Monday, November 15, 2010

Natural ways to keep spiders and kreepy crawlies out of the house

Summer is fast approaching and with all the wet weather and warmer conditions we've been seeing lately it's a haven for Spiders. Here's some ways that you can stop them from getting into your house.

Steps to Natural Spider Control
1. Find out how they are entering your home. Find and seal all cracks in basement walls and in window casings and doorways. If there is just a tiny crack in your house, spiders will crawl through.

2. Clean any places there are lots of spider webs, clean both inside and outside. Use a broom to sweep down if inside or use water to remove them outside.

3. Keep clutter picked up inside the house so spiders won't have a place to hide. They won't stay in an area that is completely smooth and clutter free.

4. Make your house unfriendly to other bugs. Spiders eat bugs, if their dinner isn't handy, there's no reason for them to hang around.

5. Inside the house, look under beds, couches, and other furniture for hiding places and clean out with a broom. Any spiders can be sprayed with an indoor spray formula (described below).

6. Essential oils:
Rose oil
Citronella Oil
Lavender Oil
Cinnamon Oil
Peppermint Oil
Citrus Oil
Tea Tree Oil
any of the above oils will kill spiders and other insects on contact!

A Natural Spider Spray Formula for inside the house: To get Immediate Relief from spiders inside the house buy 8 oz bottle of Peppermint or Lavender Soap, or any other natural soap. Go to your local drug store (I've found a great supplier at the local arts and crafts store) and buy 1 oz of Essential oil.
Add 5 tablespoons of the soap per quart water. Add 5 tablespoons of any natural citrus oil to the quart water which you added the soap and label it spider control spray. Add to sprayer and spray inside house where spiders are seen. Should be done as often as needed. This is not a long term solution but will provide you immediate help.

You can also add 1 drop of any of the above (depending on preference to you) to 1 quart of water:
Test for strength.

7. Spray outside the house: Spray outdoor trash and recycling bins with any natural soap. Use the same formula as in #4 to spray the containers and the area around it with. You can also use any natural citrus based cleaner at 1 oz per quart water. Spray around the outside of the house and along any places that you see too many of them.

8. Wear long sleeved shirt and long pants when cleaning up in areas you know have brown recluse spiders. Have spray bottle ready with spray formula.

9. Clean up around the outside of the house and garden. Less trash, less spiders. Less places for them to hide in. Do spring cleaning every year and get rid of piles of wood etc that you are not using. You will be glad you did.

10. Keep your trash bins away from the house because spiders will stay around them, hoping to catch the bugs that are attracted to them.

11. Remove old vegetation or wood from against the house foundations. Spiders like to hide in these things and often find entrance from there.

12. Trim back trees, bushes and other vegetation from touching the house walls.

13. Keep pet food tightly covered to keep from attracting bugs which attract spiders. (Don't leave pet food in a dish all day.)

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