Natural Spider Repellents (Avoid Toxic Chemicals)
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While most spiders are harmless, few people want them setting up shop on window sills, baseboards, or bedroom corners. Thankfully, there are effective natural spider repellents that keep spiders out without filling your home with toxins.
We also include tips to get rid of spiders by reducing habitat, and reasons to like spiders. Finally, we wrap up with a quick discussion of standard repellents and more pest control tips.
Please note, eradication of all spiders from a home is difficult and unnecessary. It’s better to catch them and put them outside, if possible. (Truly dangerous spiders like black widows or the brown recluse are the exception.) Not every option will work with every spider.
Table of Contents
Natural Spider Repellents
You don’t need to panic—or poison your home—to deal with spiders. With natural options and a few preventive steps, most households can manage spiders safely and effectively.
#1 – Herbs and Essential Oils
Herbs have a history of use as pest repellents and are still effective today. Essential oils in strongly scented plants act as nature’s bug repellent and insects tend to avoid them. You can make up small sachets of the dried herbs and tuck them around your home, or mix up a spider repellent spray.
Spider Repelling Herbs and Essential Oils include:
- Eucalyptus
- Citronella
- Lavender
- Peppermint
- Tea Tree
- Cinnamon
- Citrus
- Cedar
One drop of any of these essential oils will kill a spider. See “Herbs or Essential Oils – Which is better?” for a discussion of herb and essential oil use.
Please note: Do not get undiluted essential oils on skin, clothes or wood. Keep essential oils out of reach of children and pets. Do not spray surfaces where pets or children play with essential oil spray.
Peppermint as a Spider Repellent
Do spiders hate peppermint oil? Yes, but you can also use any of the other oils listed above. It’s your choice.
Use one or more of the essential oils above to make your own homemade peppermint spray or spider spray. I demonstrate how to mix up a batch in the video below.
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Homemade Spider Spray
Ingredients
- 5-10 Drops of any of the above essential oils, such as peppermint essential oil, or a combination of the oils
- ¼ tsp Dish Soap
- 12 oz of Distilled Water
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a glass spray bottle. Spray effected areas weekly until you no longer notice spider activity.
#2 – Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth along the areas where you see bugs or spiders crawling, such as window sills. Distribute the DE evenly, like a thin layer of dust. Remember, DE doesn’t stop bugs in their tracks, it slowly dehydrates and kill bugs after coating them. The idea is to expose bugs to DE as they move through it.
If you live in a trailer or on a crawlspace, spread DE underneath your home. You can also add drops of peppermint essential oil to cotton balls and place them under your house.
#3 – Add Plants that Repel Spiders
Add spider-repelling plants around the perimeter of your home to deter spiders from taking up residency.
Spider repelling plants for your garden include:
- lavender
- lemon balm
- lemon verbena
- eucalyptus
- lemon grass
- mint
Cedar mulch also helps deter spiders. You can also shake cinnamon around the exterior of your house. Cinnamon works as an ant repellent, too! See also “Plants that Repel Mosquitoes“.
#4 – Nuts
Place chestnuts around the outside of your home, under furniture or on windowsills. Horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum) or black walnuts are other options.
From Can you conker terrifying giant spiders with humble horse chestnut under the sofa?:
…scientists are divided over whether the saponin compound found in conkers is an effective spider repellent. Some describe it as ‘an old wives’ tale’.
Spider expert Jack Fenwick said:
‘The jury is out on whether it works. My cousin, who is very scared of spiders, tried conkers in her home and said it worked very well.’
Some experts say saponin gives the seeds a bitter taste and a smell that could act as a natural repellent.
#5 – Sticky Traps
Glue traps are another option to get rid of your spider population and other insects. You can place them anywhere and they are non-toxic. You can buy traps at most hardware stores, or you can get the family involved and make them yourselves.
#6 – Tobacco Spray for the Yard
To make a natural spray repellent to use in your garden and in your yard:
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- Boil 1 gallon (4 l) of water.
- Add 1 package of pipe or chewing tobacco to the water and let the tobacco soak until the water cools to room temperature.
- Strain this mixture into a clean container.
- Put 1 cup of the tobacco juice and 1/2 cup of mint scented soap into a hose-end sprayer.
Attach the hose sprayer to your garden hose and spray problem areas of your yard. This mixture also repels mosquitoes and other pests.
Be selective in your spraying! This mix will also kill all the many beneficial insects in your garden, like lady bugs and beetles. Spiders are beneficial in the garden as well – eating lots of mosquitoes and plant pests.
#7 – Spider Repelling Air Freshener
Citronella repels more than just mosquitoes – it also repels spiders! Add a couple of drops of citronella essential oil to your candles or air filters.
Spiders hate the smell of citronella and will avoid areas with this oil. Using lemon scented dust cleaner helps, too.
#8 – Saltwater
Salt exposure dehydrates spiders, so it makes an effective natural spider repellent. Dissolve an ounce of salt (1/8 cup) in a gallon of warm water. Use the saline mixture to fill a spray bottle.
Spray the salty solution directly onto a spider to kill it. Salt water is also effective at killing spider nests. This works best with thinner skinned spiders and immature spiders.
5 Tips to Get Rid of Spiders in Your Home
While spiders have many admirable qualities, not everyone likes to have them as house guest. The best way to get rid of spiders in the house is by eliminating their food and habitat.
#1 Leave the Lights Off
Lights attract mosquitoes and other flying insects, and spiders feed on these insects. Reduce a spider’s food source, and you reduce the number of spiders.
See Natural Mosquito Repellents That Work and How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies.
#2 Remove Their Homes
Remove stacked flowerpots, wood piles, bricks, firewood, and other debris that may serve as homes to spiders. Store these items farther away from your home.
#3 Protect and Seal
Caulk or seal cracks or gaps around the foundation, doors, and ground level windows that spiders might enter through. This also makes it easier to keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
#4 Clean House
Do regular housecleaning, including vacuuming webs or spider sacks. Make sure you get around windows and baseboards. See Spring Cleaning – 6 Tips to a Clean and Organized Kitchen.
#5 Recycle and Declutter
Don’t let your recycling (or other clutter) accumulate. Otherwise, you’ll be opening up a spider hotel with a neon vacancy sign. Remove newspaper stacks, cardboard, boxes or other clutter on a weekly basis.
What Are Spiders Good for?
Spiders play an important role in both natural ecosystems and human food systems. They provide natural insect control, feeding on mosquitoes and other pests that spread disease or damage crops. This reduces the need for chemical pesticides. Spiders are also a key food source for birds, reptiles, amphibians, and other beneficial predators.
Beyond pest control, spiders contribute to science and medicine. Spider silk is stronger than steel by weight. It has inspired advances in medical sutures, protective gear, and high-performance materials.
With a history stretching back over 300 million years, spiders are remarkably resilient. Losing spider species could mean losing ecological balance and future scientific breakthroughs.
Conventional Pesticides vs Natural Spider Repellents
How dangerous are conventional pesticides? Insecticides have serious health and environmental risks. People once thought that pesticides only killed or injured spiders and insects. Now we know they can poison more than just the bugs.
Conventional pesticides pose a measurable public health risk. In the United States, they are linked to:
- an average of over 130,000 poison control calls each year
- thousands of emergency room visits and hospitalizations
- around 23 deaths annually
- total direct medical costs estimated at nearly $200 million per year
Improper use and accidental contact make pesticides an ongoing health and safety concern for people and the environment. These natural spider repellents won’t eliminate every spider, but they won’t get you sick, either.
I’d love to read your spider control tips and spider stories. Please leave a comment below.
More Pest Control Tips
You may also find these other posts from our Green Home Series useful:
- How to Get Rid of Mice in Your Home and Garage
- Get Rid of Ants Naturally
- How to Get Rid of Fleas (Non-toxic, Pet Safe Options)
If you found this article a little bit late, we also have tips for home spider bite treatment.
This post is by Amber Bradshaw of My Homestead Life. Amber’s family moved from South Carolina to an off grid homestead in the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee. You can read her book based on their story, Survival on Shell Mountain.
Originally posted in 2016, last updated in 2026.
What really works well with spiders my grandmother told me years ago. And it does work rather well. Is bay leaves put around the perimeter of the basement, garage, cellar, attic. Anywhere spiders congregate. Dry bay leaves work, but if you can use fresh and let them dry, you will see improvement. My grandmother put them in all the rooms she used as storage and in the rooms she lived in and frequented. It would be a good idea to change the leaves with greasy ones often. They do lose their aroma when left out in the air for a while.
Bay leaves will keep away evil spirits, too. Old folk tale!
Old folks lived long enough to be old folks, so you know they know things.
Do you know if it’s safe to spray citronella and eucalptus oil spray mixture in an infants room?
I wouldn’t recommend using those oils on a surface that the infant could touch.
No I meant the fumes, I’m thinking I’ll spray in morning and keep him out until bed time?? Thank you for the recipe & your reply.
Hi Cathy, My name is Amber and I am the author of this article.
I agree with Laurie about EO’s and children.
In addition to keeping out of reach, other cautions should be used when dealing with eo’s and children.
Essential oils have been known to cause seizures in children (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=21907890).
Topical or vaporized essential oils can be safe and very effective in children when used correctly but never applied directly or taken internally.
Vaporizers or misters (commonly associated with essential oils) should not be used around children with asthma or respiratory issues.
When using EO’s with children (or adults) keep in mind they are medicinal strength and should always be treated with the same respect as medicine.
With my children, I opted for the herb itself (when available) over the oils because the risk factor pretty much diminishes when using the plant.
If you would like to learn more about using essential oils for children, please read this article:
When to NOT use essential oils by Naturopathic Pediatrics.com Dr. Erika Krumbeck, ND
http://naturopathicpediatrics.com/2014/09/08/essential-oil-safety-danger-essential-oils-seizures-children/
I hope this helps answer your question, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have further questions and thanks for your comment!
~Amber
Thank you for the information, I may just use sticky traps for spiders and research more.
Hi Amber do you think a peppermint tea bag in my crockedry cupboard will moove my Daddy Long Legs/, I don’t want to kill them or maybe peppermint essence on a cottonwool swab, what do you think/, I have lots of cats and don’t want to use the essential oils unless no other options.
We live in woods up in the Ozarks , there are a lot of different kinds of spiders from little tiny spiders to big hairy Tranulets. i use a peppermint clove & Cinnamon oil mixture alot as it seems to work for spider, ticks& fleas and we also keep diatomaceous earth around the house as it also helps with snakes.
the funniest thing happen yesterday. i had been spraying my window sills and doorways . and was walking through the kitchen door when as a wolf spider was trying to get out the bottom of the storm door . it went on down the porch out long the drive way.
Sounds like your wolf spider didn’t like the spice blend. 🙂
Okay ive read all the comments and abit confused on essential oils i have citronella oil and ive been searching for weeks to come up with a easy mix spray to get rid of spiders in my basement and outside around the cement walls can anyone here give me an idea …
Just mix 5-10 drops of the oil with 1/2 teaspoon of dish soap and 12 ounces of distilled water to make a citronella based spider spray.
I have also been makeing a spray with
10 drops of lavender
10 drop is peppermint
And 30 drops of eucalyptus (I find this smell lasts the longest, peppermint only lasts about a day or so). I put in 1/4 teaspoon of all natural dish soap and fill the rest of the spray bottle with water. It has been working quite well. But as soon as the smell leaves the spiders come back.
We bought an older mobile home to remodel a year ago. It had been empty for a few years and cellar spiders had taken up residence. I really like the garden spiders that make their home around the windows (still don’t have screens), the wolf spiders that move around like they own the property. They don’t seem to stay in the house much. I really like the way the jumping spiders take the time to wave as they scurry by. The cellar spiders would be fine if there wasn’t so many of them! I’m going to clean out the cabinets and try the peppermint oil. I sweep the ceiling and walls to get rid of their webs once a week. I move them outside but I don’t think they like the country life!
We get a ton of cellar spiders, too. I think many of them come in with the wood. Thankfully they’re quiet neighbors, but as you mentioned, the webbing all over the place gets to be a bit much. I’m a bad host and take the vacuum to them every once in a while.
We live in the country among a great deal of Oak trees and field mice can be a real problem. I had made a VERY strong peppermint Essential Oil recipe to discourage the little buggers. Came in handy for chasing off a rather large spider in my kitchen the other day.. Actually, the ratio for peppermint spray to spiders is about 10:1. He/she must have been really upset at the aroma, but boy could he run…
I lightly sprinkle straight drops of mint oils around inside windows & doors & base boards in every room after cleaning to prevent bugs of any kind coming into my home! Smells wonderful & clean!
No bugs yea!!!!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Patti.
I tried the salt water on spiders … nothing happened unfortunately – even when I had numerous hits to the pesky critters. Disappointed and going to find chemicals for my infestation.
Salt water tends to work better on immature spiders. I’ve made a note in the post.
I tried salt water and it worked on the nest of baby spiders that I just knoticed. They moved a oil bit but after do using them with the salt water they stopped moving n I was able to remove that nasty egg sac
Thanks for sharing your experience, Stephanie.
Please do let your readers know that essential oils can be toxic to cats, especially peppermint & eucalyptus.
Thanks so much about this warning about dangers to cats Grace! Much appreciated!
What is safe to use with cats in the home? Seeing too many spiders this summer!
Whole herbs, horse chestnuts, saltwater, sticky traps are all cat safe spider deterrents.
What about a mixture of white vinegar and water? I just read about that and sprayed my windowsill and the baseboards around my whole apartment. I just did it so too soon to tell. What’s you thought on this please?
I don’t think it would have much impact unless sprayed directly on the spider. Depending on the amount of vinegar, it could damage the surfaces you sprayed it on.
Yes bit what if you don’t want to kill the spider’s, mine are Daddy Long Legs, I just want them out of my cupboard.
Thanks for the share Amber! I’ve found that peppermint works extremely well with spiders. I’d recommend it to anyone! Garlic also works pretty good from my experience, but I think peppermint outperforms it a little.
How about white vinegar for arachnids?
If you try vinegar, mix equal parts water and vinegar and spray directly on spiders. Vinegar may cause damage to surfaces.
Tried the spray with essential oil, even put straight up peppermint oil on a spider and nothing happened except maybe I angered the spider. Sprayed it directly onto a spider and its web, did so several times a day for several days with no results. Dang.
I’ll bet you had a great smelling Spider though?
OH NO! I was hoping it worked well!????
Maybe I will try peppermint teabags. I have EXTREME FEAR of the huge ones , especially living in Florida ????
What do u do with pepermint tea bags just put it down or ??
Hi,
Do you have to use distilled water with the essential oils?
Not if you’re using it for spider spray.
Where do you get these essential oils
You can click on any of the linked essential oil names in the text to purchase them on Amazon.com. Can may also be able to find essential oils locally at natural health stores, and you can purchase them from other online sources.
I was in Wal-Mart in the vitamin section and noticed they sell essential oils there. Hope it helps????
I don’t want to kiill the spiders just want them out of my crockery cupboard, what do you suggest?.
Herbal sachets (or even the tea bags that you mentioned) tucked around in the areas that you want to keep them out of should help. Use any of the spider repellent plants listed in the post. Take dried leaves of the plants and tuck a handful in a cotton hankie or washcloth or cheesecloth. Fold up the corners and secure your bundle with a string, ribbon or rubber band. Tuck several packets of herbs here and there in your cupboards.
Alternatively, you could also make up a potpourri of the herbs and display it openly in some of your crockery.
they are easily made in your own kitchen/ there are loads of sites that tell you how step by step. all ir requires are some of the plant you want to use, water, and heat for simmering .
I spray my front porch, mat and chairs with lavender oil and water mixed to keep a male spraying cat away from the porch. Works really well!
Thanks for the comment about lavender oil keeping male cats away. I’m going to try that!
We live among oaks and have lots of spiders inside – frequently majestic but enormous wolf spiders. I keep a couple of butterfly nets in the house so when a spider of any type shows up we can remove it to the outside quickly, easily and most importantly without drama!
It’s a good thing wolf spiders are harmless, because they certainly look impressive. Good tip on the net. We often scoop them up in a soft cloth. I’m glad it’s warming up outside so I can give them the boot without feeling guilty.
Actually Wolf spiders are’nt harmless. They can inflict a massive bite and make the area puff up dramatically. In fact my sister in law got bit by one and her hand was so bad that she had to go to the emergency room.
My mistake. I’d seen in an online forum that they were generally considered harmless. Thank you for correcting me and sharing your warning.
Between Black and Brown Widows, Texas also has lots of Brown Recluse. I’m not in the capture first and identify it later club. So not into spiders, unless it’s a pretty green garden spider who. spins awesome webs.
If You suffer from arachnophobia then there is absolutly NO JUSTIFICATION for letting arachnids live when found in your residence or on your property. Kill them all by any means necessary… Let the lord sort them out: yours truly F-bomb Tom!
Dear Tom,
If you decide to go on a spider killing rampage, please be careful when using flamethrowers around your home and yard.
Rofl!! Omgosh. I’m always joking about using a flamethrower to get rid of spiders inside and outside my home!! This is hilarious! Though I didn’t watch the video and hope to God no one actually did this! Lol
The video is hilarious. I think it’s a spoof – but I’m not 100% sure.
Yes.
Me either they kill cats with one bit in 2 hours Black Widows suck and are very smart. My poor kittys have been locked upstairs for a week as i try to get rid of these home invaders.
I have tried hedge balls but I can’t say that I have really noticed if they work, I never made it a point to document the results. I usually try to sweep the walls tops where the ceiling meets the wall at least weekly through the whole house. My daughter can spot a spider on a wall from 8 feet away, no matter how small; it is uncanny so I try to stay ahead of them. Spiders will not stay where there is constant disturbance. There is an old adage about neglected corners that I remember hearing but can’t quote.
Good tip on the regular cleaning. I think it’s good feng shui, too, because it moves around stagnant energy in the home.
Question: WHERE can I get hedge apples, and do you think they would work under my house to get rid of ants? I have been fighting ants for 3 years, now, with them coming in from under the house….can’t really SEE where from exactly, so I thought I could put the HA under the house to get rid of them there???
I don’t know if someone sells hedge apples. The only place I’ve seen them is when people have them growing on their property. I don’t think they’ll be effective on the ants.
I used a natural (Terro brand) substitute. I don’t have the exact directions but you boil water and add sugar then borax and mix until dissolved. After 3 to 4 days, my ants disappeared. Remember to Google the exact recipe.
The homemade Terro substitute recipe can be found on the site at https://commonsensehome.com/get-rid-of-ants-naturally/
cloves work really well, the ants leave the area so fast, it is truly amazing.
This is a reply from a year old thread about getting rid of ants under your house. I had ants coming into my house and put diatomaceous earth at their entrance point. Stopped them cold. I also put diatomaceous earth close to the foundation of my house, and especially in the dark crevices where there are lots of crawlies. I repeat this any time it gets wet or blows away. My older house is now insect free and even in the bathtub, I don’t get any surprises. I repeat this treatment often, and as soon as it warms up, I make sure I have diatomaceous on hand all summer.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Shannon. We have a full basement instead of a crawl space, so I couldn’t speak directly from personal knowledge on that issue.
Weilko Home Defence Ant Stop Granules attracts ants and they carry it into nest where the natural ingredients kill the nest, I have used it for years in garden but less and less each year, in fact this summer did not need any – it works, all the neighbours use it as well.
Very cool tip, thanks much.
I put white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the area and ant hill. After a moment or two they are gone and do not return.
I use ground cloves or oil of cloves. works beautifully.
I have a question about the spider repellent spray. I am trying to get rid of spiders in my basement and am wondering why I cannot spray my wood joists. According to the recipe you are not supposed to get essential oils on wood.
I believe Amber is referring to finished wood, as the essential oils would likely damage the finish. Unfinished joists should be fine.
Makes sense. Thank you.
I second the comment about hedge apples (also known as horse apples and monkey brains). I hired a bug man to come look at my house and he recommended cutting them in half and putting them anywhere you don’t want spiders. I’m not sure how long they repel spiders typically, but we put several under our house and in our barn about four months ago and still have no spiders.
Good to know.
I recommend replacing them when fresh apples are available.
We use hedge apples (the fruit of the osage orange or bois d’arc tree). They also repel crickets. I can’t smell them but it sure works for repelling creepy critters.
I remember some cousins of mine bringing some of those over for my mom!
I have used bois d’arc (Osage orange, hedge) apples to repel insects. I cut them into quarters then throw them under or around the perimeter of the house. Living in the country, I noticed an immediate reduction in roaches, ants, spiders, etc., but also mice and voles. Works great when used in conjunction with creosote soaked old railroad ties, used as a barrier perimeter. All natural, and no killing the critters. Just made my home less attractive to those critters, which is all I wanted.
@Kerrie Wester –You ma’am are an idiot. And your creosote rail road ties are poisoning the ground water around them. This post is for NATURAL repellents, not your horrid and shameful landscaping. You are a prime example of the kind of people KILLING OUR PLANET. rethink your logic, please. So that maybe my grandchildren won’t inherit a barren chemical laden world.
I think you could have found a more polite way to phrase your disagreement, especially given that signed in as “serenity”.
People do what they do for a variety of reasons. The goal of this post is provide more options, not to scold people so they turn away in anger.
well said !
You are the idiot. Look at how you addressed this person. Don’t you think your information would have been better accepted had you started out with something like” oh my goodness , I’m sure you’re unaware that using creosote barriers create a danger to the earth and water sources. People like you are every bit as toxic as chemicals. Shame on you
Right on Sheila, thanks for say what I was thinking while reading Kerri’s comment.