Let’s be completely honest. Nobody really likes spiders. Even if they are completely harmless little things, nobody really wants spiders hanging around inside their house.
9 Natural Ways To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Home
So, how do you repel them naturally without hurting them, and without exposing your family to any potentially harmful chemicals? Read on for the answers you are looking for!
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1. Mint Them Out
Did you know that spiders HATE peppermint? Most people don’t! An easy way to keep spiders from invading your space is to fill a spray bottle with peppermint essential oil and water, and then spray it around your home. Plus, your home will smell great!!!
2. Clean It Up
The cheapest and most organic way to repel spiders naturally is probably not the easiest! Keeping your home neat, tidy, and free of dust or webs is the best way to keep spiders from moving in. Regular vacuuming, dusting, and de-cluttering will keep any insects from making themselves at home!
3. Use Vinegar
White vinegar has about five trillion uses around the house (look it up!), and repelling spiders is one of them! Repelling spiders with vinegar is much like repelling them with peppermint oil, in that you fill a spray bottle with vinegar and water, and spray all the cracks and crevices around your home (see recipe below).
4. Enlist The Help Of A Furry Friend
Cats are a great spider deterrent! Four-legged furry friends can be great hunters and will definitely not let a spider crawl across the floor without going on the prowl and taking care of business!
5. Don’t Let Them In
A great way to keep spiders out of your home is to never let them in in the first place! Make sure the exterior of your home is free from leaves, grass clippings, wood piles, or any other notorious spider hangouts. You can also check all door openings and windowsills to make sure there isn’t room for spiders to get in that way, and apply caulk when needed.
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6. Citrus Does The Trick
It’s common knowledge that spiders hate all things citrus. Rubbing citrus peels on areas where spiders are known to frequent, like baseboards, windowsills, and bookshelves, is a great way to keep them from coming around. Even using lemon-scented furniture polish can drive spiders away!
7. Let Cedar Do The Work
Cedar can be a great deterrent for spiders. You can use cedar mulch outside around the perimeter of your home to try to keep spiders from ever getting inside. If you have access to a cedar chest or cedar hangers to use in your closet, that is a good choice as well. Using cedar blocks or shavings inside closets, cupboards or drawers can make them think twice about hanging out in there too!
8. Chestnuts
Yes, you read that right, chestnuts! They have been known to drive away spiders, so placing a few in your windowsills or along your baseboards can keep spiders from hanging out there.
Many people also believe that the same thing can be done with an osage orange (also known as a hedgeapple). You can keep chestnuts and hedgeapples in the house for a long time before they go bad, so it’s worth giving it a shot!
9. Tobacco
It sounds weird, but spiders hate tobacco just about as much as they hate lemons and chestnuts! You can sprinkle small pieces of tobacco where spiders are troublesome, or you can soak tobacco in water and then spray the mixture all around. However, tobacco is pretty expensive these days, so you can likely find a more affordable fix for keeping spiders at bay!
All Natural Spider Repellent
Spiders don’t like peppermint oil or vinegar, so use a combination of the two against them.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 20 drops peppermint essential oil (Eucalyptus oil purportedly works, too, but I find peppermint a more pleasant scent.)
- Spray bottle
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients into a solution.
- Transfer the solution into a spray bottle.
- Spray windowsills and entryways with the solution.