Spiders can be unwelcome visitors to your house. They weave unsightly webs all over the place, they can bite and if you suffer from a fear of spiders they may trigger arachnophobia. But you don’t have to destroy these creatures. You can actually get rid of spiders without killing them.
You can get rid of spiders without killing them
Why shouldn’t you just kill the spiders in your house? Here is why:
- Not all spiders are dangerous. Spiders have a terrible reputation because of how they are portrayed in the media. In reality, only a handful of spiders are considered truly dangerous to humans, such as black widows and brown recluses. Most spiders are not out there to intentionally harm you. They are not bloodsuckers like mosquitoes, meaning they have no real incentive in trying to get to you when they are a lot smaller than you and vulnerable. They would like to be as far away from you as possible, and they will only attack if you intentionally or accidentally harm them.
- Spiders are natural pest controllers. Spiders primarily feed on insects. Their diet includes common household pests like flies and mosquitoes. You don’t want to kill spiders because they may help protect your property from these pests, who you can consider more dangerous because of their ability to spread diseases.
- They can help avoid the use of pesticides. You get rid of pests by simply buying commercial insecticides and spraying them all over your property. This does work, but it also puts your health at risk. Chemical exposure can lead to a variety of symptoms such as headaches and vomiting. If you don’t kill the spiders on your property, they may help get rid of pests naturally and prevent you from using toxic chemicals.
How to get rid of spiders without killing them
1. Lead the spiders out with a flat object
If you want to get rid of spiders without killing them, you can just lead them outside. If they are outside, they won’t be able to harm you. They may also be able to help protect your garden and the rest of your house’s exterior from common plant pests.
This method works best if you see a spider on a wall near a door or window. You place a flat object like a piece of paper strategically, so it connects the spider to the door or window. Let the spider crawl on the flat object until it goes outside on its own through the door or window.
2. Use a small broom and a dustpan
You don’t want to touch spiders directly. After all, most of them are still venomous. Some are venomous enough to ruin your skin and send you to the emergency room. Use a small broom or brush to avoid direct contact. Sweep the spiders into a small dustpan and then throw them out.
As long as they are outside, they won’t be able to hurt you. They can hurt your garden pests instead and help you with gardening biological control.
3. Try a small and weak vacuum cleaner
For some people, brooms and dustpans still require some form of close contact that they are not comfortable with. If you want to be a little further away from the arachnids, use a vacuum cleaner. But take note that this may hurt or kill the spiders.
If you are going to use this method, make sure to use a small vacuum cleaner with less sucking power compared to the bigger ones. This will help prevent harming the spiders who are not actively doing anything bad to you.
4. Learn the cup and paper method
You can get rid of spiders without killing them with a cup and paper. The idea is simple — you capture the spider by placing a bowl, cup, glass, jar, or other similar objects over it. Once you do so, slide a piece of paper into the object, so you will be able to lift the object up without the spider escaping.
This method works best if the spider you want to catch and release outside of your house is on a horizontal and flat surface. You will be able to slide a piece of paper into the cup with ease.
5. Grab the spiders with a plastic bag
This method will require you to be up close and personal. But it’s still safe because you have a plastic bag separating your hand and the spider troubling your house. To use this method, put your hand inside a plastic bag, so you can use the plastic bag like a glove. Grab the spider with your plastic bag glove and then invert the bag to trap the spider inside.
You can then throw away the plastic bag in a garbage can outside your house. But you can also just empty the plastic bag outside if you don’t want to litter or throw away plastic.
6. Research natural alternatives to chemicals
There are home remedies for your spider problem. Some remedies can kill spiders, like peppermint oil mixtures and vinegar solutions. But there are also remedies that will help get rid of spiders without killing them.
One such remedy is the garlic-water mixture, which has a strong smell that repels spiders. Use whole cloves or crushed ones and mix them with water. Put the resulting mixture in a spray bottle and spray directly on the spiders or on the spots where you suspect them to be hiding. Take note that the effectiveness of this method is very limited, and it may straight-up just not work for severe spider infestations.
7. Keep your house clean and free of pests
There are spiders in your house because they can find food in it. In other words, you have other household pests that are sustaining the spider population. One way to get rid of spiders without killing them is to get rid of their food source. Get rid of the other pests on your property, including ants, cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes.
If spiders can’t hunt for prey on your property, there will be little to no reason for them to stay there.
You really should avoid killing spiders
You don’t want to kill spiders because they are not out there to intentionally harm you. If you let them thrive outside your house, they can also help with controlling outside pests like flies and mosquitoes.
There are a lot of ways to get rid of spiders without killing them. You can deal with the spiders directly with brooms, vacuum cleaners, and plastic bag gloves. But you can also deal with them indirectly by spraying repellents around your house and keeping your property pest-free.