Spiders are a nuisance to every household; thus, there’s a need to eliminate them. Spiders come in different sizes and shapes, and many people let their imaginations get the better part of them when handling spiders. Some people imagine that spiders can be poisonous upon biting, while others are just scared.
However, the truth is that house spiders are harmful. Because honestly, your skin will get itchy or even swell up in case of any bites. That’s why most people lose it upon seeing a spider. Another frightening nightmare is that of a spider crawling all over your face when sleeping at night. Just thought of this will probably give you insomnia.
Unsurprisingly, an average individual consumes nearly four insects every year through their mouth while sleeping. It’s a cliche that insects come around at night because they feel more secure. Although the stomach acids will dissolve anything that goes down your mouth, it helps to keep spiders away. Meanwhile, adequate night sleep will go a long way to enhance your body functions.
What Attracts Spiders to Your Bedroom?
The truth is that house spiders are harmful. Because honestly, your skin will get itchy or even swell up in case of any bites. That’s why most people lose it upon seeing a spider. Another frightening nightmare is that of a spider crawling all over your face when sleeping at night. Just thought of this will probably give you insomnia.
It is better to take precautions to prevent spiders in your bedroom. Therefore it makes sense to know first how these spiders get in your bedroom so that you know how to avoid spiders in the first place and take measures accordingly. Generally, feeding on insects is the number one reason which lures spiders to your bedroom. But here are few other reasons for spiders to invade your room:
1. Garbage
2. Stagnant Water
3. Old Newspapers & Magazines
4. Untidy Storage Boxes
5. Houseplants
6. Unattended Garden
7. Food Items
8. Leaking Bathroom and Kitchen Sinks
9. Tiny Holes or cracks Near Doors and Walls
10. Unclean Garages and Basements
Spiders normally make their way to those places where you seldom go. Since these places are visited less often by you, they tend to become untidy. That is the reason why we often see cobwebs near basements, garages or other ignored spaces of our homes.
15+ Surprising Ways to Keep Spiders Away From Bed While Sleeping
1. Avoid Eating in Bed, Unless Sick
I know this sounds a little bit ridiculous, especially if you are one of those people who prefer breakfast in bed. However, if you are serious about keeping spiders away from your bed, you need to stop eating in your bed unless it is vital.
Most people tend to carry snacks to their beds; however, that is a bad idea. It doesn’t matter how cautious you are while eating; you’ll leave crumbs on the bed or floor. Even if you carefully move them with your hand, some will remain.
As a result, spiders start climbing onto your bed. If you intend to keep spiders at bay, it’s best to avoid eating in your bedroom completely. If possible, make it a habit never of carrying food to the bed. If you must, make sure to embrace etiquette while eating. Consistently use a tray and bend forward while eating. Clean up once you’re done eating to get rid of the remains.
Unavoidable circumstances could be when you are sick and you can’t move out of bed quickly. Eating in bed is a bad practice because you will always leave food crumbs, which attracts spiders.
2. Clear Underneath Your Bed
Upon stuffing your beds underneath, you’ll be inviting spiders and other insects. This is a common mistake most people make – throwing stuff under the bed. It’s a no brainer that dirty environments are a breeding place for spiders, and stuffing your bed’s underneath with empty boxes, shoes, and wrappers is a bad idea.
Occasionally clean the space under your bed and get rid of all the dirt, including items that aren’t in use. By doing so, you’ll be eliminating spider webs and their breeding areas. You can do this at least once a week to enhance the cleanup process. When you leave the dirt to accumulate, the chances are that you’ll find it difficult to clean under your bed. Also, you may not get rid of all the spider webs.
3. Seal Every Tiny Opening
Spiders will always find their way through the tiny corners of your house. For this reason, you need to seal off all small holes in the walls and corners through which spiders can enter your home. Even if you’re running on a busy schedule, you need to find some time to seal off the tiny crannies in your house, especially those that can allow entry of spiders and other insects.
Make sure to seal all types of gaps, including the holes on the apertures of windows, cracked sealants, electrical wiring, and cracks on the window screens. You can use these areas using tape or caulk. The latter is more effective for tiny gaps and cracks in your house.
4. Leverage Bed Risers to the Fullest
Spiders will find it easy to crawl up to you if the distance between your bed and floor is relatively small. It will also help ensure that the headboard does not cling directly to the wall – always leave some space behind to prevent spiders from climbing up your bed.
Most importantly, if the bedposts aren’t convenient to lift the bed above the floor, consider using a set of bed risers. They will help raise the entire bed off the ground and create a significant gap between preventing spiders from crawling up to your bed.
5. Rearrange Your Bedchamber Quite Often
Bedrooms are often overlooked in most households. This is because they are seldom used, unlike the living rooms. However, it’s essential to declutter your bedroom once in a while and do away with all the things that are no longer useful. You’ll also need to empty the drawers to check for spiders or other insects.
Spiders tend to harbor in such areas, which is why you need to declutter the space to keep it clean. You’ll be amazed by the amount of dust that builds up on top of these surfaces. Beginning from the floor, declutter everything and dispose of old magazines. And because spiders camouflage from the sun, you may want to leave your window open throughout the day.
6. Use Tobacco Solution
You may have never known this, but tobacco can also help keep away spiders. And using tobacco to drive away spiders is relatively simple. All you have to do is soak the tobacco in hot water, then mix the solution with 11/2 cups of dishwashing lemon soap. Ensure that the solution is mixed well and then transferred into a spraying bottle—Spray around your bed using the solution.
7. Make it a Habit to Wash Fruits
Spiders and other insects like fruit flies love any place with fruits. For example, insects love grapes a lot, and this might attract spiders.
Sure, most farmers use insecticides, which should be able to keep away these insects even after they are harvested, but you never know whether a farmer used insecticides on any fruit you buy.
The safe option is to wash the fruits you buy from the market thoroughly before you can store them in your tray of fruits. That way, you will limit the chances of spiders hovering around your fruits.
8. Try Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is one of the effective and budget-friendly methods to eliminate stubborn spiders from your house. Peppermint is a turnoff to insects, especially spiders. It’s also considered a natural insecticide by many households and very useful for keeping insects at bay.
Compared to other chemical pesticides, peppermint is far much better. It is safe, convenient, and natural. For complete effectiveness, you need to dilute it first before using it. Mix it with water before pouring it into a spray bottle. You may then spray the peppermint oil in areas where spiders have been infested. This should keep the spiders away from your bed.
9. Use Vinegar and Keep them at Bay
Another natural insecticide you can use to keep spiders at bay is vinegar. Vinegar incorporates acetic acid, which is regarded by many as effective against spiders. Similarly, you need to dilute the vinegar with water before use for efficiency.
It’s also worth noting that vinegar has an unpleasant smell. Therefore, it’s best used at night, and you must also absorb the odor. Even so, vinegar is entirely safe, so you don’t have to worry about the safety of your household upon spraying vinegar in the house.
You can also use vinegar as an insecticide. Acetic acid is always powerful on spiders and keeps them away. To use this remedy, all you have to do is mix the vinegar in water and transfer it into a spray bottle. Use the spray bottle to spray around your bed, most specifically those where the spiders like hiding.
10. Clear the Garden and Around Your House
It starts from outside because the reality is that spiders will come from outside to invade your house. So it is essential to begin by cleaning your garden to give these little creatures zero chances of coming close to your bed.
The most common way to eliminate spiders from your garden is to clear and prune your garden. Additionally, it would help if you kept your plants some distance away from your house. You must also ensure that your home is clean – if there are shrubs, be sure to clear them.
11. Keep Your Bedding Clean
As mentioned before, spiders are more attracted to dirty environments. Therefore, it’s essential to keep your bedsheets clean at all times. Wash them regularly to keep insects at bay. Failure to do so, you’ll be inviting spiders to your bed, or even worse, they serve as their breeding places. You wouldn’t want such to happen to your bed, so maintain high levels of hygiene. Also, make sure to turn your mattress occasionally to eliminate spiders at all costs.
12. Clean the Entire House
If there are spiders in your house, it could be that their infestation areas are occupied. Therefore, there’s a need to perform a deep clean of the entire household. Starting from your bedroom, it’s essential to work your way all over the house. A thorough deep clean will go a long way to eliminate spider infestation.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t something where you can take shortcuts; ensure that you’re doing it right. Pay attention to every corner in your house, as they tend to harbor all kinds of insects. Ensure that you enclose whatever you find in an airtight garbage bag and toss it to the trash bins. Do not place it beside the wall as they can easily crawl back inside the house.
13. Use Conkers to Turn Off Spiders
Again, conkers are a great way to eliminate spiders naturally. Conkers are presumed to contain certain substances that are a turn off to spiders and insects in general. This chemical is unpalatable to spiders, making it more useful for their elimination.
But are conkers a threat to spiders? Well, natural substances such as horse chestnuts are incredibly potent for eliminating spider settlements. All you have to do is to place horse chestnuts in the crannies of your house, where spiders are more likely to infest. Put a few holes in them if possible to further let out any chemicals. Even if it doesn’t work for you, it’s worth giving it a try.
14. Get an Electronic Pest Repellent
Another popular and budget-friendly option is the use of an electronic pest repellent to eliminate insects. Such devices are beneficial, and all you need to do is to plug them into the socket. It’s easy to operate, and you can use it to keep away nearly all insects, including rodents.
This repelling device incorporates electromagnetic and ultrasonic waves to get rid of pests. Not only are these pest repellents effective, but they can also cover a significant area of the house. Even more, this device is entirely safe for your entire household, so you don’t have to worry about kids in the house.
15. Get Yourself a Cat
Besides being pets, cats can also help with some “dirty work” like catching spiders, especially when they are significant. Having a cat in your home makes it hard for spiders or any other insects to make a camp in your house. Now you know that cats can also serve as a natural remedy to getting rid of spiders in your home, apart from being pets.
16. Purchase a Bed With Legs
Even though you have taken other precautions to keep spiders away from your home, you need to ensure that they don’t reach you even if they find their way in your bedroom. One of the remedies you want to try out is to purchase a bed with raised legs or attach legs if you do not have one. The idea is not to give the spiders any way to climb onto your bed.
Bottom Line
I get it – keeping spiders away from your bed while sleeping can be a daunting task. For chrissake, they are stubborn creatures, and they are very daring. However, with the tips I have provided in this post, you can get rid of spiders and never encounter them next to your bed while sleeping.