Spiders are those mysterious, almost supernatural creatures that can appear exactly when you least expect it – while you’re reading a book, looking for holiday decorations in the attic, or opening the closet with shoes you haven’t worn since last summer. Their presence in the home can cause a wave of unease, even if they’re not actually dangerous. Just one cobweb in the corner of a room is enough to make us start scratching ourselves and suspiciously watching every moving lampshade.
But there's no reason to share an apartment with spiders. There are simple but effective measures, which can make your home completely uninteresting to this eight-legged brood. Forget the urban legend about lemon peel and lavender essences – if you want results, you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and get to work systematically. Here’s a guide that will keep you away from spiders – and their webs – for the long haul.
How do spiders get into your home?
First: Spiders don't want to be your roommates.They come to your home looking for two things – food and shelter. If they find both, they settle. If not, they go elsewhere. So it's your job to deny them access to both.
They enter through cracks, slots and openings – from window screens to the bottom edge of the front door. If they manage to get in and find an ant snack there, they will stay. And if your corners are full of boxes, old magazines and unwashed jars for storing – so much the better for them.
How to prevent spiders from even getting inside?
1. Seal all possible entrances
This is not just for spiders, but for all unwanted guests. Check it out:
-
- Window and door seals – replace worn ones.
- Mosquito nets – even small holes are VIP tickets for spiders.
- Gap under the front door – if light can penetrate, so can a spider.
Caulk cracks, use silicone sealant, and don't forget about those forgotten windows in the basement or attic.
2. Remove food sources (read: other insects)
Spiders come when they smell a “self-service buffet” in the form of flies, mosquitoes, ants or silverfish. Therefore:
-
- Vacuum regularly. – especially the edges of walls and under furniture.
- Fix dripping faucets – moisture attracts insects, which in turn attract spiders.
- Use yellow lights outdoors – these are less attractive to flying insects.
If there is no prey, there are no predators. Simple logic.
3. Regular cleaning and removal of cobwebs
Spiders are not very fond of vacuum cleaners (even robotic ones). By cleaning them weekly, you will:
-
- They brought a disruption to their routine, which is not to their liking.
- Removed cobwebs, eggs and potential new generations of spiders.
- Reduced the amount of dust and hidden cornerswhere they could hide.
A vacuum cleaner with an extension cord should become your new best friend.
How to make sure they don't linger around the house?
4. Organize your home environment
The outside is the first battlefield. If spiders have too much fun around your house, they'll quickly look inside too.
-
- Move firewood, bricks, and old junk away from the house.
- Trim branches and bushesthat touch the walls.
- Clean light fixtures and door frames, where spiders like to settle.
- Shake out shoes, gloves, and other equipment regularly, which you keep in a shed or garage.
The exterior should be clean, bright and – for spiders – extremely unfun.
What about essential oils and repellents?
Here is the truth: most repellents DO NOT work. Lemon oil, lavender, peppermint – they all smell nice, but spiders don’t care. If you want to try a natural approach, combine it with cleaning and sealing – the smell alone will not repel the colony from your home.
But if you do use sprays, they should be insecticides intended specifically for indoor use and directed against spiders – but moderately and thoughtfully.
What to do when you find a spider anyway?
- For a peaceful soul: catch him with a glass and a piece of cardboard and release him outside – at least ten meters away from the house so he doesn't feel like he's being invited back.
- For calm nerves: vacuum it up and empty the bag or container immediately.
- For the impulsive: a slipper, a magazine or a vacuum attack. Fast, clean, efficient.
Conclusion
Spiders are not evil. They are part of the natural order and very useful in nature. But your home is your temple, not a spider oasis. If you take care of cleanliness, safety from insects and sealing of all possible entrances, spiders will prefer to stay where they belong – outside, in nature, among the leaves and bark. And you will finally be able to sleep peacefully – without the feeling that someone with eight eyes is watching you from the ceiling.
