Don’t worry, you’re not alone, but that doesn’t mean you have to kill them or spray them.
Anyone who’s even a little bit interested in protecting the environment knows that insecticides are one of the most poisonous substances we bring into our home and avoid it at all costs.
(By the way, technically speaking, spiders are not insects but arachnids.)
Instead of bringing bug sprays into your home that kill not only the spiders but also sicken you, your kids, your pets, and your environment, try these natural home remedies to getting rid of spiders.
1. Don’t Invite Them In
Folklore about vampires states that vampires can only enter your home if you invite them inside. Since spiders are sort of like eight-legged, blood-sucking vampires, you might say that the same logic can be applied to them.
The fact is that if you have a problem with spiders, you must be offering them a pretty cozy environment without realizing it. Don’t invite spiders in by allowing cracks, gaps, and other small holes to remain. Check around in your basement, garage, or other places where you are finding spiders and seal up these cracks with caulking.
This is doubly important because the cracks that allow spiders in are the same cracks that allow other insects in, which are the spiders’ prey. By eliminating ways for insects to enter, you also eliminate the spiders’ food source.
Once you’ve sealed the cracks and holes up, clean out any existing spider webs. Be thorough, inside and outside, sending the spiders a clear message that your house is not a welcoming place for them to stay.
Finally, make the spiders feel even more unwelcome by cleaning out clutter. Piles of junk that have accumulated in a basement or a garage looks like luxury villas to a spider. Trying to get rid of spiders also provides a great excuse to stop procrastinating and finally get around to organizing your basement or garage.
2. Spray Inside and Out
Long before people used bug spray, they discovered that other types of sprays could keep bugs and spiders away. Start with any of these essential oils:
- Peppermint
- Tea Tree
- Citronella
- Rose
- Lavender
- Cinnamon
- Citrus
- Eucalyptus
Dilute the essential oil with water. Careful, it only takes a tiny amount of the essential oil to act as an effective spray! Spiders don’t like the taste of these oils, so as you clean up your spider webs, coat the area with a few squirts of your spray. That will encourage them not to come back, and the essential oil will leave your house smelling great.
Another highly effective essential oil against insects is catnip oil. Believe it or not, university researchers have shown catnip oil to be many times more effective than DEET in repelling insects. By coating problem areas with catnip oil, you will repel insects. By repelling insects, spiders will have to go elsewhere, because they will have nothing to eat.
3. Other Natural Spider Remedies
Besides the sprays mentioned above, you can also try borax, kerosene, or chewing tobacco.
Borax has been used for a long time to repel insects; some professional exterminators are now offering borax as an environmentally friendly way to get rid of bugs. Wherever you have problem areas, sprinkle the area with a little bit of borax. The borax will repel the spiders from the area; if they come into direct contact with it, it will kill them.
Kerosene can be swabbed onto windowsills, door frames, and anywhere else that spiders are entering your home. The smell of it will repel the little critters.
Finally, a decent use for chewing tobacco! Soak a package of chewing tobacco in a gallon of boiling water. Let it cool, and strain the tobacco particles. Then, add half a cup of lemon-scented dish soap to the water. The resulting spray makes a great repellant.
Some Spiders are No Fun
In the United States, both brown recluse spiders and black widow spiders are fairly common. Though biting humans is unusual, it does happen and the results are quite painful. People rarely die from these bites, but it’s not unusual for a bite to lead to hospitalization.
In short, taking steps to rid your home of spiders is not just aesthetically pleasing; it can protect both you and your family. Start employing these home remedies to getting rid of spiders today, and enjoy the peace of mind it brings you.
