How To Get Rid Of Giant House Spiders

So there I was, at 2 AM, stumbling to the kitchen for a glass of water. My bare foot touched something that felt like a soft, skittering brush, and I froze. It froze. Then, a blur of eight legs the size of my palm shot across the tile and under the fridge. I didn't sleep that night. I just sat on the counter, legs tucked up, glaring at the dark gap under the appliance.

If you’ve ever had a giant house spider (those Eratigena atrica monsters) do a “speed run” across your living room, you know the panic. They aren't dangerous, sure—my rational brain knows that. But when something that big moves that fast, rationality takes a backseat to pure, primal yelping.

Let’s be real: nobody wants to share a pillow with a spider that looks like it bench-presses flies. So, how do we kick these leggy freeloaders out without waging chemical warfare? You’re looking for a gentle eviction, not a massacre. Let’s talk strategy, one scaredy-cat to another.

Step One: Don't Be the Landlord They Love

Giant house spiders aren't there for the décor—they’re there for the buffet. If your home is full of little bugs (ants, flies, silverfish), you’re running a five-star restaurant for arachnids. Cut the menu.

Take a weekend and vacuum like your life depends on it. I mean every corner, under the couch, behind the bookshelf. Crumbs attract insects; insects attract spiders. Break the food chain, and the eight-legged tenants start looking for a new zip code.

Also, check your windows and doors. A gap the width of a credit card is a highway for these guys. Weatherstripping is cheaper than therapy, trust me.

Step Two: The Sticky Trap Trick (Or, “The Velcro Motel”)

I used to spray poison, but that just made spiders wander around drunk and angry before dying in my shoe. Bad look. Instead, buy glue traps—those flat cardboard sheets with sticky adhesive. Place them along baseboards, behind furniture, and near doors.

The irony is gorgeous: these speed demons, who can run a foot per second, get caught by the floor. They can’t outrun a sticky rectangle. Check them weekly, and when you catch one, just throw the whole trap away. No touching. No screaming. Just victory.

Effective Strategies to Prevent and Get Rid of Spiders Naturally in

Pro tip: put a glue trap behind your fridge and under your bed. You might sleep better knowing a perimeter of stickiness is on guard duty.

Step Three: The Scent of “No Vacancy” (Peppermint Oil)

Spiders don’t have noses like us, but they hate strong smells. Peppermint essential oil is their kryptonite. Mix 10-15 drops of pure peppermint oil with water in a spray bottle. Shake it up and spray around window frames, door thresholds, and cracks.

I do this every two weeks. My house smells like a candy cane exploded in a spa. It’s pleasant for me, but apparently it feels like a chemical assault to a spider’s delicate sensory hairs. They’ll turn around and march right back outside.

You can also soak cotton balls in the oil and tuck them into corners. Low effort, high disgust for the spider. Win-win.

The “Gentle Bouncer” Method

If you spot a big one and you just can’t handle the killing part (or you’re squeamish about spider guts on your baseboard), use the cup-and-paper method. Trap the spider under a clear glass, slide a piece of stiff paper underneath, and carry it outside.

How do I get rid of these megaspiders? I opened a room a while ago

This is the noble path. You become a spider relocator, not a murderer. And let’s be honest—watching them scuttle away into the garden gives you a weird sense of power. “I control your fate, leggy one.” Just don’t drop the glass halfway there.

Step Four: Declutter the “Spider Condos”

Giant house spiders love clutter. Cardboard boxes, piles of laundry, stacks of old magazines—these are luxury condos with good hiding spots. If you have a basement or attic, that’s ground zero.

Go through your storage. Use plastic bins instead of cardboard (spiders can’t grip the smooth plastic as well). And please—please—shake out your shoes before putting them on. I learned that lesson the hard way. In public. Never again.

The Final Truth: You Can’t Get Rid of All of Them

Here’s the punchline: you will never have a completely spider-free home. And honestly? You don’t want one. They eat mosquitos, clothes moths, and cockroaches. They’re the ugly, fast, terrifying bouncers of your humble abode.

So the goal isn’t zero spiders. The goal is acceptable spider levels. A couple small ones in the corner of the garage? Fine. A football-sized monster dropping onto your head from the ceiling fan? War.

Use the traps, spray the peppermint, seal the cracks. And if all else fails, just name the big one. Ours is called “Boris.” We’ve come to an uneasy truce: Boris stays in the basement, and I don’t cry when I see him. You can do this.