Safe and Effective Spider Control

I can tolerate spiders outdoors because I know they are part of a balanced ecosystem, but it’s another story when they come indoors. We’ve been seeing quite a few—many of which are large—in our home this spring.

Commercially available pesticides are a quick and effective way to kill spiders, but they’re not exactly a safe and healthy option. I’d like to enlist some safer alternatives that will deter spiders from entering in the first place and kill them if they do happen to enter.

It’s hard to find accurate information about natural spider control strategies on the internet. After all, anyone can share ideas, even if they don’t actually work! (You can see the sources I decided to go with at the bottom of this post.) The strategies I’ve included below will likely be of varying effectiveness, but they are all safe options so I think they are worth a try!

Safe and effective spider control strategies

• Eliminate entry points and hiding places for spiders. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the obvious, so let’s not forget to seal any cracks or gaps around doors and windows so spiders don’t enter in the first place. Eliminating clutter (newspapers, boxes, bags, etc.) can minimize hiding places for spiders in case they do enter. If you find webs or egg sacs when removing clutter, be sure to remove these.
• Use spider deterrents in doorways, on windowsills, and in room corners. A number of safe, natural, and affordable substances deter spiders.

-A solution made of water and citrus juice (e.g., unsweetened lemon or lime juice).
-A solution made of white vinegar and coconut oil.
-Crushed chestnuts.

• Use spider traps. I came across these spider traps a couple of months ago. They contain a glue that traps spiders, but they are free of pesticides. I was skeptical that they’d work, but I placed a few around the house (in closets, behind a toilet, and along baseboards) and we’ve caught several spiders!

• Apply deadly solutions directly to spiders. Salt and many essential oils are natural spider killers.

-Spray spiders with a saline solution (one ounce of salt mixed into a gallon of warm water).
-Spray spiders with an essential oil solution (one drop of lavender, citronella, peppermint, citrus, tea tree or cinnamon oil in a quart of water).

Most spiders are harmless to humans, so it’s great if you can tolerate them. I’m not very brave, though, so I’m going to use the essential oils, vinegar, and coconut oil I have on hand to try a couple of these strategies. Of course, I’ll continue using the spider traps because we’ve already had some success with them. You can visit my sources here, here, and here for more information.

Have you tried any of these strategies? What other things do you do to rid your home of spiders?

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