioned cobweb duster, but you pay about half the price. It’s just not as durable is all.
What Is A Cobweb Duster Anyway?
This is a huge part in spider control, using a cobweb duster is half of the battle when it comes to getting spiders off or out of your home. A cobweb duster is a broom-like tool that is used to sweep spiderwebs off and away from your home. A cobweb duster is monumental in the control of spiders on your home and serves as a great reaching tool. On another note, this tool works well for knocking down paper wasp nests and mud dobber tubes. There are many videos online that can assist in showing you what these are and the proper use and care of them.
Conclusion
Whatever cobweb duster you choose, be sure that you do get one. It is worth the money when you are doing your own pest control. Like I mentioned earlier in this article, I had been just spraying homes only for that first pest company I worked for and was getting tons of callbacks to retreat. If I had only known then what I know now. Once you get your cobweb duster, don’t be lazy and fail to use it. Every time you see a spider web on your home break that bad boy out and use it. Thanks for reading and good luck.
