How To Keep Spiders Out Of Your House

Let’s be honest: spiders are the uninvited houseguests who never bring wine, leave webs in the corners, and stare at you with eight tiny, judgmental eyes. You didn’t sign up for a roommate that snacks on moths while you’re trying to binge-watch your show. But before you burn the whole place down, take a breath. With a few ridiculously simple tricks, you can evict these leggy squatters for good.

The First Rule: Stop Being a Landlord for Spiders

Spiders don’t move in because they like your decorating style. They show up because your house is basically a spider buffet with floor plans. Think of every bug as a tiny, six-legged appetizer. If you want to starve them out, you have to cut the food supply. That means closing trash cans, wiping counters, and not leaving a single crumb out like you’re running a five-star insect restaurant.

Also, invest in a flyswatter. Yes, it’s primal, but watch what happens when you whack a fly near a spider’s web. The spider will literally high-five its eight legs and double its rent. You’re the eviction notice.

Seal Their Front Door (and Back Door, and Tiny Window)

Here’s a shocking fact: a spider can fit through a gap as thin as a credit card. That’s not an exaggeration—nature made them into liquid nonsense. Walk around your house like a paranoid detective. Check weather stripping on doors. Look for cracks in the foundation. If you see a sliver of light under your front door, that’s a spider’s welcome mat.

Grab some silicone caulk and go to town. It’s $5 at the hardware store and cheaper than therapy for arachnophobia. My neighbor sealed a hairline crack last summer and found three dead spiders stuck halfway through. They literally got caught in the act.

Peppermint: The Smell of War

Spiders hate peppermint. Not in a cute, “ew, toothpaste” way—in a “this is chemical warfare” way. Mix ten drops of peppermint essential oil with water in a spray bottle. Blast every windowsill, baseboard, and corner like you’re dousing a kitchen fire. Do not spray it on your cat. Your cat will look at you with pure disdain and probably vomit on your shoes.

I once sprayed under my couch, and a spider literally ran out, stopped, and gave me a look that said, “_Fine, but I’m telling my lawyer._” It works. The smell fades, so reapply every few days. Your house will smell like a Christmas candy factory, which is way better than smelling like SpiderCon.

14 Great Ways to Keep Spiders Out of Your Home Naturally

Diatomaceous Earth: The Crunchy Death Powder

This sounds like a fancy skincare product, but it’s actually fossilized algae ground into a white powder. To spiders, it’s like walking through a field of razor blades made of microscopic glass. They walk over it, get tiny cuts, dry out, and die. It’s gruesome, but it’s also pet-safe and food-grade—so your dog can lick it and just get weirdly dusty.

Dust a thin line along baseboards, behind appliances, and under sinks. Don’t pile it up like a cocaine mountain; a light dusting is enough. You’ll find crispy spider mummies in a week. Nature is brutal, but your living room doesn’t have to be.

Declutter like You’re Trying to Impress a Robot

Spiders are basically tiny cowboys looking for cover. Piles of clothes, cardboard boxes, and stacks of magazines are spider condos. They love dark, quiet spots where no human has stabbed a finger since 2019. Go through your basement. If you haven’t touched a box since the Obama administration, throw it out.

Vacuum regularly, including under the couch cushions. I once found a whole spider family living inside a forgotten throw pillow. They had a tiny web, an egg sac, and probably a mortgage. Don’t let them nest. Vacuum like your sanity depends on it—because it does.

4 Ways to Keep Spiders Out of Your House - wikiHow

The Great Outdoors: A Barrier of Shame

Trim bushes and trees away from your house. Spiders use branches as highway overpasses to your roof. Also, stop leaving outdoor lights on at night. That yellow bug zapper light is a rave for moths, and moths are spider snacks. Turn off the lights, and you turn off the flyer miles.

If you must keep a light, switch to yellow “bug” bulbs. They’re less attractive to insects, which means fewer spiders show up for the party. It’s like telling everyone the keg is empty before they arrive.

The Final Trick: Get a Cat (or a Very Aggressive Gecko)

I’m only half-joking. Cats are natural spider assassins. My orange tabby once cornered a wolf spider, batted it into a slipper, and then stared at me like, “_You’re welcome, useless human._” But make sure your cat doesn’t eat the spider—some can make them sick. If you’re not a cat person, a gecko in the kitchen is a legitimate option, though explaining that to guests is awkward.

At the end of the day, remember this: spiders are mostly harmless and actually control real pests. But they’re also creepy little freeloaders. You don’t need to kill every one you see—just make your home a hostile, peppermint-scented fortress of solitude. Spray, seal, and vacuum like you’re preparing for the greatest eviction notice in arthropod history.