framing and plywood sheathing on houses

[Eigenvector]

I'm ripping out all my drywall in my basement so that I can put up insulation, run new wires, and then put on new drywall. After ripping the drywall off with a crowbar I noticed that there were spiders amongus in the framing which makes me wonder where they came from. I suspect they got in between the sheathing and the framing studs as the plywood is discolored in spots indicating weathering to me.

Can you reseal the connection between the plywood and the studs using caulking or something similar or will that be an exercise in futility given the rather large amounts of area to cover? Is it normal for there to be gaps between that plywood and the studs and finding spiders in the walls no big wonder?

Also, on a pleasant note. Originally my thought in tearing out the drywall was so that I could inspect the sill plate as I noticed large gaps between the sill plate and the foundation by the windows. After seeing the sill plate behind the walls I notice that it is fairly embedded in the concrete and painted with a grey substance I'm assuming is primer or weather sealant. Which makes me wonder why the window area has such an uneven connection.

[Lawrence]

I had a similar problem when a lot of those beetles got into my wall cavity. You can do a good clean up with a shop vac getting into all the corners. I used caulk everywhere the siding meets the studs. If it a large area to be covered then you can get a battery powered caulking gun. I have a Milwakee and love it. Here is a link:

Once you have caulked up the wall cavity from the inside then it will be unlikely any spiders will be able to get in there.

[Art]

I've seen a lot of houses built where the framing does not fit the foundation properly and there are large gaps between the siding and foundation wall where bugs come in. Caulk them and you will be amazed how well it keeps bugs out. But if you have synethetic stucco, it may have a drainage system. Be sure not to caulk that up.