Spiders are creepy insects and having them in the confines of your home can be disturbing. Spiders can be dangerous, especially if you happen to live in an area that inhabits dangerous spiders like the black widow or the brown recluse spiders. These spiders are very common in the United States, and their bites can be extremely painful.
Spiders can easily live comfortably in a few places in your house, such as the basement. Basements are dark, dingy and can be a favorite place for spiders and other insects too.
Most basements, if not kept clean, tend to be filled with spider webs and many other pests. A well-lit basement can be creepy too if there are spiders present.
Keeping spiders away from the basement, your family, and your house overall should be your first priority. There are both natural and chemical spider repellants that you can use to drive spiders away from the basement. There are also various techniques and precautions that you can take to keep spiders away.
However, one should know that to get rid of spiders from your basement is a process and not a day’s affair. You need to start off by looking for places they can hide and block those spots. After that comes the cleaning of cobwebs and then the use of repellents.
Here are our best tips on how to get rid of spiders from your basement :
1. Use Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
From our experience, this is the most simple, easiest, and best way to keep spiders out of the house or basement. Just plug it into the power socket, and you are done. Most pests including spiders won’t come to your house as the ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves from the devices will affect their neurological auditory and instinctively will stay away from your home.
Years ago, this kind of device is quite expensive, but thankfully, today there is a lot of them that offered at much more affordable prices. And here is ones that we highly recommend :
Neatmaster Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Electronic Plug in
2. Seal All Small Openings and Cracks
First of all, search for any cracks, gaps, or crevices in and around your basement. You need to seal those gaps or openings because they are the gateways through which spiders enter the basement.
If the opening or cracks in your basement is quite large, you can seal them using any caulk or water-based wood filler, or if it’s just a small crack, you can use any spray coating. It is a good idea to attach mesh screens to the windows and fix the doors.
Water-Based Wood & Grain Filler by Goodfilla
Flexible Rubber Coating Spray by Rust Oleum
3. Refrain From Stacking Wood
Spiders such as black widows like to creep inside woodpiles and stay in there because of the insects present in such piles. If you are the kind who stacks wood in the basement, it is time to stop. Store the wood in the backyard or somewhere outdoors. There should be a good distance between the pile and the house.
Invest in building a shed for the woodpile outside during the rainy season.
4. No Clutter
Basements are areas in the house that are most cluttered. That is what attracts the spiders to the basements. Spiders thrive in places that are cluttered or messy because clutter attracts more insects.
The only way to declutter the basement is to organize and clean the basement. Begin by removing all the things that are not needed anymore. Give them off or hold a yard sale for your things.
Keep unnecessary things away from the wall in order to avoid the formation of spider webs on them. Also, it is advised to store things in plastic or other material boxes instead of paper, since paper boxes are prone to cockroach attacks.
5. Eliminate Other Pests
Spiders usually harbor basements in order to search for more foods. Pests like mosquitoes, termites, tiny roaches, etc. are delicious foods for spiders. Therefore, removing these pests from the basements will decrease the chances of spiders dwelling in the area.
Get rid of pests by using common pest repellents that you can easily found in nearby stores.
Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
6. Spray Peppermint Oil
Natural oils like peppermint are very strong and hated by spiders and other insects too. The smell is too pungent for these insects to bear and hence, peppermint oil is a perfect repellent to keep these crawly creatures away.
16oz Peppermint Oil Natural Spider Repellent Spray
Peppermint oil is mixed with water to make it last longer. This also dilutes the oil in order to avoid any skin irritation on people or pets at home.
You can even make peppermint oil balls, by soaking cotton balls with the oil. Place them in spots around the basement that seem to be most prone to spiders.
7. Make a Homemade Spider Spray
Vinegar, along with peppermint oil is a very effective combination to use against spiders. This will repel not only spiders but also other pests in the basement like mice and ants.
What you will need:
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
Procedure:
- Take a small spray bottle and mix all the ingredients in it. Shake well.
- Spray on all the four corners of the basement, underneath sinks, window sills, and any such spots you think are prone to spiders.
- Store in a cool, dark place.
8. Get a Pet
Having pets at home is a great way to keep away pests like spiders. The best of them all are cats since they tend to chase around anything that moves swiftly. Having pets at home will act as a natural spider repellant.
Take your pet to the basement frequently to look for any moving creature. However, care should be taken in protecting your pet from the bites of poisonous spiders.
9. Spray Lemon Oil
Lemon oil also works as a good spider repellent, as it’s already known that spiders hate the citrus aroma. You can easily buy any lemon oil in a nearby supermarket, and mix 5-10 drop of them with 100 ml of water and spray it through your basement. Repeat this process every day to get maximum results.
Majestic Pure Lemon Oil
10. Use Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil has a very strong smell, and it has many essential properties. This oil works best to drive away spiders from anywhere. All you need to do is soak cotton balls in eucalyptus oil and keep them in the corners of the basement, the windows, any cracks, etc.
100% Pure Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Another plus point of using it is the ability of eucalyptus oil to repel mosquitoes and snakes.
11. Fumigate the Basement
Apart from all the ways mentioned above, to repel spiders, it is best if you can fumigate the basement to kill spiders. You can fumigate using chemical pesticides or natural solutions like peppermint oil or lemongrass oil.
Remember that using chemical pesticides is safe for your basement, but not for other areas of the house, like the kitchen.
Here is some best spiders repellent for the basement that we recommend :
Natural Extra Strength Tick Spider Repellent Spray
Spider Away Natural Spider Repellent by Star Brite
12. Use Spiders Trap
One of the safest ways to kill (or catch) a spider is by using a spider’s trap. This kind of trap is safe, toxic, and pesticide-free which makes it much safer than using a spider repellent. If you have kids or pets that sometimes go to your basement, you can use this kind of trap safely.
Spider & Insect Trap by Terro
Place this trap in the area that spiders often come, or in the place where you find some cobwebs to get maximum results.
13. Use Orange or Lemon Zest
Spiders hate any citrus smell, and you can take advantage of this by using any citrus peels and spread them around your basement. These tricks not only work to preventing spiders from entering your basement but also help make your basement smells better with those citrus fragrant.
But since the smell of any citrus zest won’t last long, you need to change them every 1 or 2 days to keep spiders away from your basement.
14. Add Plant that Spiders Hate
Some different studies found out that there is some kind of plants that spiders hate, and some of them are: Lavender, mint, and lemongrass. If your basement had enough sunlight to keep those plants alive, you can plant one of them in the pot and place it inside your basement.
Lavender Seed
Spiders are a hassle if you have them crawling in areas such as the basement. Basements should be kept clean and tidy because of the many items that are usually stored in them. Use any one of the techniques on how to keep spiders out of your basement mentioned above to help your basement free from spiders.
How to Clean Cobwebs in Basement
After knowing how to avoid spiders entering your basement, the next essential step you need to do is cleaning any cobwebs in your basement. And here are some important things to do when cleaning any cobwebs :
Use Mask
Usually, cobwebs are very dusty and they can bring bad effects to your body, and that’s why you should use any mask when cleaning them.
Use Vacuum Extension Nozzle
As we already said above, cobwebs are very dusty and it’s highly recommended not to get too close to those spider graveyards when cleaning them. The best practice to clean them is by using a vacuum cleaner with an extension nozzle so you don’t have to get close to those cobwebs.