Having spiders in our personal space is far from ideal. But, thankfully there’s a simple, smell-good way to keep the pesky arachnids at bay.
There are many reasons why spiders enter our homes. They are often in search of food, water and shelter. A spider’s diet consists mostly of other insects, so it may not make sense that they would go indoors to find food when other bugs are plenteous out of doors. But, we can’t fault them for wanting to enjoy the cozy indoors while feasting on flies, ants, moths and other critters they find in homes.
Unfortunately, indoors not only gives the spiders a place to eat in comfort, but it also proved a place for them to reproduce. We dug up some of the best tips for repelling spiders, and our favorite not only keeps our homes spider-free, but it smells like Christmas all year round.
1. Spiders hate the smell of peppermint. The minty oil is commonly used as a treatment for motion sickness, headaches and more, but is also known as a natural insecticide and will repel spiders as well as other unwanted insects. Using it as a repellant around your house is as easy as mixing up a 3-ingredient spray. Fill a 16-ounce spray bottle with water. Add 5-10 drops of peppermint oil and one teaspoon of dish soap. Shake well and spray around doors, windows, dark corners and the outside perimeter of your home. The areas will need to be sprayed once a week, but it beats using toxic repellants indoors, and it smells great to boot!
2. Rumor has it that spiders also dislike music. More specifically, they dislike the vibrations put out by music.”Spiders don’t have good eyesight, so they rely on vibrations they feel in their web to detect an insect that could be their next meal,” pest prevention expert Kari Warberg Block says. “Turn music on in an area where you’ve spotted spiders and the vibrations will interfere with their ability to pick the perfect time to feast.” They’ll be forced to find a quiet area to eat.
3. As an extra precaution, make sure your home is well sealed by repairing torn screens, caulking door frames and windows, and fixing any cracks in walls and floors. Keep your house as clean as possible with frequent vacuuming and sweeping, and remove any webs as you find them indoors and out.
Check out the video below to learn more about using peppermint to repel spiders.