Surfgirl is allergic to spiders and spotting one by either of us, puts me on a mission to destroy, but we don’t use chemicals, especially since we have a dog in the house. Instead, I have a few simple things to help us cut down on spiders that we do find crawling around on the rare occasion.

Make sure your house is clean
a) Clean your room’s corners
b) Clean your window sills
c) Clean your door sills
d) Vacuum where you found spiders
e) Put food in containers
f) Take the trash out regularly
The Organic Alternative: OSAGE HEDGE Balls!

osage_hedgeball.jpgIn Iowa State University studies, they have not been proven to repel spiders or insects in houses or other buildings. However, they extracted several compounds from the osage orange that may have repellent properties. The benefit from osage orange may be better described as repellent to insects, thereby by not having any prey around (the insects), the spiders will leave or starve.

Current Studies are underway to confirm the repellent properties of compounds from the plants that may lead to the development of effective natural repellents. Hedge apples are very popular as a spider and insect repellent in the midwest, where they grow. So I would encourage giving hedge apples a try, they obviously work for some people. See: hedgeapple.com

Put one on waxed paper and put in a corner where you’ve seen spiders- generally two per room at most. Leave down for about 2 months and throw away.

For additional info – please check out About.com’s info Get Rid of Spiders Frugally