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Some people think that spiders are creepy, and others just find them to be a nuisance leaving spider webs all over their homes. The bottom line is, they want a comfortable warm place to live, eat and raise their young.
Consequently, the inside of your home suits them just fine. However, if you just can’t stand the idea of spiders peering at you from the dark, you might just want to try these natural methods to get rid of spiders.
You can also rest assured that these suggestions don’t include dangerous pesticides or poisons that could harm children or your pets.
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Make Home Repairs to Keep Spiders Outdoors
Purchase fine mesh screen to install over chimneys or vents that allow spiders to crawl into your home. Now is a good time to replace any torn window screens to prevent spiders that are looking for a vacation home.
You can also save on your power bill and prevent spiders from getting into your home by buying some inexpensive caulk to seal open spaces around windows, doors and wires running into the home.
Housecleaning is the Best Defense Against Scary Spiders
Spiders like to stay out of view whenever possible so they aren’t on the dinner menu for other pests or become amusing play toys for young cats. Therefore, you’ll want dust or vacuum dark corners, closets and out of the way shelves that are undisturbed.
Using vacuum attachments is the best way to reach areas that spiders prefer, and be sure to vacuum carpets regularly.
Rinse food from plates and don’t leave food out on kitchen counters, which attract a number of insects that spiders consume for food.
Outdoor Lighting is an Open Invitation for Attracting Bugs
We’ve all noticed how outdoor lights are buzzing with insect life. The lights attract moths, mosquitos, and a number of other insects, which also attract spiders looking for a meal.
According to the Bob Vila website, changing out bulbs to yellow sodium vapor lights helps to reduce the bug’s attraction to lights, which could lessen the quantity of spiders in your vicinity.
Reducing Spider Habitat Around the Home
It may sound silly, but the first things spiders will do is look for outdoor camping spots in vegetation, wood piles, leaves and old newspapers and cardboard boxes stored in a garage.
These areas are cool, dark and provide excellent hiding spots where they may live temporarily until they get into your house because you didn’t repair your window screens. Home Remedy Hacks highly recommends not storing wood piles or piles of leaves close to your home that provide ideal spider habitat.
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Repelling Spiders with Citrus Scents
It isn’t possible to remove all the dark, cool spots like closets and corners in your home that spiders prefer, but you can treat these areas with lemons, oranges or grapefruit, which spiders don’t like.
Simply, cut off a couple of slices of the citrus skin, and rub it over favorite spider hangouts like baseboards, bookshelves or windowsills for example. Most people don’t mind the citrus scent, and it may send spiders scampering.
A Little Bit of Cedar Could Produce Great Results
We’ve all heard that cedar wood is an excellent repellent for moths in closets and dresser drawers, but it can also help to prevent spiders from making a home in clothing, corners and other dark areas they like to frequent.
To help to reduce the number of spiders in your home to a manageable number, place cedar hangers in closets and use cedar blocks inside drawers and the back of cupboards where you see webs.
Cedar is another scent spiders don’t care for, and it also works well to prevent entry to your home if you scatter cedar mulch around the outside of your home near entry doors.
Making a Homemade Spider Repellent with P. Allen Smith
P. Allen Smith has a short YouTube video above, which teaches you how to make a homemade spider repellent with your choice of orange extract, spearmint oil or peppermint oil. Simply combine 3 cups of water, 1 tsp. dish detergent and 1 tbsp. of a citrus extract or essential oil in a sprayer bottle.
Spraying these strong scents where spiders like to hide in dark areas, corner walls and undisturbed storage areas usually sends them packing because they don’t care for the smell.
Lady Bugs Can Be Deadly When It Comes to Spiders
Most people recognize lady bugs as the cute insect living in their garden or on their rose bushes, but they can make quick work of spiders for an afternoon meal. According to The Dollar Stretcher, lady bugs have voracious appetites, and they eat as many as 50 insects per day, which includes spiders.
You can purchase lady bugs from a local garden center and simply scatter them around plants, bushes and vegetation growing near your home to reduce spider populations.
Playful Cats Help to Reduce Spider Numbers
Cats are very inquisitive creatures that love to explore and play. They like to study bugs as they crawl up a wall or across the kitchen floor, and before you know it, they’ll pounce on a spider or slap it across the room.
Cats may not be able to knock out a spider infestation, but they could probably make a dent in the population according to Tips Bulletin.
Getting Rid of Household Spiders with Nuts
Most of us wouldn’t think nuts could be a good solution for getting rid of spiders. However, the folks at Home Remedy Find recommend using chestnuts to persuade the friendliest of spiders to exit the home.
Chestnuts are available at most grocery stores, and they should be placed where you have seen spiders before or near the entrances to prevent them from entering the home.
Fresh chestnuts are the most effective, so be sure to replace the nuts with a new batch every so often.
Common White Vinegar Is a Powerful Deterrent for Spiders
If you have every worked with white vinegar to clean windows, you know just how strong the odor can be.
Well, spiders are just as offended by the smell, and once you use a spray bottle full of vinegar to spray inside cracks, the corners of floors and a few windowsills, you’ll more than likely send them scurrying for a new place to live.
Fortunately vinegar is not toxic to pets or people, but you must retreat your home a few times a month to maintain its effectiveness.
The Strong Scent of Eucalyptus Oil Sends Spiders Packing
Many people associate eucalyptus oil with medicinal purposes, but it is a great way to drive spiders away. Its strong aromatic scent, which comes from evergreen leaves, is very repulsive to most spiders.
The oils should be sprayed in areas of the home where spiders may enter, take up residence or build webs in undisturbed spots in the home.
If the smell of the oil extract is too strong for your nose, you can also place eucalyptus leaves in drawers or cupboards where spiders like to hang out.
Get Rid of Spiders in Your Home Today
Some people prefer setting off bug bombs or using pesticides to get rid of spiders, but these not only affect the environment, they can be dangerous to adults, kids and pets. You are better off trying natural methods, which are usually cheaper to rid your home of spiders.
To control spiders, keep shrubbery, flowers and vegetation to a minimum close to the house, clean frequently, and close up gaps or cracks in the home where spiders can enter.
If you really can’t stand spiders, consider buying essential oils or white vinegar to repel spiders and send them on their way.