Step 1: Keep them outside of your home
If you have a garden you are way more likely to accommodate these uninvited visitors inside. Spiders love vegetation because it provides ample space for hiding. If you could keep away any sorts of plants at least 5 feet from the entrance of your home. If that’s not really an option, here are some other ideas you could try.
- Horse Chestnuts
It is believed that horse chestnuts have a chemical element that repels spiders with its scent. To maximise the results, split the nut into two and place the two halves in every corner of the room or other spaces where you would normally find spiders.
- Peppermint Spray
Peppermint is another well-known spider repellent. You can create your own spray by diluting 20 drops of peppermint oil into a spray bottle filled with water. Then spray every crack, window frame and door inside your house to keep spiders away. You can take it a step further and dip a cotton ball into the peppermint oil. Then place it in the possible entrances to make sure no 8-legged crawler will make their way in. Also, if peppermint isn’t really your favourite type of scent, you can use tea tree oil or eucalyptus oil.
Step 2: Deal with the ones that are already in
- Keep a Tidy Home
Surprise, surprise, cleaning your house often will get you rid of spiders. That’s not just something your grandma used to say to criticise your cleaning patterns. It is actually true. The cleaner your home, the less hiding space for the spiders. Even if they do come inside your home, they are unlikely to stay. Leaving food leftovers and dirty dishes to pile for too long can also be part of the problem. Spiders are not really interested in your food, but other pests like ants and flies are, and that’s the spiders’ favourite supper.
- Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth Around
Diatomaceous earth is a powder from the fossils of the water creature diatom. It is safe for human and pets, but it is deadly for spiders. Once a spider crosses over the powder, it penetrates its body and causes the spider’s bodily fluids to leak until it dries out.
- Vacuum the Webs and Eggs Away
One of the safest ways to get rid of new spiders is vacuuming. It will suck up any eggs that have been laid and clean up the cobwebs. You may be able to suck up some grown spiders as well, but make sure you release them outside after that. They won’t really die in your vacuum cleaner bag and may crawl out again.
If you notice that you have an ever-growing population of spiders in your home, this may be a clear sign that there is serious infestation caused by other pests. In such instances, it may be worth calling pest control to have it all sorted.
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