Natural Ways to Get Rid of Ants & Spiders in Your House
Ants and spiders that enter houses are a universal annoyance. People commonly find them disgusting, scary or at least an eyesore. You can rid your house of ants and spiders through several natural methods without having to rely on sprays and chemicals that might harm the environment or threaten your health.
Baby Powder
A natural way to kill ants you see in your house is to dust them with baby powder. The powder will naturally remove the moisture that the ants need to move and to live. Baby powder also acts as a natural repellent to ants and spiders. Sprinkle some in spots where you believe the pests are entering the house to drive them away and back outside.
Soapy Water
Natural soap, mixed with water in a spray bottle, also makes things uncomfortable in your house for ants and spiders. You can spray this mixture directly on the pests to kill them, as well as on all the surfaces in your house where you have seen ants and spiders. It leaves a soapy film that is hard for them to walk on. Use it in the cabinets or corners where the pests may be common, and spray the entryways they are using to enter your house. The soapy solution also removes the chemical trails that ants follow to food sources.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is not only a spice that many humans find irritating, but it can also serve as a repellent for pests like ants and spiders. Use cayenne pepper to leave a light film on the areas where you have seen the pests congregate, including the entry areas of your house. Ants and spiders will avoid coming near the spicy pepper — and therefore also your house.
Table Salt
Like the other methods, table salt can protect the areas where the pests are most common. Boil a few tablespoons of salt in a shallow pan of water to make a concentrated salt solution. Put this solution in a sprayer bottle and spray the places in your house that the pests are likely using to get in. Pay special attention to corners, cracks and holes such as those around pipes. Like the powder or the pepper, this will create a surface that the ants and spiders will try to avoid, as the salty water will irritate their skin, legs and mouth.
The Drip Cap
- Ants and spiders that enter houses are a universal annoyance.
- People commonly find them disgusting, scary or at least an eyesore.
- You can spray this mixture directly on the pests to kill them, as well as on all the surfaces in your house where you have seen ants and spiders.
- The soapy solution also removes the chemical trails that ants follow to food sources.
- Boil a few tablespoons of salt in a shallow pan of water to make a concentrated salt solution.
References
Writer Bio
Jean Asta has been a freelance writer for domestic and international clients since 2005. She also acts as a training consultant to businesses and nonprofit organizations in the southeast United States. Asta holds a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management and a Bachelor of Arts in English literature, both from the University of Georgia.
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- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
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