Natural ways to keep insects and spiders out of my home????

[amyandelle]

It seems that insects and spiders LOVE my home. Luckily we rent the house and don't own it Anyway, we are stuck here until February but we are so sick of the bugs. We currently are having issues with Earwigs (we have killed 4 in the past 2 days) but we also have some Silverfish, Centipeids, and spiders. The landlord offered to have the house "bombed" but I DO NOT want that done. I am hoping that there might be a more natural way to keep the little buggers at bay. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Amy

[Annie]

I've heard that some people use peppermintl leaves or extract to repel some bugs, mostly ants I think. SOrry Not much help. We're starting to get spiders too as well as ant, so I'm interested in spider solutions. For ants Im going to use my sugar/borax fifety fifety in a small dish thing.

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[lenore80]

Earwigs (we have killed 4 in the past 2 days)

(Sigh) We found one in our bed two days ago!!! Gross!!!

The spiders will eat the earwigs. We found some in the webs in our basement.


There is this cool website called Whatsthatbug. It can help you identify different types of centipedes and other bugs. It also lets you know what ones have a painful bite!

Good luck with your house!

[mama_kass]

You want the spiders. They eat the bugs. If you get rid of the bugs the spiders will leave because they will no longer have food.

I used vinigar with GREAT success for bug problems. Spray it around the perimeter inside your home. Spray every couple of days. I hate earwigs. They bite.

[kelly81]

This stuff worked great when we were living in TX, and it's chemical free!!

http://www.cedarcide.com/

[EMT-Mom]

borax or baking soda works well.

[findingMYway]

lavender seems to deter spiders. you could use some lavender essential oil in some distilled water and spritz it around. or get a tart burner and put a few drops in and warm right before bed. this kept the spiders out of our daughters' room. we used to live in an apt with bad problem with spiders. i don't know about other bugs but i have heard eucalyptus around the entryways/window. and enzymes which are non toxic and you can spray those around the edges inside.

[MonieMama]

I found a great recipe for keeping spiders away using Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap and tea tree oil. Just Google for "natural spider spray" and a few different recipes should come up.

[*bejeweled*]

Originally Posted by mama_kass

You want the spiders. They eat the bugs. If you get rid of the bugs the spiders will leave because they will no longer have food.

I used vinigar with GREAT success for bug problems. Spray it around the perimeter inside your home. Spray every couple of days. I hate earwigs. They bite.

Hi Mama_kass, does this vinegar spraying work for controlling ants also?

Faith