Unlike the rest of my family, I don’t hate spiders.
You will often find me trying to coax them out of the front door, much to my kid’s amusement. I am torn, the wannabe Buddhist in me wants to live and let live but the mother in me doesn’t want her kids getting bitten. I hate chemicals in the house, so I am a bit thrilled to find these natural remedies to keep my 8-legged friends out of the house.
1. Mint Them Out
Did you know that spiders hate peppermint? 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 yummy too.
2. Clean It Up
The cheapest and most organic way to repel spiders 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! This could be the reason why we have so many spiders in our house. Note to self, another reason why we need a cleaner.
3. Use Vinegar
White vinegar has many uses around the house 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. I don’t think it would smell as nice though.
4. Feline backup
Cats are a great spider deterrent. Four legged furry friends can be great hunters and won’t let a spider crawl across the floor without going on the prowl and taking care of business! Another reason to love cats.
5. Citrus Does The Trick
Spiders hate all things citrus. Rubbing citrus peels on areas where spiders are known to frequent, like baseboards, window sills and book shelves, is a great way to keep them from hanging out in your home.
6. 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.
What are your favourite ways to keep spiders away?