natural spider control

help. please help.
ive got cobwebs. massive invasion of spiders, they love it here.
I googled natural controls and a few places said 1 cup vinegar with 1/3 cup vanilla extract, put in spray bottle and spray on cobwebs were you dont want there to be cobwebs
has anyone tried this.
the only vinegar I have is apple cider vinegar, would this work?
does anyone have any suggestions?

I always figure if there's an abundance of spiders, there must be some creatures spiders like eating around. Probably that I don't necessarily see. I choose to leave the spiders usually, since I don't have time to track down the bugs they must be eating and I'm not particularly bothered by them. Sometimes I relocate them to the outbuilding or some sheltered area where they're not an issue. But since it sounds like this is a problem for you, maybe figure out what their food source is and how to stop those critters getting in your house?

I guess I should have stated I'm talking about indoor spider control. I'm sure there is lots to eat. this 15o year old house is unsealable, but it is home.
outdoors sure they are welcome to do whatever they want.

bruce Fine wrote:I guess I should have stated I'm talking about indoor spider control. I'm sure there is lots to eat. this 15o year old house is unsealable, but it is home.
outdoors sure they are welcome to do whatever they want.

I am too. My house is similarly hard to seal and the spiders are a presence. I figure they're helping, but I'm also very fond of spiders, so I am probably more tolerant of them than most.
If the other creatures are hard to keep out, that does make it more challenging. Just figured I'd offer it as something to consider, since they're unlikely to hang around without food. I hope you find a solution that works for you!

Someone once told me that placing used tea bags in corners & behind furniture, etc would deter spiders. Don't really know how effective it is. I did do it in TN though & don't recall having any spider issues.

I have been using diaomaceous earth on the outside edge of the door thresholds to stop the autumn invasion of our house. I've seen one big spider curled up in the powder already. Some still get in but it's probably from another route, so maybe lay a thick trail along the edges of the floors. I like DE because if the cats get into it they won't get hurt by it and it's cheap.

ive been diving into this subject and it seems there are two natural remedies .
one is distilled vinegar , 1 cup, mixed with pure vanilla extract, 1/3 cup,  the kind with no sugar added--not so easy to find locally,
put in spray bottle and misted on offending culprits.
the other is to pour 1 gallon of boiling water over package of chewing tobacco, and then straining water, and spraying that around, ive heard of this tobacco thing being used in the garden to control  bugs that want to destroy your vegetables .

I wonder if peppermint oil or lemon oil would work. it might make house smell good too?

I really didn't think this cob web/spider thing was a problem, I just  vacuum the house like normal . but seems in last week or so population has exploded, and found one crawling on me and a big welt on my ankle. now I'm treating a wound with peroxide and triple antibiotic ointment.  In a knee jerk reaction I just smooshed it like a mosquito so I have no idea of identifying the type it was. its not fun getting bit. and I'm definitely not going to invite Orkin over to poison my living space.

It may be a little labor intensive but I assume repeatedly clearing the webs will force the spiders to expend more energy than they have to survive.

We have a lot of hunting spiders (not the web weaving kind) of a variety of sizes from a couple millimeters to the really big guys that will startle the most affectionate arachnophile when it runs across the wall.

I usually let them do their work and they usually leave us alone, but I do occasionally catch and release outside, especially if my kids or wife is freaking out.

For web spinning spiders catch and release should be pretty simple if they're visible on the webs. Just use a stick and collect the web and spider. For hunters a cup and piece of paper or cardboard to cover the lid works well.

bruce Fine wrote:ive been diving into this subject and it seems there are two natural remedies .
one is distilled vinegar , 1 cup, mixed with pure vanilla extract, 1/3 cup,  the kind with no sugar added--not so easy to find locally,
put in spray bottle and misted on offending culprits.
the other is to pour 1 gallon of boiling water over package of chewing tobacco, and then straining water, and spraying that around, ive heard of this tobacco thing being used in the garden to control  bugs that want to destroy your vegetables .

I know it doesn`t help you, but certainly spraying a nicotine solution at spiders wouldn`t be something I`d try. Aren`t nicotinoids affecting bee populations? science alerts has a bit of information on how they work.

I have spiders webs in the house as well, although have not been bitten. I find they prefer to web where there are drafts, (maybe doing me a favour by pointing them out!) or across windows.
Cats eat spiders.
I`ve heard they don`t like conkers (horse chestnuts) but that may be just a myth.
Fukuoka was very fond of his spiders, as a sign of a healthy ecosystem, but I guess we like to keep our indoor ecosystems a bit more exclusive!

The spiders we have in my area seem to be more nocturnal and do not like bright lights. They also need/want places to hide during the day.

I know you say your house is hard to seal, but picking a corner, vaccuum everything out, seal up hiding places with caulk, spraying the natural vinegar/lemon stuff, and if possible, keeping a good light there ought to help.

I agree with Nancy about nicotine. It is toxic to cats and dogs to varying degrees. I personally wouldn't risk it, which is why I like diatomaceous earth for inside the house.

It makes me sad that people kill spiders.  Can't you just relocate them outside so they have a chance to survive?

Matt McSpadden wrote:They also need/want places to hide during the day.  

YES!
We have lots of brown recluse spiders here (even though my house is new and tight as a ship, we still have them).
We make a point of moving all our furniture to clean under/behind regularly. If spiders don't have a safe place to hide they will move along. Many people spray or use smelly substances but just moving everything around to sweep/vacuum regularly has made a huge difference.

I also am concerned about the tobacco-not only for bees and pollinators, but to avoid mosaic virus in my garden.

yes I did read that chestnuts placed inside repellants spiders. I dont gave any my trees are not old enough yet. but I know where there is a tree about 1/2 hour away.
and I agree with the nicotine thing I dont think ill be trying that. but it has been used for centuries for bug control. the modern offensive stuff that was suspected of killing off honey bees and wreaking all kinds of havoc is neonicotinoid--nasty stuff--the world would be better place if it were banned globally.
something that smells good would be ideal for indoor, like peppermint oil, Lemon oil, lemongrass oil, pure vanilla.
for those of you in the know. is there a difference between say like lemon oil and essential lemon oil. what exactly doe the essential mean?
I see that NOW brand of these oils is available lots of places online

Trace, for me it's a matter of species and the degree of invasion into the house. Jumping spiders are relocated outside if we can catch them. Those suckers watch you when you look at them. Good thing they are as small as they are.

Small, web forming spiders are sometimes let alone and even protected. We had one small spider living in the bathroom wall socket last winter. It was catching lots of small insects. It was very well behaved so we left it alone for months until it died of old age or something else.

The hobo, brown recluse, and black widow spiders are not tolerated in the house due to their bite toxicity. The hobo spiders run like the wind so they're hard to catch and release so we swat them if they are in the house. They are left alone outside. I wouldn't even think of risking catch and release of a black widow. I'd rather juggle knives.