Natural Spider Repellent - How to Naturally Get Rid of Spiders

Feel free to share

The Best Natural Spider Repellent That Actually Works

Does the thought of spiders in your house make your skin crawl? You’re certainly not alone! Fortunately, you don’t have to turn to toxic pesticides to get rid of them. Instead, you can use a natural spider repellent that’s safer for your family and better for the environment.

Learn more about why spiders are so important for the environment (so you can give them a little break), and then discover the best natural spider repellent that actually works to keep spiders out of your home.

Are Spiders Dangerous?

Spider bites are rare because they do their best to avoid you. Plus, although all spiders are venomous, the majority don’t have enough venom to do anything more than leave behind a red, possibly itchy, sometimes inflamed bump on your skin.

In the United States, the only two spiders you need to watch out for are brown recluse and black widow spiders. Both of these spiders like to stay well-hidden and will only bite if they feel like you’re threatening them.

While their eight legs and numerous eyes look a little freaky, we need spiders to survive. If we didn’t have spiders, we would starve. That’s because spiders are the primary controllers of insects that would eat all of our crops.

I must admit, I don’t have an issue with spiders. If I see one in my house, I tend to leave it alone. After all, it’s much more likely to catch the bugs I REALLY don’t want in my home, like disease-carrying mosquitoes, flies, and roaches.

If I find one that has made a web in a very obvious spot or looks a little bigger and hairier than usual, I have no problem catching it and letting it go outside.

My mother, on the other hand, is terrified of spiders. If she sees a spider in her home, she will immediately try to kill it. I realized there was no way I was going to convince her to leave them alone, so I had her try out these natural ways to get rid of spiders instead.

Thanks to these natural spider repellents, she’s happy because spiders stay out of her house, and I’m happy because the spiders can stay alive and continue removing pesky bugs.

How to Naturally Get Rid of Spiders

Just like there are certain scents we can’t stand, spiders are also repelled by various odors. Fortunately, what’s revolting to a spider isn’t so bad for us. If you’re interested in keeping spiders out of your home, try one of these natural spider repellents.

Plus, don’t forget you can also use one of these top non-toxic and eco-friendly bug sprays for your home to keep out a variety of other unwanted creepy crawlies.

1. White Vinegar

If you don’t already have a bottle of white vinegar, you should definitely pick one up. Not only can you use white vinegar to clean a surprising number of things around the house, it’s also great at naturally repelling spiders.

Although it’s harmless to humans, white vinegar contains acetic acid, which gives it a sour taste and odor that spiders can’t stand. To use white vinegar as a natural spider repellent spray, mix it with an equal amount of water in a spray bottle.

Not sure what type of vinegar you should use? Check out this helpful guide on the best vinegar for naturally cleaning your home!

Spray the mixture around your home, concentrating on corners, cracks, crevices, and other places where spiders might be getting inside.

Just keep in mind that there are certain items around your home that you should never use vinegar on, so you’ll want to choose a different spider repellent for those spots.

2. Citrus

Spiders dislike the smell of citrus just as much as the scent of vinegar. There are several ways you can use the scent of citrus around your house to get rid of spiders.

Keep a bowl of oranges on your kitchen counter to drive away spiders and encourage healthier snacking! Once you use a citrus fruit, rub the leftover peels along windowsills, doorways, baseboards, and other places spiders like to hang out to transfer the scent to these areas.

When you clean, use this DIY dusting spray that uses citrus Castile soap to leave behind a fresh scent that you’ll absolutely love and spiders will despise.

If you want to make a very powerful spider repellent, check out how to make this DIY citrus-infused vinegar. You can add the infused vinegar to a spray bottle mixed with water and spray it where you often see spiders.

3. Mint

Most insects, including spiders, absolutely hate the smell of mint. Lucky for us, most humans love it.

To enjoy a minty fresh scent around house AND keep the bugs away, add 20 drops of peppermint essential oil to water in a spray bottle and spritz all over.

You can even plant mint outside your home to prevent bugs from entering in the first place. Just keep in mind that mint is a very enthusiastic grower, so it might be a good idea to keep it in pots to prevent it from easily spreading.

Related: The Best Herbs to Grow Indoors

4. Cinnamon

While a whiff of cinnamon is a great way for us to quickly and naturally boost energy, it’s another scent that can keep spiders away. Add 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil to water in a spray bottle and spritz around the house where you see spiders.

You can also place cinnamon sticks along windowsills to prevent spiders from coming inside.

5. Lavender

Most people love the smell of lavender. Not only is this soothing scent an amazing way to help you naturally fall asleep, but it turns out it’s also good at repelling spiders.

Again, you can use a spray bottle that has 20 drops of lavender essential oil mixed with water as a natural spider repellent. Consider bouncing around between the different essential oils list in this guide so you can ensure they remain effective at repelling spiders over time.

You can also plant lavender underneath or near windows and let the strong smell drive away spiders.

6. Cedar

Cedar is another scent that spiders and other insects don’t like. While hauling an entire cedar tree inside your house isn’t practical, there are easier ways you can bring this woody scent inside.

This set of cedar blocks comes with a variety of different pieces you can hang in closets or place in drawers or corners. When the scent from the blocks starts to fade, you can either give them a light sanding to refresh the scent, or place a few drops of cedarwood essential oil on them.

Even better, the woody aroma of cedar repels clothes moths, too.

7. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a great way to naturally fight a cold because its strong scent can help break up congestion. As it turns out, that scent can also repel spiders.

Simply add 20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to water in a spray bottle and spritz it around the house anywhere spiders like to hang out.

8. Horse Chestnuts

Horse chestnuts, also known as conkers, are nuts that come from the horse chestnut tree. It’s said that these nuts will repel spiders, so placing a few in the corners of rooms, along windowsills, and other places in your house spiders like to hang out could drive them away.

Plus, horse chestnuts last for a long time before they go bad, which makes them an economical option as well.

Important Note: Horse chestnuts can be poisonous to pets. If you have pets in your home, you should use a different natural spider repellent.

9. Garlic

It turns out that just like vampires, spiders are also repelled by the scent of garlic. If you can tolerate garlic’s pungent odor, you can make a spray that will keep the spiders away.

Crush a few garlic cloves and drop them into a spray bottle with water. Let the mixture sit for a day, and then spray it in corners, along the baseboards, on the floor, and anywhere else you often see unwanted spiders.

10. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a powder made of fossilized remains of an algae called diatoms. Not only is it an inexpensive natural spider repellent, but it’s also non-toxic, which makes it an outstanding option if you have pets or children.

Now, it’s important to note that while DE is non-toxic to people and pets, it is toxic to spiders. Once the powder gets on the spider, it absorbs all of the spider’s moisture and causes it to dehydrate.

So while the other options on this list will simply keep spiders away so they can continue to catch other unwanted bugs, this option should only be used if you need to eliminate spiders. DE is also very effective at keeping insect pests out of your garden.

To use DE, you can either sprinkle it around areas where you see bugs, or mix one tablespoon in a spray bottle with water, shake it up well, and spray it around the outside of your home.

When you’re spreading the powder, be very careful not to inhale the dust because it can irritate your lungs and cause inflammation and scarring known as silicosis. Also, it’s very important to make sure you get food-grade diatomaceous earth and not the diatomaceous earth used in pools.

10 Ways to Naturally Get Rid of Spiders

While you appreciate all that spiders do to help our environment, that doesn’t necessarily mean you want them in your house. Fortunately, you can easily get rid of spiders when you use one of these natural spider repellents.

More Eco-Friendly Living Tips

Did you find this guide on how to naturally get rid of spiders helpful? Are you looking for even more outstanding eco-friendly tips? Then please be sure to take a look at some of our other popular posts: