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Once the weather warms up it is common to find your house has become a spider habitat. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing because spiders are very useful in eating bugs. So unless the spiders that have taken up residence in your house are of the dangerous variety like the Brown Recluse or the Black Widow it may be wise to just live and let live. By trying to eliminate spiders from your house you may just be making it a more hospitable place for numerous other creepy crawlies.
That being said this is a tough situation for me personally because I am borderline arachnophobic after being bitten eight times by Black Widow spiders when I was a child. I won’t go into the heinous details but it was not a very pleasant experience. I am less then thrilled when I see spiders in the house so I am very sympathetic to those who do not want to share their house with eight legged friends. I like to leave the web spinners alone but I usually will try to get rid of hunter spiders, like the Brown Recluse. If you absolutely cannot live with them or they pose a danger to your small children here are a few natural ways to get rid of spiders.
1. Clean house! Spiders like cardboard and clutter, so clean up all cardboard and make sure closets and underneath beds are clean and without places to hide. And do not leave clothing, towels, and other debris on the floor where spiders can find refuge.
2. Clear out unwanted vegetation from around your house, including Ivy or other vines, which are a haven for them. Seal all cracks that may lead spiders indoors.
3. Keep trash bags and bins away from the house where spiders will lay in wait for bugs that are attracted to the garbage.
4. Cover pet food.
5. Use natural deterrents wherever you see spiders:
* Eucalyptus leaves
* Hedge Apples or pieces of Hedge Apples also called Osage orange
* Pennyroyal on a scrap of cloth
* Baking soda
Natural deterrents for other pests:
Ants: Bay leaves, cucumber peels sprinkled with salt, Cayenne pepper, chili pepper, dried peppermint, paprika, cinnamon, dried sage.
Flies: Whole or ground cloves in a small muslin teabag, flypaper made with honey.
thanks for the spider info-I have been looking for a remedy for a long time-My mother has spider webs in her garage-even on the ceiling!!!!I can’t wait to tell her.
Good reading, this is a cheap and easy way to get bugs out of my house for good.
We bought a house that was so infested with spiders we couldn’t go to the bathroom without spiders crawling up the wall beside us, or put on makeup without spiders crawling up the walls. I learned a “new” way to remove spiders (actually an old way–old-timers have known this trick forever) - it’s a safe bug killer (if you must kill them) and works because it sticks to the “slick” legs of insects. It’s Borax (a/k/ 20 Mule Team…) and can be sprinkled in corners, doorways, etc. It’s safe for animals (dogs/cats) and people, but it will kill spiders, ants, crickets, flies, etc.
I was wondering where you could get a cheap bottle of eucalyptus and I was also wondering if you get a eucalyptus plant - will that work with the spiders.Thank you for the great tips on how to keep spiders away.
So glad I found you while searching how to naturally get rid of spiders! I have started using more and more natural ways in my home and love the benefits of going natural. Very nice and informative site.
Omigoodness!! I love this page. I had a major spider problem in my own bedroom, since I keep so many things in it. Even though I clean it everyonce or so, spiders are still on the walls of my bedroom This oage was very helpful! I cannot wait to try all these remedies!! Love this website by the way!
I just read up on Pennyroyal. Be very careful when using this product. It is said that it’s highly toxic and should not be used around pregnant women. I would assume, based on what I read, that is should not be used around anyone. Be Careful!
Iam new to site. Borax is not safe around pets or children…..June entry used on blog. Vet does not approve Borax near in pet home. KIAY
My daughters bedroom is in a refinished basement which is also near the laundry room. I would love to hear someones effectives ideas, my daughter is 13 and she is starting to get to the point that she doesn’t want to sleep in her room. Please I need some ideas and cheap ones, natural if they work. Do the ones about the Lemon Oil, Rubbing Alcohol, And how do you go about using the cedar chips and hedge apples? Someone HELP ME please!!!!!
How do you use baking soda to get rid of spiders? Also, how do you use eucalyptus oil? Do you dilute it with water or use it full strength? Is it expensive to use?
Borax also works well for centipedes - I’ve put it along baseboards and never saw one again. Thanks for the helpful tips about bugs in the house!
Betty, sprinkle baking soda around wherever you want to detract spiders. Eucalyptus oil is not very expensive and you can put a couple drops on cotton balls and disperse.
Thanks for the excellent tips! I have a sun room that the spiders love as much as I do. :=)
i have a spider and moth problem. Where would I sprinkle the baking soda?
I already have killed one yesterday and see another in corner of the ceil as we speak- I just sprinkled baking soda around the front door. What I would if they are on the ceiling?
I have went to tunr my daughter’s bed and have found spideres in her bed on 2 diff times this spring. What can i do to keep them out of her bed; will these things work for that. She gets scared and comes to get in my bed, but h ave been bittne 3 diff times on same arm and hand by spider that is small, light brown w/ black strip on it.. I have tremedous fear of a spider getting on me; which they have, but the fear is always there.
Thanks for the tips. I live in a small house and I hate spiders. There isn’t enough room for the both of us so one has to leave.
I have a daughter who is pregnant (4 months) and has a spider in her bed that bites her almost every night…her husband sleeps in the same bed & doesn’t. What can she use to get rid of this spider?
We were not making a big deal of the really small house spiders, but they started getting bigger. Harboring in the kids rooms, so we made them get all shoe boxes, old school papers, and anything else that showed a clutter. I was told to use cider blocks, or moth balls. That spiders hate the smell as well. Is that true?
I would appreciate any tips anyone can give me. We are in a house only a couple of years old. Six months after moving in we encountered a spider nest under the front door stop. We sealed all the cracks around the door as much as we could, but they still get under the door. We have used double sided sticky tape around the door which manages to catch some but not all. Eighteen months on and although we eradicated the original nest, the spider problem is relentless. Every time the front door is open one shoots out. We find about 3-4 at least every day, mainly in the hall, but sometimes even crawling up the shower screen! I have been round the front of the house with boiling water, but to no avail. My neighbour’s front door is about ten feet from mine, he’s had about one spider in six months! I have also tried one of the plug in sound and electric pulse spider deterrers, but two months on, and it has no effect whatsoever! Please help, they are driving me insane, but i don’t feel its bad enough to get an exterminator! Also it isn’t one particular variety of spider, about 4 different types we get in. The only plus side is i used to be terrified of big spiders, but see so many now that my fear has reduced dramatically!
Ok I live in Black Forest(Colorado Springs) CO and have a major spider problem pretty much every spider this state has. All my life I’ve lived outside city limits in the “country” up in Washington and have never had spiders like this. It seems like everytime I kill one 5 more show up. It scares me because we have black widows and other poisionous spiders out here and I have 2 small children that like to get into things I dont want them to get biten. Last year its wasnt this bad seems like every where I go in my house theres a spider errr. I cant stand them I dont care what kind they are I just cant stand them I would rather have mice running around eating things than spiders crawling around and not knowing where they are. I have cedar chips if I put that around the house would that keep them out or at least lower the number of them creeping around here???
There are spiders in our house and at first they did not annoy us, however over time they have started to go everywhere. You have spider droppings and cobwebs all over. I have reached my breaking point and really going to try some of these tips. Hopefully this gets rid of them.
Hi Guys, i wrote earlier about my house being overrun with spiders, well…. the good news is i appear to have found a solution, and have been spider free for 2 weeks! i know it is working because i get at least 3-5 big spiders every day normally.
Okay, so i knew they were coming in through the underneath of the front door, and various attempts at sealing the door prooved unsuccessful as they could still get in! Although i’m sure it helped with the cracks in the front door step. I would definitely recommend going around your front door and windows and sealing any cracks that they might be getting through.
Like i say, i knew they were getting in through the front door. I read they hate citrus, so i went to the store and brought an anti-bacterial spray, in citrus scent. I had also read spiders don’t like fumes. So I get home and wipe around my door with a lemon scented floor wipe. Then i vigorously spray the citrus anti-bacterial spray onto the wooden front door step, and all around the door frame.
Instant success! In the first couple of days i still got some, but only one or two. But for the past 10 days, spider free! I spray the doorstep every day now, and one squirt in each of the top corners of the door.
I’ve had the odd beetle and woodlouse come through, but no more spiders! My front door was covered in little red spiders before too, now they don’t cross the boundary, because you can still see them on the pavement running around.
I hope this brings success to other people! I know how horrible it is waiting for the next one to show, and i now feel confident they are gone.
Great article, and a wonderful blog you have here! I will pass it along.
Im gonna have to try the citrus thing. Its hard to seal off a old trailer so I think using something around the doors and windows might work best. Thanks for that tip.
This is a great site! I found a spider in my bed tonight, I will be using every tip!
I tried it with ants & I closed the area where they were coming from with baking soda & It worked?? They did have wings. I have now ? If anyone has any info on ticks/Lyme Disease,I just moved to the country & the town paper doesn’t say much I do have a dog but I’m close to some woods.
Maria