While you may not be a victim of arachnophobia, and the spiders aren’t really causing you any harm, sharing your crib with these critters isn’t exactly an exciting prospect. They build homes in various spots all over the house, making it difficult to keep the house clean.
Spiders come in all shapes and sizes and are incredibly resilient animals. They seem almost unaffected by regular bug sprays and other insecticides. Even sweeping away their precious cobwebs doesn’t seem to deter these eight-legged creatures! Spiders have mastered the art of patience, and even if it takes them a few weeks, they’ll weave another web in another cosy corner of your house.
But do you really need to call in pest control to get rid of these harmless creatures? I mean sure, it’s quick work, and the exterminator is sure to be a nice guy and spray your entire house with toxic chemicals and pesticides. But these bug sprays aren’t just harmful to spiders and insects; the toxins can cause some serious damage to humans as well! So calling the exterminator may not be the safest way to get rid of spiders.
So what is the safe and friendly way to get rid of spiders from your home?
If you’re looking to get the hairy arachnids out of your house, there’s a safe, friendly way of doing it. You won’t have to bug spray your entire house, and you won’t be killing any innocent spiders either.
How, you ask?
All you need is a bottle (or even just a few drops) of peppermint essential oil. Yes! using peppermint essential oil to get rid of spiders is an effective and safe approach. People haven’t discovered why, but spiders apparently hate the smell of peppermint oil. Perhaps it’s got something to do with a special pair of front legs called pedipalps that you can find attached to the body of every spider.
Every spider requires these front legs for a variety of basic functions. They need their pedipalps to smell, sense, taste, and feel. They also use these special legs to devour prey. These feet are extremely sensitive, and probably can’t stand the pungent and potent aroma released by peppermint oil. So besides just getting their feet wet, peppermint oil causes spiders to cover their noses and run!
When you compare this method to the traditional method of hiring an exterminator, it’s far more cost-effective and will save you a lot more time.
How To Use Peppermint Oil to Get Rid of Spiders?
You’ll need a few ingredients and certain apparatus to start your journey towards a spider-free home. To get started, you’ll need:
- 5 – 7 drops of peppermint essential oil
- An empty, reusable spray bottle
- A bit of liquid dish soap
- A bowl of warm water
- A dash of white vinegar (not mandatory, but will help)
Fill the bottle with the warm water and empty the few drops of peppermint essential oil into the water. Squeeze a bit of the liquid dish soap into the container and shake the mix.
Peppermint essential oil does not mix easily with water. Adding the dish soap will loosen up the molecules in the oil causing it to spread evenly throughout the container. This will give you a more consistent solution.
Test out the mix in an area, and see if the spray smells of peppermint oil. If the smell isn’t strong enough, add some more dish soap to the mix to split up the oil molecules a little more.
Once the solution is ready, spray it near the entrance of your house and in cracks, holes, and any other crevice you can find. You never know where spiders may be hiding, and once they get the smell of peppermint oil, they’re sure to come scurrying out.
If you want to make the solution more effective, you can add a bit of white vinegar to the mix and shake the container gently. However, be careful when using vinegar. The substance tends to react badly with certain materials and may leave stains on your carpets or furniture.
The Finishing Touches
If you want to make the clean up especially effective, use a vacuum cleaner after you’ve sprayed the place with peppermint oil. Spiders tends to lay eggs in dark, damp places, like cracks and holes in the walls. So just switch on your vacuum and run it over the holes to get rid of spiders once and for all.
Of course, your house will be smelling of peppermint oil after you’re done with the clean up, but the essential oil isn’t harmful. And, to us humans, peppermint oil smells divine, and your house will be filled with a pleasant aroma for a long time.
A Few Other Tips to Use Peppermint Oil for Spiders
It goes without saying that you have to ensure that your house is spick and span if you want to get spiders to stay out of it. Regular vacuum cleaning, dusting, and swabbing is a must as it will clear out residual cobwebs and prevent spiders from staying long enough to build a permanent home.
You need to be especially mindful of your ceiling and other places that are difficult to reach. Once you’ve cleared them out, you’ll have a much better chance of keeping spiders at bay.
Besides peppermint oil, there are number of other essential oils which can also help you stay spiders out from your home. For example, cedarwood oil is a great deterrent and will help prevent spiders from entering the house. Simply sprinkle or spray cedarwood oil around the perimeter of your house and you’re sure to see less spiders in your home.
On a final note, ensure that you have the proper safety measures when using essential oils. Read up a little more on the effects of various essential oils and how they impact your health. Of course, all essential oils are non-toxic and we can reap a wide variety of benefits from them. However, the potency of each essential oil varies, and we need to take care and apply these oils in the right amount.
This holds true especially in the case of peppermint essential oil. This essential oil is extremely potent and shouldn’t be ingested directly. While making the spider-repellent with peppermint oil, you may want to add a few drops of a carrier oil like cedarwood essential oil or some other light oil to dilute the effects.
So using peppermint essential oil spray for spiders, is the most ethical, cost-effective, and harmless method to get rid of them. It can be easily found in almost any essential oil store or you can buy it online from Amzaon. You won’t need to use more than 6 or 7 drops of it for this procedure, so the cost is completely justified.
Not only will you manage to get rid of all the spiders; you’ll also have a nice, minty smell permeating every corner of your house. So have mercy on the poor little creatures and employ a more compassionate way of getting rid of them.
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