Spring is finally here! I know…it doesn’t matter where you live, everyone is happy that winter is over! While it’s nice to see a sunny sky or green grass, one thing I really don’t like about this time of year is all the spiders. Being that our family room, the room we spend the most time in, is on a cement slab, we always seem to have the random spider run across the floor. The worst is when I’m sitting there watching T.V. and all of a sudden there’s a spider dangling from the ceiling in front of my face. It takes everything in me to not throw my laptop when that happens! I needed a spider spray!
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I’ve done a lot of research about the different spider sprays out there, but none are really all that safe with kids or pets. We could build a bat house in the backyard, but that freaks me out more than the spiders, I think.
Image found here and used with permission.
Since I am just getting into using essential oils for everything, I started to research whether there was a particular scent that spiders hate that is safe for kids and pets. I combined a few and came up with my own spray. I have to say…my house smelled nice after!
Homemade Spider Spray
 Ingredients
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Dish Soap
- White Vinegar
- Water
- Spray bottle
Best Peppermint Oil (Large 4 Ounce) 100% Pure Peppermint Essential Oil (Mentha Piperita)
Empty Amber Glass Spray Bottles with Labels (2 Pack) – 16oz Refillable Container for Essential Oils, Cleaning Products, or Aromatherapy – Durable Black Trigger Sprayer w/ Mist and Stream Settings
Directions
- Fill a spray bottle (mine is 12-16 oz) with warm water, almost full.
- Put 5 drops of peppermint essential oil in the bottle.
- Add a squirt of dish soap and a dash of white vinegar.
- Put the sprayer on, shake it up and spray away!
I like the spray bottles sold on Amazon (below). I make sure to label the different bottles and I have them all over my house. Some are used for spider spray; some are used for the bathroom; some are used for everyday cleaner for the kitchen, etc. The dish soap is important because it allows the oil to mix more evenly. I made sure to spray around the entire perimeter of my family room and first floor. I paid close attention to the area around doors and windows. You’ll want to do this once a week or once every other week.
Why Does This Work?
This spider spray works because in all of my research, I read that spiders do not like the smell/taste of vinegar, peppermint or citrus. I decided to give peppermint a whirl. I figured it smelled nice, spiders hate it and peppermint oil enhances mental alertness…BONUS for me!
This really works! I never added vinegar to mine spray but I love using it. It keeps ants away too!
Yes I love that it keeps ants away. We deal with ants every spring too.
I love this idea! With summer coming and our mountains getting invaded by these suckers, this will be a lot better than the other sprays! Thank you for the info. I’m pinning this to try in a few months!
I haven’t encountered a spider in a little while – HOPEFULLY DID NOT JINX THAT – but I will make this concoction and keep it near by JUST IN CASE!!
Oh this is totally helpful for us. We sometimes see spiders on the patio. I need to try this recipe this spring.
Oh my, this is amazing! I am scared of spiders and would not try to hit it with anything, lol! This is the best solution.
OMG, I’m all about the essential oils these days. In fact, I have all of these ingredients in this recipe already in my EO collection, so thanks for sharing! It’s that time of year when spiders are coming out more now that it’s getting warmer. 🙂
We have spiders in every corner of our house. I am totally going to try this!
This is perfect timing. Our home is currently being invaded for the first time this year by insects and I can not wait to get rid of them. I have to try this one!
I never thought to make a spider spray before. I just love that you can make so much with essential oils. This is going to come in handy for me.
Who knew? I had always heard that you can’t “Spray for spiders” as they don’t lick themselves (clean themselves) but that you spray for what they eat. If they can’t eat, they won’t be there. Did you find any of this in your research?
You know, I’m not sure about that. With this particular spray, what I found out was that peppermint oil acts as a deterrent. Spiders smell and taste through something on their legs.
We were seriously considering paying someone to come out to deal with the bug problem at our house. It’s getting a little out of control with the weather being so lovely. But this is way better!
This was a much needed post. I don’t really mind bugs, but spiders really terrify me. I’ll try anything to keep them away lol