Why Your Lake House Is Covered in Cobwebs Every Summer (And How to Actually Stop It)

If you own a lake house in Walworth County, you already know what's coming. Sometime in late May, the spiders show up. By June, the webs are everywhere — across the windows, in the gutter corners, hanging from the eaves, draped over the deck railings. You power wash the whole house on a Saturday and by the next weekend, they're back like you never touched it.

This is the single most common call we get every spring, so let's talk about why it happens and what actually works.

Why lake houses get hit so hard

Three reasons. First, lake houses are surrounded by the things spiders eat — midges, mosquitoes, mayflies, gnats, and every other bug that hatches off the water. Where there's food, there's spiders. Second, lake houses tend to be cedar, log, or rough-sawn wood, which gives spiders about a million little crevices to anchor a web. Smooth vinyl siding in town is way easier to keep clean than cedar siding on the water. Third, A-frames and steep rooflines on lake homes create exactly the kind of sheltered eaves and overhangs spiders love. They're protected from rain and wind, which is everything a spider wants.

Add it up and a cedar A-frame on Geneva Lake or Lauderdale is basically a five-star hotel for spiders.

Why power washing doesn't work

Power washing knocks the webs down. It does not stop the spiders from coming back. The spiders are still living in the eaves, the gutters, the boathouse, the trees nearby — and they'll rebuild within days. We've had customers tell us they power washed their house every weekend all summer and still couldn't keep up. It's exhausting, it's hard on the siding and the windows, and it doesn't solve the problem.

What actually works

A residual exterior treatment in spring, followed by monthly maintenance through September. That's it. The spring treatment kills the spiders that are already there and leaves a barrier that prevents new ones from setting up shop. The monthly visits keep that barrier fresh through the peak season. Done right, you go from fighting webs every weekend to not thinking about them at all.

We've been running this exact program on Lake Geneva and Lauderdale Lakes houses for 20+ years. Same technician every visit, same approach, same result — no webs.

If you're tired of the Saturday power-wash routine, give us a call at (262) 374-9371 and we'll get you on the schedule before the season hits.

Need help at your house?

Dealing with this at your lake home? We can handle it.