Having spiders in the basement can be a nuisance. Moreover, some are completely harmless, while others are super dangerous since they deliver painful bites. If you hate those creepy, eight-legged pests, I’ve had some fantastic tricks that will keep spiders out of basements.
Basements are attractive to spiders as well as other insects because they’re typically dingy and drab. Furthermore, if you don’t keep yours clean, spiders will surely love building their homes there.
Of course, removing spiders from the basement is vital for your family’s safety. In addition, you can pick chemical or natural repellents. For a spider-free subterranean room, here are some remarkable techniques to apply.
1. Keep the Basement Clutter-Free
Undoubtedly, a basement is somewhat easy to be messy. Since clutters can attract spiders, make sure that yours is clean.
You should organize your basement. First, get rid of unnecessary things by throwing a yard sale or giving them away. This method helps prevent unwanted spider webs’ formations.
If you use your subterranean room for storage, don’t store cardboard boxes in it. Apart from being susceptible to cockroach attacks, they can be a spiders’ hideaway.
Storing things in basements isn’t wrong. However, you should consider using plastic storage boxes because they can keep bothersome spiders from getting inside.
Try cleaning up and vacuuming your basement frequently. In addition to keeping the whole underground area tidy, it helps you inspect small spots of spiders.
2. Make a DIY Spider Spray
If you wonder, does vinegar keep spiders away? The answer is yes. Fortunately, the stuff isn’t hard to find.
Plan to keep spiders out of basements? If so, use vinegar to deter them from dwelling in your underground space. Also, this household product can repel ants as well as mice.
If you currently have no white vinegar, simply purchase it at a nearby grocery store. Even though the product isn’t harmful to humans, it’s a main enemy of spiders.
To make a DIY spray for spiders, grab a bottle first. Then, mix ½ cup vinegar with 1 ½ cups water and 10 drops of peppermint oil in it. After that, spritz windowsills, basement corners, doors, and underneath sinks. These spots are normally spiders’ entry points.
You can give spider-prone areas this homemade spray. When not in use, consider storing it in a dark and cool spot.
3. Keep Spiders Out of Basements By Placing Traps
If you’re seeming to trap spiders, try using these items. Apart from becoming non-toxic, they’re way safer than regular spider repellents.
This type of spider trap isn’t dangerous to pets and children. Moreover, it’s available for consumers. Traps can surely kill spiders. However, you must purchase them from a trusted brand.
Terro’s spider traps can attract dangerous black spiders in basements. Also, they catch hobo and brown recluse spiders.
In addition to trapping spiders, these traps help you kill crawling insects such as crickets, cockroaches, and ants. For optimum results, place them in spider-prone areas.
4. Seal Cracks and Openings
Keep spiders out of basements by sealing cracks, crevices, or openings. As you know, they become entryways for those annoying insects.
First, seek gaps or cracks in the basement. If they’re somewhat large, block the spots using high-quality wood filler or caulk. Aside from that, if you barely notice little cracks, try any spray coating.
Consider securing mesh screens to basement windows. If there are holes, I recommend either replacing or fixing them soon. Speaking of tricks to keep spiders out of basements, don’t forget to fix your doors.
Both openings and cracks might be invisible at the beginning. However, you can use your excellent investigating skills to find spiders’ gateways and seal them easily.
5. Have Pets
Many homeowners have spotted lots of spiders in basements. If you’re one of them, getting a pet is a smart decision for certain.
Having pets at your home can help you drive bothersome pests away. Moreover, cats are such marvelous creatures because they love chasing around crawling insects like spiders.
Since cats like to catch anything that moves quickly, they become natural spider repellents. You must bring your pets to the basement regularly. They’ll happily seek out the bothersome spiders for sure.
For those who choose this trick to keep spiders out of basements, taking care of pets is crucial. Give your cats protection from dangerous spider bites.
6. Keep Spiders Out of Basements with Citrus Peels
Citrus fruits provide divine flavors as well as scents. Unlike humans, basement spiders normally find them very overwhelming. Orange and lemon keep those eight-legged pests from entering the basement.
Without a doubt, citrus peels lend the basement a delightful scent. There are a few spectacular ways of using them in your underground space.
First, spread orange or lemon peels around basement doors or windows. However, since the citrus smell isn’t long-lasting, consider changing them every few days. This method will help fend off spiders with ease.
Another option is rubbing affected areas using citrus peels. Remember, since the lemon or orange smell can drive spiders away, the actual presence of the peels does not really matter.
You may also employ the method of DIY spider spray. First, put some water and citrus oil into the spray bottle. After that, shake it well.
Spritz the areas where you find spider infestations. Although this trick is low-cost, it can repel unwanted spiders.
7. Stop Stacking Wood
This is one of the magnificent tricks to keep spiders out of basements. Certain spiders like black widows love creeping inside piles of wood due to the insects’ presence.
If you like stacking firewood or plywood in your underground space, it’s time to refrain from doing so. Homeowners who have no woodpiles in their basements are surely ahead of the curve.
Some people don’t realize spiders are very attracted to piles of wood to build their homes. Furthermore, stacking the wood outdoors is a proven technique to keep spiders out of basements for certain.
I highly recommend storing piles of wood in the yard. Make sure that there’s a great distance between the home and the woodpiles. Do not forget to construct a shed. It can house your firewood or plywood during the rainy months.
8. Keep Spiders Out of Basements with Eucalyptus
Speaking of how to get rid of spiders naturally in the basement, try using eucalyptus. Apart from emitting a strong smell, it can effectively keep them out due to its essential properties.
Like vinegar, peppermint, orange, and lemon, eucalyptus produces scents that are an amazing deterrent for spiders and insect pests.
You can use eucalyptus in various ways to drive annoying spiders away. Moreover, I suggest growing eucalyptus trees outside.
Another spectacular option is using eucalyptus oil. Furthermore, it’s as effective as the previous method. Simply wipe down cracks or openings with this product. Like citrus and vinegar sprays, it prevents spiders from dwelling in the confines of your abode.
Try soaking some cotton balls in a small bowl of eucalyptus oil first. Next, place them around your basement’s windows or corners.
In addition to keeping spiders out, eucalyptus oil can deter snakes as well as mosquitoes. It’s an incredibly versatile product.
9. Grow Plants that Spiders Hate
Some researches proved spiders loathe certain plants. Moreover, some of those are lemon balm, basil, mint, lavender, rosemary, marigold, lemongrass, and chrysanthemum.
Unlike humans, spiders hate the smell of lavender. That’s why you should keep potted lavender in your basement’s sunny spot to keep it alive. Furthermore, the plant will prevent spiders from visiting the underground room.
Lavender is one of the delightful plants that help you keep spiders out of basements. However, growing it indoors can be slightly challenging since it needs loads of air and natural light. In addition, you must prune the plant frequently.
Apart from being a medicinal herb, lavender is surely worth your effort. Additionally, it oozes its divine smell when the wind blows through the basement windows.
10. Peppermint Oil for Spiders
Keep spiders out of basements by spraying peppermint oil. Since this natural oil is very aromatic, spiders despise it for sure. Due to its pungent scent, the product will drive those crawling creatures away.
I recommend mixing peppermint oil with some water, so it can last longer. This method dilutes the natural oil to prevent unwanted skin irritation, too.
There are multiple ways of using peppermint oil to keep spiders out of basements. Start by immersing cotton balls in peppermint oil, then put them around spider-prone spots.
Another wonderful option is mixing several drops of peppermint oil with some water in a spray bottle. Next, spritz the basement doors and windows since spiders love to roam around there.
Peppermint oil does not only repel spiders but also lends the underground space a refreshing smell. If you’re a gardener, consider adding a potted mint. Also, I highly recommend growing pennyroyal mint and spearmint.
Mint works very well because it’s fragrant. You can place the plant on the windowsill or around basement doors. Try sprinkling dried mint leaves near the basement, too.
11. Keep Spiders Out of Basements with Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
This is one of the easy tricks to keep spiders out of basements. Simply plug the piece into your power socket.
This product deters spiders and other pests since it emits electromagnetic as well as ultrasonic waves. Moreover, they’ll influence spiders’ neurological auditory. Nowadays, there’s a variety of affordable ultrasonic pest repellers.
I suggest you purchase this ultrasonic pest repeller by Neatmaster. Apart from coming with 3 function modes, it excellently covers a basement of 80-120 sq meters.
12. Fumigate the Whole Basement
In addition to the tricks mentioned above, consider fumigating your basement. You can either use natural solutions or chemical pesticides to eliminate spiders and other pests.
You should know that chemical pesticides are safe for basements. However, they’re dangerous for other areas like bedrooms and kitchens.
I recommend using Star Brite’s natural spider repellent. Also, the Nantucket spider repellent spray is an outstanding product. It’s the best spider spray for basements.
13. Get Rid of Other Pests
Spiders typically dwell in basements to hunt for their food. Furthermore, they find pests such as small cockroaches, termites, and mosquitoes tantalizing.
Keep spiders out of basements by removing bothersome pests. This trick will surely lower the chances of spider infestations. If spiders don’t find any food in yours, they won’t harbor the underground room for sure.
You can eliminate nasty pests in your basement with regular pest repellents that are available in local stores.
14. Keep Spiders Out of Basements with Lemon Oil
The lemon essential oil can be a fabulous spider repellent. As you know, spiders truly loathe the citrus smell.
You can purchase lemon essential oil in a nearby store. Then, combine 100 ml of water with several drops of it. Next, spritz the basement with the solution. For optimum results, apply this trick every day.
15. Get Rid of Cobwebs in the Basement
After diving into some tricks to keep spiders out of basements, you should clean up unappealing cobwebs in your underground space. When cleaning them, here are several crucial points every dweller obliged to do:
Wear a Mask
Cobwebs normally are so dusty. Without a doubt, they can give your body unwanted effects. Due to this reason, you have to use a mask while cleaning them up in the basement.
Keep the basement clutter-free as well as clean. Also, consider decluttering and dusting the underground room frequently. Apart from making yours tidy, it enables you to investigate tiny, secret hideaways of spiders.
Use Vacuum Flexible Nozzle
You shouldn’t get very close to cobwebs when cleaning them up. I suggest using a special vacuum cleaner that includes a flexible extension nozzle.
This kind of vacuum cleaner lets you catch those eight-legged pests quickly at a distance. In addition, it allows you to dispose of them humanely.
Finding crawling spiders can be an annoyance. So don’t forget to borrow any of those tricks to keep spiders out of basements. Whether you apply one or a few, they’ll drive away bothersome pests for complete peace of mind.