How To Make Homemade Spider Spray

Spiders are one of the main issues I’ve dealt with for home owners over the years as a professional pest control technician. Most species are harmless or beneficial members of our ecosystem. However, some spider bites are dangerous, like those of the black widow and brown recluse. Therefore, coming across a spider in your home can be a frightening experience.

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For those harmful spiders, insecticides and repellents can be helpful solutions. Many store-bought sprays, powders, and traps work wonders but contain chemicals harmful to pets and children. Thankfully, there are plenty of natural, homemade methods for killing spiders and keeping them away.

Below, I’ll teach you all about homemade spider spray.

Homemade Spider Sprays and How to Make Them

Before I get into spider spray recipes, we should review common misconceptions about homemade bug sprays. Many articles espouse the “spider killer” abilities of many of the mixtures and ingredients on this list.

Unfortunately, there are very few home remedies that outright kill spiders. Instead, these solutions act as deterrents, meaning they keep spiders from entering a home in the first place. While I have one recipe on this list that is an insecticide, the rest are effective and proven repellents.

For example, spraying a spider with peppermint oil won’t kill it. Instead, if you have an active spider problem, you should use a vinegar spray, commercial insecticide, or contact a pest control professional.

Homemade Spider Insecticide With Vinegar

One of the few recipes I’ve used to kill spiders is a combination of vinegar and dishwashing soap.

Vinegar is an all-around insecticide that uses acetic acid to kill bugs like ants or wasps. This mixture uses a higher-than-average amount of vinegar and can be irritating, so avoid getting it on your skin and in your nose or eyes.

Supplies Needed

• White vinegar
• Dishsoap
• Water
• Container for mixing (a plastic bottle is fine)
• Spray bottle

How to Make Spider Insecticide

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Measure Water and Vinegar

The first step to making a DIY spider insecticide is measuring equal parts water and white vinegar. I suggest starting with 1 cup of each.

Step 2: Mix the Liquids Together

The next step is simply mixing the liquids together in a plastic bottle.

Step 3: Add Dish Soap to the Liquid

Add a tablespoon of standard dish soap for every 2 cups of liquid.

Step 4: Fill a Spray Bottle With the Mixture and Use to Kill Spiders

Spray this solution directly to spiders and locations they frequent (cobwebs, cracks, and dark wall corners). 

Peppermint Oil Spider Repellent Spray

One of the most popular homemade spider sprays combines peppermint essential oil and water. While many may be skeptical about the validity and effectiveness of this spray, there is scientific evidence that it works wonders for repelling spiders.

Supplies Needed

• Pepperment extract (essential oil)
• Dishsoap
• Water
• Mixing container (a plastic bottle is fine)
• Spray bottle (glass is preferable)

How to Make Peppermint Oil Spider Repellent

Here’s what you do:

Step 1: Measure the Ingredients

Add 5 to 10 drops of peppermint oil to 2 cups of water.

Step 2: Add Dishsoap to the Mixture

Add 1 tablespoon of dish soap to your mixture and it’s ready to go.

Step 3: Pour Solution Into a Spray Bottle and Use

Add the final solution to any glass spray bottle, as peppermint oil degrades plastic over time. Plastic is fine if you’re going to use all of the solution at one time.

Apply this oil to any location spiders frequent, such as doorframes, windowsills, baseboards, crevices, closets, spiderwebs, and cracks.

Reapply once every month for the best results.

One final note on this peppermint spray — it’s not pet-friendly. Peppermint oil can make dogs and cats sick if it gets consumed or on their skin. Since this is not a safe spray for pets, do not use this solution if you have four-legged friends running around.

Garlic Extract Spider Deterrent

When combined with water and soap, garlic extract makes for another effective DIY spider repellent.

However, it is important to note that like peppermint oil, garlic extract is poisonous to cats and dogs. Garlic contains chemicals called disulfides and thiosulphates, and these compounds damage your pet’s red blood cells when consumed. While garlic poisoning in pets is rarely fatal, and they would have to consume the spray, I still don’t recommend using this mixture if you have pets.

Supplies Needed

• Garlic cloves (x4)
• Dishsoap
• A quart-sized container (or larger)
• Food processor or mortar and pestle
• Mesh strainer or cheesecloth
• Spray bottle

How to Make Garlic Extract Spider Deterrent

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Turn Your Garlic into Paste

Puree 4 garlic cloves in a food processor or mortar and pestle.

Step 2: Add/Infuse Garlic into Your Water

Add the garlic paste to a quart of water and let sit for a day.

Step 3: Remove Garlic Particles From the Water

After the water has been infused with the garlic, strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.

Step 4: Mix In the Rest of the Ingredients

Add your garlic concentrate to a large spray bottle along with an additional 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of dish soap.

Step 5: Use Your Garlic Spider Spray in Problem Areas

Spray areas spiders use to access your home.

While effective, this spray is not long-lasting and must be reapplied once every two weeks.

Homemade Spider Traps

The difficulty with combating spiders is that most species are nocturnal, so you won’t come across any unless you discover their hiding places.

One way around this is to construct some spider traps to ensnare them while they hunt and skitter around. There are plenty of effective store-bought spider traps you can use, but there are also some all-natural, DIY traps that work just as well.

Homemade Sticky Trap

A sticky trap is one of the most effective at-home traps you can construct for spider control. All you need is a thin cardboard sheet (like the side of a shoebox or a cereal box), an adhesive, and a location where spiders frequent.

Supplies Needed

• Cardboard sheet (used is fine)
• Adhesive (double-sided tape is preferable)

How to Make a Homemade Sticky Trap for Spiders

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Cut the Cardboard

For the cardboard sheet, take a thin cardboard box and cut out a 2-inch by 4-inch section (or as many sections as you want for multiple traps). Set these aside.

Step 2: Prepare Your Adhesive

For this trap, any double-sided tape will work, but the thinner, the better.

Alternatively, you can make an adhesive by following this recipe:

1. Combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of corn syrup into a saucepan.
2. Stir on medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Stir until the mixture is reduced to a thick, spreadable paste.
5. Once thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool.

Step 3: Apply Adhesive

Once you have your adhesive, you must completely coat one side of the cardboard. If you went with the double-sided tape, apply it to the cardboard, peeling off the protective paper once the trap is placed.

If you opted for the homemade remedy, you need to wait for the mixture to cool, then spread it with a spoon over most of the cardboard. Be sure to leave two clean sections on each side for gripping.

Step 4: Set the Trap

Once the trap is made, place it where you have seen spiders or suspect spider activity. Locations with warm water, such as under kitchen sinks or inside bathrooms, are likely your best bet.

Place these traps along the baseboard and, if possible, behind furniture. By hiding the trap this way, you are placing it in a location where spiders are more likely to frequent while also putting it out of the way of your pets and children.

Step 5: Dispose of the Trap

Once your trap is placed, check it every few days and dispose of it once it’s full of spiders. If you don’t see anything right away, don’t be discouraged. Most spiders are ambush predators, staying in one spot for extended periods, so it may take a bit before they wander into your trap.

If you feel the trap isn’t working, try adding a water source to it by placing a bottle cap filled with water in the center. Otherwise, carefully pick it up by the corners, fold it in half, and place it into the garbage.

Natural Spider Repellents

Beyond sprays and traps, plenty of natural plants and objects repel spiders. I put together a list of some of the most powerful natural spider repellents I’ve come across over the years.

Here are some of your best options:

Diatomaceous Earth

This natural mineral repels and kills many pests. I use it to kill and repel spiders regularly, sprinkling a small line along the outside of my home or any other place on my property that spider appear, like my garden shed and woodpile. On the plus side, it’s safe to use around pets, children, and humans.

Basil

Basil, a delicious herb in cooking, is also an effective spider repellent. You can grow basil plants along the sides of your doorways or in flower beds under your windows to help deter spiders. Basil is also non-toxic to dogs and cats.

Even more, basil is one of the most potent pest-repelling plants there is, plus it’s super easy to grow.

Lavender

Speaking of wonderful herbs, if you’re looking for one that is both beautiful and spider-stopping, look no further than English lavender – I have used it religiously over the past decade. This plant fills the air with a scent that naturally repels spiders and smells great to boot.

Be sure to watch your pets with this plant, as lavender contains a chemical called linalool, which can be toxic to dogs and cats if eaten in large amounts.

Mint

Instead of using mint oil or extract, why not tap into the source? Mint plants work well as a natural spider stopper. Peppermint, which produces the strongest scent, has always worked for me. Spiders hate peppermint, and its smell will keep them at a distance.

Remember that all parts of the mint plant are toxic to cats and dogs, so keep your furry friends away from them.

Final Thoughts

Few homeowners enjoy sharing their spaces with creepy-crawlies. While these eight-legged arachnids are valuable members of our ecosystem, they’re unwelcome guests in most homes. There are plenty of excellent DIY spider sprays and natural repellents to keep these pests outside and eliminate them if they find their way indoors.

However, if you keep seeing spiders, you may have an infestation on your hands. In my experience, especially with highly venomous spiders, your best bet is to contact a pest control company to assess the danger and provide professional help.