How To Repel Spiders With An Overlooked DIY Solution That's So Simple

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Most common household spiders aren't really dangerous. But that doesn't necessarily mean you want them hanging out with you in the shower, napping inside your shoes, or spinning a web in every available corner. It's easy enough to shoo a single intruder out the door. However, getting rid of spiders that are larger or have infested your home can be an extremely unpleasant task that often involves squishing them or spraying chemical insecticides. If you're trying to figure out how to repel spiders without killing them, cedar oil is an overlooked DIY solution that's simple and effective.

Cedar oil, also known as cedarwood oil, is a fragrant essential oil that's usually distilled from wood chips and sawdust. One of the essential oils that can help keep pests out of your home and garden, it typically costs around $10 for a four-ounce bottle when you purchase it from Amazon or at a natural grocery store. The oil is also what gives cedar closets — or moth-prevention products like Walmart's $6 homegrown cedar blocks — their distinctive smell.

While its earthy aroma may smell like a walk in the woods to humans, spiders can't stand it. According to research, cedarwood significantly deters spiders wherever it's used. Because it's abundant, cheap, and generally nontoxic when used carefully around pets and humans, cedar oil is an outstanding choice if you're looking for a non-lethal way to let spiders know they need to find a new place to call home.

It's hard to say exactly how cedar oil helps to repel spiders, since their sense of smell works differently than ours. A groundbreaking study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spiders detect smells through tiny hairs on their legs. Since this research seems to indicate that direct contact is necessary, using a cedar oil spray in areas where spiders tend to congregate in your house is an ideal method. To make a cedar pest spray, add five to 10 drops of cedar essential oil to a quart of water. Adding a few drops of unscented dishwashing detergent will help it to emulsify when vigorously shaken.

Cedar oil is generally recognized as safe by the EPA, which means you can use this DIY solution in kitchen drawers, cabinets, and countertops. Since spiders head indoors looking for shelter and their favorite snacks — bugs — it's also a great idea to spray it along windowsills and exterior door frames. You shouldn't experience any oil staining when your spray has been properly diluted and emulsified. However, make sure to do a small spot test before using it straight.

There's no substitute for sealing up your house to keep spiders out, but using cedar as a natural method is one of the most environmentally friendly approaches to controlling the creepy-crawly pests. It's also way more cost effective than paying a fortune for pest control experts. A bottle of cedar spray costs under $15 to make and lasts for months. Meanwhile, according to Angi, hiring a spider exterminator costs an average of $300 per visit.