How to get rid of spiders in your house, basement or garage


Dave Campbell

Spiders can be a real nuisance especially if you have a large number multiplying in your home. Find out the best ways to kill spiders in your house.

Spiders are usually the bane of so many homeowners’ existence. They quickly reproduce and have a relatively short life span. So, getting rid of them can sometimes prove to be a daunting task. They commonly thrive also like silverfish, in dark, moist, and damp areas, such as kitchen corners,in the kitchen counters and drawers, or even in garbage disposal drains. 

They are also attracted to fruits and foods, especially those that are rotting or fermenting. While household spiders are pretty harmless, some that can cause pest problems are wolf spiders, Hobo spiders, brown recluse spiders and the black widow among many others. To get rid of spiders inside as well as spider control outside, here are some effective ways you can use. 

1. Always keep your kitchen clean

If you leave your kitchen untidy with fruits and other foods scattered all over, it will definitely attract a number of insects, including spiders. However, if you always keep it nice and clean and removed things that attracts spiders, they will not have anything to lure them to your home. Sweep away any spider webs, any eggs sacs you find, clean around window sills, clear away any dirty dishes and wipe down all food preparation areas. So, to drive away these spiders, always maintain a clean environment in and around the kitchen.

In addition, use the right disinfectants to clean the kitchen counters every time you are done with using your kitchen and remember to spray corners too. Also, do not forget to clean up any spills on the floor and ensure that the kitchen garbage bin has a fitting lid is always closed.

picture of woman cleaning kitchen floor of spiders

2. Clear clutter in rooms and cupboards

Just like mice and cockroaches, spiders also like clutter and dark places. Some most common spider-attracting areas are under-bed storage, stacks of storage boxes, crowded under-sink storage and plies of old magazines and newspapers. If you have things stored in cardboard boxes, try and find alternative storage, preferably made of plastic. These are some of the things that will ensure that you avoid a spider infestation around your apartment or home.

Eliminating clutter will reduce and prevent spiders around your home. Clutter and rubbish on the floor of a car can also attract spiders and if you don’t clean up regularly you may find a horde of baby spiders running around.

The past few summers we have been plagued with spiders, especially towards August and September. So I had been looking for an efficient way for how to get rid of spiders. I have tried numerous treatments and spider spray and some were better than others.

3. Use natural deterrents to keep them out

Several of the same ways used to control ants and cockroaches will also deter spiders. For instance, place some glue traps in places you usually find spiders, such as under utility sinks and behind the water-heater. Peppermint oil spray or tea tree oil is known to be good for repelling spiders. Spray some in areas wheere spiders enter the house, around doorways and windows. You could also try dipping some cotton wool balls into essential oil or peppermint and placing them around your home in key areas. 

4. Seal food in air-tight containers

Leaving an uncovered food source on your kitchen counter-tops can attract a lot of spiders and other pests as well. Not only the consumable foods you should cover, but also garbage dump and unclean utensils. If you are looking to keep spiders away from your kitchen, properly store leftovers for later consumption either in air tight containers or a refrigerator.

Always keep the kitchen clean by wiping every part of your counter-tops. In addition, if you leave some fruits open in a bowl, spiders are more likely to be attracted to them. It is therefore important for proper spider pest control to put them in a bowl that you can easily cover with a tight lid.

5. Use spider traps inside home or garage

If you do have a spider problem, there are some other things you can do. Basically, there are so many traps and different types of spider repellent you can use to get rid of spiders outside or inside. It is up to you to choose the type of spider trap you would like to set up in your kitchen and other areas of your home. Some of these traps you can use for spider extermination include:

 

Vinegar

Surprisingly, apple cider vinegar for spiders is one of the simplest repellents and a handy trap to use in getting spiders out of your home. To make this simple mixture, mix some vinegar and dish soap (a citrus-scented soap preferably) with warm water and place it where you often see spiders and leave it there for some time. Spiders do not like this mixture, so once they smell it, they tend to move away from that place. These remedies will eventually eliminate them from your home.

photo of apple cider vinegar for spiders

Peppermint

Also many people vouch for peppermint oil as a spider repellent which is very effective, also other essential oils. You can make some up at home mixed with water and you put it in a spray bottle. Spray around the dark corners of your home to keep spiders away. You may be interested in reading my in depth post on the topic, does peppermint repel spiders.

Many people have also reported the effectiveness of bleach for killing spiders.

spider infestations meme

6. Window wells treatment

Treating your both sides of your windows with water and a combo of ammonia can effectively eliminating spiders from your home too. After drying, wipe them with kerosene using a soft cloth or newspaper – this will leave a kerosene scent that repels spiders. Some people also swear by spraying windex to kill spiders.

7. Plug leaks

Sometimes, even after thoroughly cleaning your kitchen and no fruits or foods are left open in the kitchen counter-tops you continue seeing some spiders in the room. In such case, there might be a leaky juice or simply a wine barrel somewhere in the room. This means that you should also ensure that all liquid containers are properly sealed and does not have leaks for proper pest control.

8. Leave the kitchen lights on

Most spiders tend to be more active in the light than in the dark and they are easily attracted to the light. So, in addition to your traps, it’s important to leave the kitchen lights on overnight so that the spiders can easily get into the traps and eventually get eliminated. With light, they are likely to fall into the trap as they move around looking for food and fruits.

keep lights on to repel spiders
Finger switching on or off a white plastic wall-mounted light switch in a close up conceptual view of power, energy and electricity consumption and supply

9. The kitchen garbage outside in the yard

It is more likely that the presence of spiders in your kitchen is due to the smell of garbage in your kitchen garbage bin, particularly if your garbage bin is using a revolving top instead of a lid. It is therefore important to take garbage out of your kitchen at least once daily, especially during summer when most spiders are very active. Before returning your garbage bin into the room, make sure it is disinfected and cleaned to avoid these spiders from coming into it.

10. Fumigation

In addition to all extermination methods of spiders discussed above, you can also spray your house, basement, garage and yard using natural solutions like diluted solution of the lemongrass oil or chemical pesticides. Not all chemical pesticides or use of a spider insecticide is safe and effective to use in places such as the kitchen, so before using any of them, make sure it is safe to human health and you can solve the problem naturally.

Conclusively, these are some of the natural ways that you can use to get rid of spiders from your home, particularly kitchen areas. It is recommended to combine some of these methods to effectively deal with spider infestations around your home. 

picture of spider

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider

http://spiders.ucr.edu/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/spiders/
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/31/learning/how-do-you-feel-about-the-spiders-insects-and-other-tiny-creatures-in-your-home.html

Dave Campbell

I'm Dave Campbell and the owner of deadpestz.com. You can read more about me and my background on my About Me page.

Recent Posts

Dead Pestz