Getting Rid of Spiders

I’m really not a big fan of spiders. I could more easily deal with finding a snake in my house than a spider. They just look shifty. When my mother called me yesterday complaining about spiders in her house I went on a quest to find ways to get rid of them beyond the obvious (call an exterminator). I found several remedies that I’ll be trying in my own home this year.



Prevention Tips:

· Dust your windowsills and doorframes with Lemon Pledge. Apparently spiders don’t care for the smell.

· I found a recommendation for hedge apples of all things. Supposedly it come off an Osage orange tree and can only be found in Oklahoma and Texas (which does me no good living in Washington). This “fruit of folklore” is said to repel all kinds of insects just by cutting it in half and keeping it in your house.

· Spiders love Ivy. If you have any near your home, you may want to consider getting rid of it.

· A drop of peppermint or lavender oil in a spray bottle with water is said to repel spiders. Spray the areas where spiders are often seen. (I may spray my whole house just in case!)

· Sprinkle borax around the entryways where spiders are getting in.

Also:

· Ladybugs do NOT eat spiders. They do eat a broad variety of other insects, but not spiders. Spiders eat them so don’t bother.

· People claim that cats are great for getting rid of spiders. My cat is afraid of spiders.