One of the more common phobias (known as arachnophobia) is a fear of spiders. These eight-legged creepy crawlers have been the stars of movies, books, and TV shows for time immemorial due to their ability to make people shudder. One of the most frequently asked questions around the home is how to get rid of spiders.
Despite their unfortunate reputation, having spiders around the house can be helpful. They eat mosquitoes and flies, naturally keeping pests to a minimum. You may not want them in your home, however.
Nothing gets you thinking about how to repel spiders like seeing one scurry across your floor in the middle of the night. Save yourself the experience of a late-night spider sighting by following this guide on how to get rid of spiders.

What Attracts Spiders?
There are many different types of spiders, but there are some common places to find them. Certain species of spiders prefer dark, moist environments, which entails basements, walls, sheds, and wood piles. Others prefer dryer areas like attics and closets.
Ants, flies, and other spiders tend to be good eating for spiders so if you have an abundance of insects around your house, there’s a good chance you’ll find spiders nearby, awaiting their next meal.
Additionally, many associate spiders with webs, but not all spiders make them. Some like to move around, and you’ll find them in cracks and crevices.
Getting Rid of Spiders

Although most spiders are harmless, you don’t want to encounter them indoors. If you’ve seen spiders, there’s a good chance they’ve already left egg sacs in the darker corners of your home. How to get rid of spiders in the basement and other hidden areas of the house is easy but may take a bit of time to find them all.
To remove the egg sacs, vacuum everywhere, including in closets and underneath furniture. If you come across any spider webs, dispose of them.
Throw away the bag, so the spiders will be outside your home when they hatch. Once your home is spider proofed, lay traps throughout your house. Many spider traps work like flypaper: you put them around your house, and the traps have an aroma that attracts spiders.
When the spiders walk across the trap, they get stuck and eventually die. You’ll want to go the pesticide-free route when shopping for traps, especially if you have young children or pets. To make sure that your spider problem does not return, seal off your home from the outside.
Install door and window screens if you do not have them in place already. Use caulking to seal off small holes in the walls or foundation. Spiders can get through the smallest of cracks, so make your home airtight.
How to Get Rid of Spider Webs

Spider webs look great during Halloween, but they seem out of season during the other eleven months of the year. Many species of spiders make cobwebs to live in and catch their prey. These webs may have a spider living in them, or they may be left over from a previous resident.
Aside from making your home look dirty, webs are a magnet for dust, debris, and pollen, so it’s important to learn how to get rid of spider webs the easy way.
Use a vacuum nozzle on your vacuum cleaner to vacuum up the web. It’s the best way to clean cobwebs from the ceiling. Check the corners of your rooms, ceilings, and doors for any stray webs. Remove any webs on furniture, fabric or curtains.
How to Repel Spiders and Keep Spiders Out of Your House
As usual, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The best way to deal with spiders in your house is to keep them from entering in the first place. Here are some ideas for a Daddy Longlegs or Wolf Spider repellent that will help rid your home of these unwanted creatures.
Like moths, lights attract spiders because that’s where their food sources are drawn. Keep your window and door screens closed, and consider replacing your regular light bulbs with yellow, sodium vapor ones. Motion detector lights can also be helpful.

Move or remove the places spiders like to live. For example, move stacks of firewood and piles of leaves away from the house. Spiders love to live in leafy vegetables and shrubs, so move potted plants a few feet away from your house.
Regularly treating your home helps keep spiders from returning. A clean home deters spiders by giving them fewer places to hide. We covered this extensively in our article on how to keep spiders away here. Plus, spiders need insects to eat. If your home is clean, there will be fewer sources of food around to attract the spiders.
Home Remedies for Spiders
Spiders are great to have around because they deal with mosquitoes, flies, and other pests. However, you want to regulate where the spiders hang around. You want them outside, rather than inside. Spiders are fickle creatures, and often, particular scents are enough to keep them from entering your house.
Eucalyptus and Lavender Oil
If you want a spider repellent that will help your house smell fantastic and will work to keep spiders at bay, make a mixture of water, vodka, eucalyptus oil, and lavender oil in a spray bottle.
Apply it to spots where spiders tend to enter the house. If you have whole eucalyptus leaves, leave them under furniture and in cupboards to ward away the spiders.
White Vinegar
White vinegar is a great all-around household helper and it is an excellent spider deterrent, too. Vinegar can even be used for how to kill spiders.
Fill up a spray bottle with a 1:1 ratio of water and white vinegar. Apply the mixture to any corners or cracks in your home. For the best results, use this mixture on a daily basis. Add more vinegar if you want to get rid of any spider you see.
Peppermint Oil
Not only is peppermint great around the holidays, but peppermint oil is an easy, effective way to treat an infestation.
Add peppermint oil to a spray bottle filled with water. The water should have a minty scent. If it does not have a peppermint smell, add more oil. Afterward, apply the mixture around your home.
This natural spider deterrent is also perfect for getting rid of insects like roaches, ants, and other creepy crawlies that you don’t want inside. Keep a batch on hand for whenever you spot a bug.
Baking Soda

Dealing with spiders can be tricky, especially if you have pets. If you want to take care of a spider problem but you’d rather avoid sending Fido to the vet, consider baking soda. Spiders can’t stand the smell of baking soda.
If you have a window that doesn’t close all the way, sprinkle baking soda on the windowsill. If you have a gap between a door and the floor, sprinkle some on the floor. You’ll drive spiders away without having to worry about a pet emergency.
Lemon Juice
The common consensus is that lemons (and other citrus fruits) repel spiders because of their pungent scent. There are a couple of ways you can use lemons to repel spiders from your home.
One way is by cutting a lemon and removing the peel. Use the peel to wipe around the door and window frame to give points of entry a strong scent of lemon.
As for the rest of the fruit? Consider making lemonade or putting together a tasty adult beverage, which you can enjoy while lounging in your now spider-free home. You can also mix equal parts lemon juice and water in a spray bottle and apply it to common points of entry.
Plant some citrus trees, like lemon or orange, in containers and set them strategically throughout the house. If you live in a warmer climate, you can add citrus trees to the yard, as well, or put a few citrus trees in pots on your deck or patio to discourage spiders.
Spider Free is the Way to Be

In defense of spiders, many people misunderstand them. They do a lot of good around the house, but it’s a thankless job – they care of mosquitoes and flies without being asked and do it without expecting anything return.
Unfortunately, while some think that spiders are beautiful, a lot of people think of them as creepy. They mean well and if you find them in your house, they’re usually there because they like your home and thought you’d be okay with them moving in.
In this article, you learned how to get rid of spiders, how to repel spiders, and five safe and natural home remedies for spiders.

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