Natural Ways To Keep Spiders Out Of Your House!
Spiders are a part of life, and are beneficial for pest control in your garden. But they're not welcome in your home. These tips and home remedies will help keep them out!
Spiders are a part of life, and can even be a beneficial form of pest control in your garden. However, they may be an unwelcome guest in your home.
Getting rid of spiders entirely may not be realistic (or ideal), but you can greatly minimize their populations in your home by making it a little less inviting for them.
Instead of using chemicals, try any of these natural and safe—yet effective—methods of keeping these critters outside where they belong!
Natural Spider Repellents
1. White Vinegar
If you don’t already have a stash of vinegar on hand (for cleaning and many other uses), you should. Vinegar spray can serve as an organic pest control, specifically for spiders. While it is harmless to humans, it contains acetic acid which gives it a sour taste and odor which spiders are highly sensitive to. To use, mix equal portions of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray around your home, concentrating on your kitchen and entrances where bugs may be coming in. Using vinegar as a cleaning agent in your bathroom and kitchen is a great way to get two jobs done at once!
2. Citrus
Spiders dislike citrus as much as vinegar. Having citrus fruits in a bowl on the counter in your kitchen is a great way to keep spiders out (and to encourage healthy eating for your family). You can also rub leftover citrus peels along windowsills and doorways. To make the smell of vinegar less pungent, you can try soaking several orange peels in a cup of vinegar over night. Add the infused vinegar to a spray bottle mixed with water. It can be used as a cleaning agent or sprayed on high bug traffic areas.
3. Mint
Mint is a great natural pest repellent. Most bugs, including spiders, hate mint. Add peppermint essential oil to water in a spray bottle and spray all over your home. An added bonus is that your house will smell minty fresh. You can also crush some dried mint leaves and put them in little sachets in your kitchen cupboard. If you don’t have fresh mint, you can also use mint tea bags. Another great way to prevent bugs from even entering your home is to plant mint leaves near your entryways.
4. Diatomaceous Earth
Many people don’t know much about diatomaceous earth (DE). Diatomaceous earth is made of fossilized remains of a particular kind of algae called diatoms, whose outer shell is made of silica. The skeletons of diatoms are found and collected in the sediment at the bottom of rivers, streams, lakes and oceans. This white powder is not only inexpensive and effective, it is non-toxic, which makes it an excellent choice to repel spiders when you have pets or children. The silica in the DE basically absorbs all of the moisture out of the pests, causing them to dehydrate. You can simply sprinkle DE around areas where you notice bugs.
You can also mix 1 tablespoon of DE in a spray bottle of water. Shake it up well and spray around the outside of your home where you see spiders. You can also use it to keep other pests out of you garden. Either circle the plants with a ring of the powder or spray them with the water mixture. When using DE be careful not to inhale the dust. Mixing the water when applying will help you avoid dust inhalation. And be sure you are purchasing food-grade diatomaceous earth.
5. Cedar
Cedar blocks and chips sprinkled around your home and inside your house will get rid of spiders and other bugs. An added bonus is a nice woody scent around your home.
6. Horse Chestnuts
Horse chestnuts have been known to drive spiders away. Placing a few on your windowsills or along baseboards will keep spiders from hanging out there. Chestnuts last a long time before going bad, making them a good choice.
7. Remove Dust
Spiders frequent dusty areas with lots of cobwebs. Keeping your home clean and tidy will make your home less inviting. Regular dusting and vacuuming will keep any insects from making themselves at home.
8. Organize Your Home
Spiders are attracted to dark, cluttered spaces. Try stacking, organizing, and sealing your storage areas, dusting and vacuuming as you go. Also, be sure to take out your recycling regularly, and removing those stacks of empty boxes you have saved up. Spiders love to make a home in piles of cardboard, boxes, plywood and firewood.
9. Watch Your Landscaping
Make sure the exterior of your home is free of leaves, grass clippings, wood piles and any other notorious insect hideouts. Keep bushes pruned back and weeds trimmed. Spiders and other insects are less likely to enter your home if you keep them away in the first place.
10. Don’t Let Them In
The best way of getting rid of spiders is by keeping them out. Making sure your home is sealed properly will prevent pests from making themselves at home. Check all door openings and windowsills to make sure there isn’t enough room for them to fit through. Applying caulk and weather stripping to any cracks and openings may do the trick.
Natalie LaVolpe
Natalie LaVolpe is a freelance writer and former special education teacher. She is dedicated to healthy living through body and mind. She currently resides on Long Island, New York, with her husband, children, and dog.
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- Natalie LaVolpe#molongui-disabled-link
- Natalie LaVolpe#molongui-disabled-link
- Natalie LaVolpe#molongui-disabled-link
Thanking you so much @everyone.awesome info
Great, useful article. I’ve been using mint for awhile.
Also, here in Southern California, ants have been invading. I sprinkle ground cinnamon on their trails or spray with strong lemon water. Both work.
We love those ideas too! I also use cayenne pepper on ant trails – but cinnamon works very well!
In basement I would get spiders as they like damp places so I got a dehumifier and picked it up at a yard sale. Also spiders do not like moth balls, so put them around too. Not a spider around anymore
If one more spider tries to eat me in my sleep, I’m gonna have the funkiest smelling house around here. I thought Osage orange fruit or hedge apples, monkey balls, etc. Worked for getting rid of spiders, but mine are dried up. Would lemongrass work in place of mint?
I found this out by accident. I needed something to help open my sinuses and found some menthol crystals at a drugstore. What I did was put a couple on our wood stove and they melted and vaporized the entire room. Everyone got a dose, but be careful, it will burn your eyes if you stand too close. Anyway, it wasn’t until later that we realized that all the bugs were gone. What you need is something hot to put the crystals on, but not too hot or they will burn up.
A neighbor chemist told me to use ordinary household Borax laundry booster. I put a hand full in the corners and dark spots and at sills and doors. spiders don’t like it and keep away. Have alot less now and boy do I hate those bums. What bothers me are the knats that get in thru the screens. They seem to follow you room to room. I have been puting apple cider vinegar in a ramkin type bowl, cove with plastic wrap and pole holes. They like the sweet vinegar and get into the bowl but can’t get out.
I have no fear of spiders but, I am wary of the Brown Recluse.
We had a BIG long legged spider in our basement. She had a gorgeous spider web. She kept the place clean of bugs. My kids used to tap on the web and she’d come out to investigate! Her name was Matilda.
“This article is so informative and has great tips to follow. I was looking for some good hacks to get rid of pesky pests and in this article, I found all the information.
10 Easy Ways to Spider-Proof Your Home
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Moths and mosquitos and ants are more of a pest than spiders. I welcome spiders to build webs in the corner of my windows to snare those flying bastards effectively reducing the numbers of things flying thru your open windows in the summer and eliminating the need for expensive air conditioning. that’s my idea of natural remedies for pest control!
Hi Kevin, yes, they are effective at pest control but many would prefer them to do their work outside.
Until one climbs in your ear one night lol. This happen to me just night before last night and I was traumatized. I need them gone!
Literally looking this up because I suddenly got out of bed and saw a spider on my head board by my pillow. I can’t sleep now.
this is the reason im doing this research now my girlfriend had this exact thing happen to her i also heard moth balls is a good thing to put around your house for spiders and other bugs other than moths
Never use peppermint oil as a spray or in an essential oil burner if you have a cat. Oils like peppermint and eucalyptus stick to cat fur when in the air and are ingested when they clean themselves and it’s toxic to cats when ingested.
Thorough article, and Great information from everyone. Appreciate the warning with kitties and avoiding certain essential oil scents that are toxic. I too, can tolerate a few spiders, especially a Daddy Long Legger! But, don’t want an infestation. Certain insects I have zero tolerance for and these tips are useful.
Spider bites from a brown recluse or a wolf spider don’t feel good was bit from one and it left my skin very thin in that spot after healing I live in a basement would like to find out what to do to repeal these spiders please help with some information how to reduce the spider count thank you
Several smells spiders hate like peppermint, citrus, vinegar, mint, cedar & horse chestnuts to name a few. Just read online Bounce dryer sheets is another one. U can make UR own solutions. I have been paying big bucks to use. Now I will try it old fashion way. I also have someone spray twice a year, in basement, garage and shed.
You can order TEMPO right from Walmart in liquid concentrate and spray for them, inside and out of your house. If it rains you will need to reapply. It’s the same stuff the Orcan Post Control people use. It’s okay to use around pets and kids, just make sure it dries first. We’ve used it for years and it works great.
I have been using 30% vinegar spray around the outside of the house as an all natural bug control I have a problem with earwigs and this year since I started using the vinegar they are gone and so is my ant problem, I do not mind the spiders but they are gone too.
I DO NOT recommend planting mint in the ground anywhere. It is INVASIVE! I do have mint planted in planters, but even then make sure the planter pot in sitting on top of glass, concrete, or anything IMPERMEABLE! The seed and the roots of mint love to spread themselves everywhere and will choke out anything that gets in its way!
Agreed. All of our mint planting tips recommend containers.
Better an invasion of mint than an invasion of spiders. I can handle mint but man, I wouldn’t want to burn down my place to kill them with fire. Spiders are evil that deserve to be killed with fire.
I live in central southern Ontario. We have had a larger than usual number of big crickets inside this year. No more spiders or fuzzy caterpillars. The last few winters have been milder.
I just can’t stand spiders,when I was young a friend and I walked to some tall trees and we decited to spend the night we laid out our sleeping bags and went to sleep I was awoke to s slight scratching on my ear. I got my flashlight to see what was scratching and found it to be a huge Black Widow I freaked out and swatted it to the ground told my friend I wasn’t going to sleep there and walked back home.I relive that nightmare every time I see a spider !!!!
Jeeeeeeesus, r u serious??? Omg i have such a spider phobia, I’d die if tht happened to me!!!!!!
Omg I have such a phobia. I believe I would have had a heart attack. Just last night I went to pick something up right inside the front door and touched and almost picked up this huge brown field spider. I couldn’t sleep. They say citrus helps. I used lemon juice. I hope it helps
One time I was at the house and the power went out. So I grabbed my flashlight and I was looking on the floor and I thought I got one of my hairs in my mouth and I looked and it was a spider web with a spider at the end of it freaked out
Still useful I would note that Cedar causes birth defects in small animals and is bad for our respiratory system
My utmost natural way to keep the “bad” spiders out is cellar spiders. They don’t bite people, leave unattractive webs, but they can and will eat other spiders. Charlotte, Carmen, Cecile, Spinarette, Sixlet (thought she lost her back legs, was mistaken), Unnamed TV Spider, Aunt (pronounced like “ant” cause she eats ants) Killer, and Unnamed Bedroom spider don’t bother us, all they have to do is eat to their heart’s content on pests in order to live in a warm house all year, and they would just do that anyway, so it’s a win-win.
I’m surprised that diatomaceous earth is mention here. This can have dramatic effects on our bee populations. It is no longer recommended as a source to control bugs. And it also is bad for pets that have respiratory issues and also humans.
Hi Teresa, it’s true that you don’t want the DE to be airborne. This is when it causes respiratory problems and can be dangerous for bees if allowed to settle onto flowers and leaves. Mixing it with water prevents it from getting airborne. Additionally, our recommendation is to sprinkle at the ground level acts as an effective pest control.
It actually did damage to me and my mom. We were using it for fleas.
Thanks for the info. My dog has seizures & I’ve been worried about the bee population for years. I haven’t seen any & I never use pesticides. Thank you, again.
(for spiders)
I use cinnamon pine cones, and add drops of cinnamon oil as the scent fades. it’s worked the last couple years so far. 🙂
Thanks, Christa!
I love the scent of cinnamon. But isn’t that expensive? Either way, thanks for the tip. In my home we constantly fight the battle of the spiders. Yeeesh!
Chili powder gets rid of black ants. I put a line of it on my countertop backsplash to stop them from getting to the counter. When I saw the little black ants entering the back door, I put a line of chili powder across the threshold and on the floor.
Thank you for that tip I hate ants
If you want rid of ants easy, help them.its quick easy and will stop Ur worrys. First follow the ant line to the outside. You’ll notice them using a line like marching soldiers. Once outside get a small recepticle like lid or something else low enough for them to climb. Mix a spoon of sugar with a little water and stir well. Place this solution on the line they using and with finger Dip in solution and rub on floor around lid etc. If u have time find a couple of little sticks and sit into the sugar water from the lid edge so they can run along stick ,drink and leave. Do this every couple of days and the ants won’t enter Ur house again..work as a team. Lol
How do you get rid of gnats, it’s garden time and we love fresh veggies. But so do the gnats. It’s like the more I spray, the more they multiply. The garden is almost gone, but we have never had them this bad. Also, what can I use to deter field mice. They are so small they don’t set off a trap. I try glue traps, but they don’t always work. Living between the river and a mountain on three acres, it’s bound to happen.
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to get rid of gnats, this really works!
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar (brown)
6 drops Dawn blue liquid
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 cup warm water
Mix to dissolve sugar, Place in small bowl on window near where veggies are stored. I was shocked at the number that died. Good luck!
Megan E. Just put a couple capfuls of bleach down your sink drains at night. No more breeding down there after you do that.
No bleach if you have a septic tank .. kills the natural bacteria needed to keep system healthy.. use an enzyme drain cleaner Like Sani sticks
Please stop recommending the use of diatomaceous earth! It may be effective in deterring pests but is also harmful to beneficial insects and earthworms. It doesn’t ever go away. It is like using ground glass. If you sweep it up and throw it away it will still end up in the ground somewhere. It looks like harmless powder to humans but it’s not harmless not to critters like earthworms. If you sprinkle it in your house or around your doors it will get tracked to where the beneficial critters are.
Thank you, I did not know that
When dust of diatomaceous earth gets into lungs it is a serious health risk.
Spiders eat other pests, especially flies. They are welcome in my home.
Also, I once had a roommate who had a tarantula, she was named Gwynevere.
I do use diatomaceous earth around entrances to keep insects out, including the ants that thought dry cat food was good enough for them. They did not come back.
There are some spiders I just don’t want in my house. That’s why I keep the Cellar Spiders around. Sweet things that don’t bite keep the brown recluses and wolf spiders outside or sucked dry.
Holly….oh my goodness, you are a whole different type of person, for sure
I agree, today I found a wolf spider in my yoga mat I keep in my towel closet, it was huge and I almost had a heart attack. My kids were upstairs and thought someone was murdering me. Those spiders don’t belong in the house, my husband was cleaning the yard on Sunday and there’s a sliding door that connects to the patio and yard, lots of leaves and branches were removed; I guess this creepy spiders found a crack and went in the house. I was shaking for 30 minutes. I suffer from arachnophobia. I will try the tips from this post ASAP.
Yiiikes!!! I suffer from arachnophobia also. Everyone thinks I’m nuts, but I d almost rather b mauled by a grizzley bear
Honestly if it’s a tarantula I’m fine but I just saw what could be a brown recluse and oof
I 1000% agree. We have a few spiders we keep cause they’re harmless and eat other bugs. But we get fishing spiders in our house and those things are….wow. They’re about the size of a grown mans hand. Not fist, HAND. And I have a three month old. I’d die if one got on him.
No way.. where do you live that they get that big? I would move and I’m not kidding I moved from an apartment when I was younger bc of the spiders
I bet you wouldn’t want or put up with the spiders I have in my house, not only do they drop down from the ceilings and bite you very hard but the bites leave scars. They are so little you can’t see them but you can feel them especially when they bite, anyone knowing how I can kill them please let me know ASAP.
Mint works to repel spiders. Put peppermint oil mixed with water and spray where you want to repel spiders
i thought about moth balls. i don”t have any small kids or pets kimc
Any ideas on getting rid of boxelder bugs and ladybugs? Every October they literally move into my house by the hundreds and don’t leave until March or April, depending on when it gets warm. I’m in Minnesota right next to a riverbank, and I’ve gotten rid of the nearby boxelder tree, but there’s one down by the river that can’t be accessed, and there are many others along the bank that don’t belong to anyone.
Maybe seal off entrance points?
I have a boxelder tree at the end of my driveway. I just purchased this home, and I’m worried about these things getting into my house. Help! What can I do?
Hi Yahne, this information may be helpful: Take a look here.
Jenny, I didn’t buy a house in Freeport IL. because of that only I think it was more like thousands than hundreds.
We use the plug in devices that flash a red light every few seconds. 4700 sq ft, three level house in the country and at the most I’ve seen a half dozen spiders in a 17 year period. One unit in each room and two in the indoor pool room.
Can you please share the brand name? Today I found the biggest wolf spider, I’m still shaking and I don’t want to encounter more. Thanks.
Momo, there are no polar bears in Antarctica. So you’re good.
Just gonna move to Antarctica, oh wait polar bears, and Pauline. Nevermind if it was only polar bears why maybe.
Moving to Antarctica. Oh, wait polar bears, never mind
Damn it autocorrect I meant Paylin.
lol
About growing mint. It will grow RAMPANTLY, to put it mildly (personal experience :). However, keeping it potted as opposed to growing it dierctly in the ground will prevent spreading.
Hi Becky, you are correct. We actually posted this as a tip a few weeks back. Take a look: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/tips/plant-mint-containers/
Chestnuts still in the hull, or hull removed?????
I read in Handman about Wet and Forget for spiders. Had a huge problem in my detached garage, I mean huge.. My kind brother in law cleaned the webs and sprayed for me this summer. No webs to date. You can order online or Lowes and Ace some carry it. Hope you have as good luck as I have.
Dawn soap kills fleas in seconds
Would you elaborate somewhat??? Please. Also I see dry ice kills fleas but when I go to it it has nothing about dry ice, it freaking frustrating!!!. If any info please lmao. Thank you
Please lmk not lmao
Too bad I can’t just douse the entire house in dawn then…
If you have fleas in the house, put a shallow dish with water and a squirt of any dish soap, put it on the floor and change daily. Fleas need and are attracted to the water. The soap breaks the tension on the water, and the fleas drowned.
I mixed vinegar with water…50/50 in spray bottle and kills fleas…worked for me ?
Get rid of fleas without any chemical natural or unnatural. “Victors Ultimate Flea Trap”. I swear by it.
Last spring and summer, we had a problem with water bugs and other big insects that you usually see outside at night in the South. I finally figured out how they were getting in: through the drains! Kitchen sink, bathroom sinks and bathtubs! I saw the first one this year in March. I bought drain screens/covers (metal, like what goes in a screen door) that allow water to go through, but not bugs. I’ve been meticulous about keeping all drains covered. How can I keep these horrid creatures out of our house permanently? Could a plumber go under the house and perhaps attach screen material over the drains?
Something that truly works is Ortho Home Defence. It all depends on how badly you want to keep spiders out. I have used this for years and I spray around all base boards, windows, doors inside and out, even under beds and I usually don’t see any spiders. I usually only spray in the spring and in the fall when bugs start to come in. Some of the natural remedies may help somewhat but if you want something you can be sure of try the Ortho and spray generously.
We recently moved and have a lot of spiders. Ortho was sprayed when we moved in. All over the outside of the house, windows, doors, and everything else. Said it was good for a year. Still have them getting in some how.
As was explained by a pest control tech: Unfortunately, spiders and scorpions don’t clean themselves like other insects, making pesticides less likely to work on them (however their food supply is diminished).
Tried the peppermint oil and water and did not work. As for sealing them out, I have floor vents. They crawl through no matter what I do.
For the floor vents I used laundry sheets to cover under the vents. Works great and makes ur house smell awesome
Any tips on how to get rid of Brown Recluse spider? I have to many in my home
If you’re not opposed to pesticides, order some Onslaught Fast Cap. Mix 1 oz. Per gallon of water. Spray around the baseboards of your home. You can spray in the attic as well.
There’s a mixture of 2 tbsp borax 1/2-1 c sugar and 1-2 cups boiling water. Mix together and add cotton balls then place around areas where ants are coming in and might go. Had a problem once and I did this and now gone!
There are several good products on the market for getting rid of ants. One is called Terro, or you can simply sprinkle Borax around. The best spider deterrent is a product called Big H spider traps. Was designed for Brown Recluse,but other spiders get trapped too!
I use Hedgeballs. They honestly work very well. Most of the Grocery Stores in my are carry them from Spring til Fall.
I use peppermint essential oil. I have been for a few years now. I do use it in a spray bottle mixed with water. The trick to this is to shake and spray doing both continuously. You do get the oils out with the water. I have seen an 80% or so decrease in the spiders around my house. I also know that the diatomaceous earth works to Remove many pest, including bed bugs and roaches. Apartment life has been fun. Thanks for the article.
If you have a terrible ant problem, get a shot of something very sweet like peach schnapps in a tall glass and leave. The glass will be over run by drunk ants. Keep repeating till ants are gone
I use mothballs for spiders
If you spray the inside and/or outside of your home then aren’t you keeping what spiders are inside, inside?
Hedge Apples also aid in keeping spiders away. Place them in the basement or in corner’s of a room.
If you drink mint tea you can set your tea bags out over night to dry and store them in an air tight container, when you have 8-10 place them in various areas of your house (I use them in my garage) and replace them every few months, the scent isn’t super strong but it does the trick for spiders at my house.
Nice article if it works
Don’t add essential oils to water. Water and oil do NOT mix. You’ll just end up spraying a bunch of plain water all over the place, and then a couple of drops of concentrated essential oil in one place…
Add a little dish soap to water and essential oil mixture, helps keep the oils broken up and distributed in the water for more even application.
that is a garden spider that don’t come in side