What helps against spiders in your home?

‘A world without spiders’ may sound like a dream to anyone with a spider phobia, but it would quickly spell disaster: without spiders, the ecological balance would be severely disrupted, as they play an important role as natural pest control agents. Many of the insects eaten by spiders attack our crops – if their populations were not kept in check by spiders, it could even mean crop failures in the worst-case scenario.

Of course, we’re very grateful to spiders for these pest removal services. Nevertheless, most of us prefer them to stay where they belong: outdoors, rather than in our homes. But these are exactly what attract them when winter approaches and it simply becomes too cold for them outside.

Preventing spiders from entering your home

To prevent spiders from taking up residence in your home, you can take the following steps:

Install insect screens

It’s logical that blocking their way with a physical obstacle means that spiders and other creepy crawlies have no chance of entering your home. The most effective weapon here is an insect screen (often also called a ‘fly screen’) that you install in every window and door frame and any ventilation shafts. 

The advantage of these insect screens is, of course, their year-round effect: they reliably keep out not only spiders in winter, but also flies, wasps and mosquitoes in summer.

Seal any cracks and crevices

Some domestic doors aren’t completely flush with the floor at the bottom – and a small gap is all it takes for a spider to sneak in. You can prevent this with devices such as door seal strips or draught excluders.

These also come with additional benefits: your home will then be better insulated against noise and will require less heating as the warmth will stay inside. So if you’re already planning to install insect screens, it’s best to find a solution for any gaps in your doors at the same time.

Turn off your lights

Lights on your balcony or through your window frames attract insects. More insects means more spiders, as they cannot resist this plentiful food supply. So try to avoid permanent outdoor lighting wherever possible and use motion sensors or lamps with timers.

Keep your home clean

A messy, dirty home is also a paradise for all sorts of creepy crawlies, so regular vacuuming and tidying not only makes spring cleaning easier, but also attracts fewer insects and spiders.

Natural odours

You can also repel spiders: they avoid the smell of lemon juice or vinegar. So fill a spray bottle with half water and half vinegar and spray your balcony door frame (especially the floor area) and window frames from the outside. This also works with essential oils such as peppermint or lavender; and if you don’t want to prepare this infusion yourself, you can simply buy a ready-made water-based anti-spider spray from hardware stores.

This solution is inexpensive and easy to implement, but of course there is a downside: the effect evaporates after a while and you will need to repeat the procedure regularly.

Getting rid of spiders in your home

If you spot a spider in your home, there are two ways of getting it back outside:

Glass and paper

Here’s how to catch a spider using a glass and a piece of paper:

• Prepare the materials: take a glass or other transparent container and a piece of thick paper (for example, an index card) or very thin cardboard.

• Put the glass over the spider: carefully place the glass over the spider so that it’s enclosed. Move slowly so you don’t scare it and it doesn't escape.

• Slide the paper underneath: now lift the glass just one or two millimetres on one side and slowly slide the paper underneath. Make sure it slides flat along the floor and the spider can ‘climb’ onto it. Once you’ve pushed the paper completely under the glass and are holding it on firmly, the spider is safely trapped inside.

• Take the spider outside: keep the opening of the glass tightly sealed with the paper and carefully carry it outside.

• Release the spider: remove the paper and tilt the glass slightly to the side to release the spider.

Spider trap

If you prefer not to get too close to these eight-legged creatures, a spider trap is a viable alternative for gently catching them and transporting them outside. This device is a kind of gripper with a pick-up tool at the end that can be operated via the handle – similar to litter grabbers used to pick up rubbish from the ground.

Unlike these, however, spider traps don’t have grippers on the other end, but either bristles that enclose and hold the insect or a kind of container that you put over it and close using the handle. This is basically the same as a glass and paper, but the long gripper arm allows you to keep some distance between you and the spider.

This method is animal-friendly and easy to implement – and you’ll find countless such spider traps available to purchase online (and here, as is often the case, it’s better to have one and not need it than to need it and not to have one).