Keep Spiders out of Your Home
Are you desperately trying to keep bugs and spiders out of your home? You’re in luck! Me (Lisa) and my husband (Alfie) are experts at keeping the spiders and bugs at bay.
We previously had an issue with ants in our trailer and I grew up in a house that was constantly infested with spiders. Alfie and I spend a lot of time travelling between Australia and the UK, so we don’t want to come home to an issue we cannot get rid of.
Keep spiders out of your home: your bug prevention strategy.
Below, we share our best tips for spider and bug prevention tips in no particular order, but we leave our best tip until last! And, remember, if you’re living in Queensland, Australia and you think you might have bugs due to roofing issues, feel free to connect with my husband here.
Let’s jump into it!
Why Keep Bugs Out of Your Home?
Keep spiders out of your home: the bug prevention strategy.
Other than them being creepy, there are a few reasons why you may want to keep spiders away from your home:
It is Better for The Insects and Spiders
Personally, I am a nature lover. I don’t want to have to kill anything, unless I really, really have to. And, if I do have to kill something, I will do it in the most ethical way possible.
I believe it is much better to discourage bugs from coming into the home in the first place. Prevention is always better than cure as this is what is best for both you (the home owner) and the bugs.
Bugs Can Be Dangerous
In the UK, we often don’t have dangerous insects unless of course they are wasps or bees. My husband, Alfie, is actually allergic to bees. A lot of people don’t even know they have allergies unless they are stung. Obviously, anyone would want to discourage wasps or bees from coming into their home!
However, in Australia, bugs and insects can be super dangerous. I have been bit by a huntsman spider and had a severe reaction. I was also bit by horseflies and had a really bad reaction to that too. Another time, my arm swelled up after I was bit by a very small spider. Here are some pictures:
From left to right: a small spider bite, horsefly bites, and a Huntsman spider bite.
Both times, the spiders had crawled into our trailer, so I now take percussion! Not to blow my own horn, but I now have bug prevention down to a science 😊
They Come in Swarms
The final reason why you should want to keep bugs out of your home, is because once they are in there they attract more. They literally come in swarms.
Not only do some types of insects (such as ants) attract more of their own kind, but their dead bodies can attract other types of creepy crawlies. Spiders are highly attracted to dead flies, for example, as they view them as an easy meal.
Keep in mind that once you have bugs in your home, they will certainly breed, lay their eggs and, ultimately, hatch. Some types of bugs really are a nightmare to get rid of! So, it is best to avoid them entirely using the strategies or suggestions outlined below.
The Bug Prevention Strategy
The bug prevention strategy you need: what I wish I knew sooner about spiders in the home.
Close Your Windows to Prevent Larger Bugs
When I was bit by the huntsman spider, it had entered our trailer through the bedroom window. Our trailer in Australia has two window latches - one to securely close the window and the other to keep the window slightly ajar. Either me or my husband hadn’t closed the window on the final latch and this was how the spider got in to bite me.
This sounds really obvious, but it is imperative that you make a habit of checking that all of your windows are closed all of the time. Otherwise, it is pretty much guaranteed that things will crawl inside.
Use Peppermint Oil to Repeal Spiders
Daily checklist for a clean home.
Peppermint oil naturally repels spiders and other creepy crawlies. I will mix up a solution of water with 20-30 drops of peppermint oil and wash down the entire house or trailer!
For the best results, I highly, highly recommend using a peppermint oil and water solution regularly. If there are any rooms in your house you do not use, you should pay extra attention to them as spiders and other bugs can be attracted to the areas with less foot traffic.
Be sure to spend extra time cleaning areas where spiders or bugs would like to hang out, such as cupboards, under the furniture, and under beds. You can even place cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in these areas - this will discourage bugs from entering.
Additionally, I like to wash the air con filters in my water/peppermint oil concoction. I’m not 100% certain if this does or doesn’t repeal any creepy crawlies, but at least it makes the place smell nice!
Shake Clothing or Bedding and Re-Wash if Necessary
It is unbelievably common for spiders and bugs to come into homes via washing which has been dried outside on a washing line. If your washing has dried outside, you should always violently shake it before bringing it into your home.
And, if your washing ever falls over and lands on the floor, you must rewash your clothes, even if they look okay.
Alfie and I once had an ant problem in our Australian trailer. We were in Busselton, Western Australia. Busselton is on the coast, but the place we were staying was extremely hot, dry and right next to a wooded area with a patch of long grass. Here is what the outside of the trailer looked like:
The long grass outside of our trailer. Yes, that is a bandicoot!
One day, I had put my clothes outside to dry and we spent the day at the beach. When we came back, I noticed that the washing line had fell over and the clothes were on the floor. I picked the clothes up and gave them a hard shake, but I should have rewashed them! I didn’t think I had to rewash the clothing because it landed on the mat and was not dirty.
Over the next day or so, we began to notice the odd ant in the trailer. It was nothing major, just one here and there. A few days later, we moved to Perth.
We wanted to spend the day exploring Perth, so we left the trailer for the day. I didn’t realise at the time but my husband, Alfie had left a cup of juice out in the kitchen of the trailer. We came home to (literally) one million ants! It was so bad we had to stay in a hotel for a week, which ended up costing us an extra £1000.
It took a lot of time and effort to get rid of the ant problem. We had to bomb the trailer about a dozen times, over the course of months, it was ridiculous. I hate to think what it would have been like if we had ants in the house! When it comes to ants, prevention is better than cure!
Be Mindful of Food
Weekly checklist for a clean home.
Every 3 months (at least), go through your food cupboards and throw out any opened, unused food. Once you have done that, hover out the cupboards and wash them down (again, you can include peppermint oil in your cleaning solution). Grains, cereals, and small bits of food will attract bugs into your home, so be extra cautious with your food cupboards.
I also recommend being very, very mindful of food and drinks stored within the food cupboards. If you can, store sugary items in the fridge or in a sealed box. I know someone who had left a bottle of sugary diluting juice in her cupboard. Juice had slightly ran down the side of this bottle. Within a day or two she had an ant problem! Sugary drinks are honestly the worst for attracting bugs.
Additionally I would avoid leaving cups of juice or food out, especially if you’re spending the day out of the house. Remember, our trailer ended up swarming with ants because Alfie left a cup of diluting juice sitting in the kitchen! If you have already got one or two bugs, leaving food and drinks out will attract an army.
Stay Clean & Organised
This next tip sounds super obvious, but I cannot express it enough - you have to properly clean your home.
Staying organised can prevent bugs from hiding in your home.
I like to wash down my surfaces frequently, especially in Australia where there are a lot of bugs. Washing the floor is also a must. I recommend using bleach and/or disinfectant. I like to mix in essential oils like peppermint oil or lemon because bugs (especially spiders) hate those so they will repeal them from your home.
One of the reasons why you should clean is because flies, especially super tiny ones, can land on surfaces. If they die in your home, they will attract spiders. Make sure you keep cupboard doors closed for this reason — thanks to Alfie’s mum for drumming this fact into me over the years!
Sometimes, little bugs entering your cupboards is unavoidable. In these cases, it is always good to line the bottom of your cupboards with plastic liners because they are easy to take out and clean. I recommend these bubbled ones over the straight-lined ones.
If you have floor mats, you should also shake them outside every day. And your home is carpeted, you should vacuum every day. It is also a good idea to vacuum down your seats once or twice per day, as microscopic crumbs can attract spiders, flies, and other bugs into your house.
Finally, I want you to keep in mind that bugs love living in environments where there are lots of places to hide. Make sure you organise the inside of your drawers with things like drawer organisers. Pack away unused clothes in vacuum bags and donate/throw away anything you don’t need.
Use a Spider Repellent
Monthly checklist for a clean home.
There are electronic devices available that stop spiders and other bugs from entering your space. Most of them work by emitting a signal that insects interpret as a warning, as if a giant predator is nearby. Sensing danger, spiders steer clear of the area.
My family have had success with these devices in their homes. At one point, my mum had one in every room so that she could appease my twin who is terrified of spiders! So, I am pretty sure they work. I recommend this one here.
Bomb Your Home
You should let off a bug bomb within your home if you suspect you have a bug issue. You can never be too careful! If our trailer has been stored up and we want to make sure there are no creepy crawlies in there, we will let off a bug bomb after we get the trailer out of storage.
In order for the bomb to work, you must open all of the cupboards, doors and lift the beds (if possible), but keep all windows closed. Once the bomb has been detonated, you can leave it to do it’s magic (which usually takes around four hours). You then have to open the windows for 30-minutes before it is safe to re-enter the room. Remember to read the instructions, as your bug bomb might be different!
If you don’t take care of the outside of your home, you’ll start to see more bugs and insects on the inside!
There will be residue on your surfaces. If you have used a bug bomb in your home, you must wash down any surfaces and wash your dishes/cutlery before using. Keep in mind that a bug bomb is a poison, so you have to take percussions.
Additionally, it is a good idea to clean your home after detonating a bug bomb because any dead bodies will attract more bugs. Some bugs, such as ants, are even attracted to the pheromones of other ants! After we had our ant problem, we found that new ants kept popping back up, so we had to get rid of their bodies ASAP.
The Ultimate Tip - Have a Roof Assessment
The bug prevention strategy you need: What I wish I knew sooner about having spiders in the home.
One of the main causes of house bugs (including spiders, ants, and wasps) are weathered roofs. If you suddenly have a massive influx of bugs in your house, I can pretty much guarantee that your roof is to blame. Seeing more insects in your home is usually one of the first noticeable signs that your roof is starting to deteriorate.
Prevention really is better than cure. A qualified roofer can help you to ensure that bugs do not become an issue in your home!
If you’re in Queensland, Australia, feel free to connect with my husband Alfie who is a professional roof restorer of over 30+ years. He’ll be sure to keep your home in its prime. You can contact him here.
Your Seasonal Care Guide
Wherever you are in the world, don’t forget to grab our free seasonal care guide! It walks you through the key steps to take outside so you can get the very best from your home inside. Download it here:
Thanks for taking time to read our tips! We look forward to sharing more next time,
