How to Get Rid of Spiders in Your House (DIY Guide)

Let's get the important part out of the way first: the vast majority of spiders in your home are completely harmless. Common house spiders, cellar spiders (daddy longlegs), jumping spiders, and wolf spiders may look scary, but they're not medically significant and actually do you a favor by eating pest insects.

The two spiders you DO need to watch out for in the US are:

• Brown recluse — Tan to brown with a dark violin-shaped marking on their back. Found mainly in the south-central US (from Nebraska to Texas to Georgia). They hide in dark, undisturbed areas like closets, attics, and storage boxes. Their bite can cause tissue damage.
• Black widow — Shiny black with a red hourglass marking on the underside of their abdomen. Found throughout the US, especially in southern and western states. They build messy webs in dark, sheltered areas like garages, woodpiles, and crawl spaces. Their bite affects the nervous system.

If you're seeing either of these species, take spider control more seriously and consider professional help.

• Vacuum cleaner — Your most effective spider removal tool. Vacuums up both spiders and their webs/egg sacs.
• Broom or web duster with an extension handle — For reaching corners and ceiling areas.
• Caulk — For sealing entry points.
• Sticky traps — Flat glue boards placed along baseboards. These catch spiders and also help you monitor what species you have.
• Outdoor lighting changes — Switching to yellow or sodium vapor bulbs (which attract fewer insects that spiders eat).
• Essential oils (optional) — Peppermint oil mixed with water in a spray bottle. Evidence is mixed, but some homeowners report success as a mild deterrent.

Step 1: Reduce Their Food Source

Spiders go where the food is, and their food is other insects. If you reduce the insect population in your home, spiders will have less reason to stick around.

• Switch outdoor lights to yellow or warm-toned LED bulbs — standard white lights attract insects, which attract spiders that build webs near lights.
• Make sure window screens are intact and doors seal properly.
• Address any other pest issues (ants, flies, etc.) that might be providing spider food.

Step 2: Remove Existing Webs and Egg Sacs

Go through every room with a vacuum or web duster. Pay attention to:

• Upper corners of rooms and closets
• Behind and under furniture
• Inside window frames and door frames
• Garage corners, especially near lights
• Basement and crawl space areas

Always vacuum up egg sacs — each one can contain hundreds of baby spiders. Immediately dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister outside.

Step 3: Seal Entry Points

Spiders enter through the same gaps as other pests. Seal gaps around:

• Window and door frames
• Where pipes and wires enter the house
• Foundation cracks
• Torn or missing window screens
• Gaps under doors (install door sweeps)

Step 4: Set Sticky Traps

Place flat glue traps along baseboards in rooms where you see spiders — bedrooms, bathrooms, basements, and garages are common hot spots. Check them weekly. Besides catching spiders, they help you identify what species you have. If you start catching brown recluses or black widows, escalate to professional help.

Step 5: Declutter

Spiders love undisturbed clutter. Cardboard boxes, piles of clothes on the floor, and stacked items in storage areas provide perfect hiding spots. Use plastic bins with lids instead of cardboard boxes. Keep closet floors clear. Shake out shoes and clothing that have been sitting undisturbed — this is especially important in brown recluse territory.

Step 6: Address the Exterior

Reduce spider habitat near your home:

• Move woodpiles, rock piles, and compost away from the house.
• Trim vegetation so it doesn't touch the house.
• Remove ground cover and leaf litter near the foundation.
• Clear away web-building sites around exterior lights, under eaves, and around windows.

• Regular cleaning — Weekly dusting and vacuuming in corners and behind furniture discourages web-building and removes egg sacs before they hatch.
• Keep outdoor lighting spider-smart — Move security lights away from doors and windows if possible, or switch to yellow/amber bulbs that attract fewer insects.
• Shake things out — In brown recluse areas, always shake out shoes, gloves, and clothing before putting them on. Check bed sheets before climbing in.
• Store firewood far from the house — And inspect pieces before bringing them inside. Black widows love woodpiles.
• Use plastic bins for storage — Cardboard boxes in dark closets and basements are prime spider real estate. Plastic bins with snap-on lids keep them out.

• Spraying pesticide everywhere — Residual sprays along baseboards work for some insects, but spiders walk on the tips of their legs and have very little body contact with treated surfaces. Most pesticides aren't very effective against spiders. Physical removal (vacuuming) and exclusion (sealing) work better.
• Killing every spider you see — Most house spiders are beneficial. They eat mosquitoes, flies, moths, and other pest insects. Unless you're in an area with brown recluse or black widow populations, consider relocating harmless spiders outside rather than killing them.
• Relying on peppermint oil — While peppermint oil sprayed in doorways and window frames might slightly deter some spiders, scientific evidence for its effectiveness is limited. It's fine as a supplement but shouldn't be your primary strategy.
• Ignoring egg sacs — One egg sac can contain 100–400 baby spiders. If you remove a web but leave the egg sac, you'll have hundreds of new spiders soon. Always remove and dispose of egg sacs.