Some Things in Nature:
I hate spiders…actually I am terrified of spiders. I can deal with many things in this world but not eight legged creepy things! I’d rather play with a wild copperhead snake. That having been said; there are just somethings in this world that we may not like but they actually serve a purpose. Sadly, spiders are one of them. They kill a fairly wide range of pests that we all like less…Mosquitos and flies for starters.
So when my back porch was starting to see an increase of these vile webbed beasts; I bargained with them.”You stay on your side of the porch and I will stay on mine. Everyone lives and all will be well in the world.” I also added that as long as they stayed outside they could eat whoever they caught. It sounds foolish to bargain with an arachnid but hey, I am one of those people who think all things in nature understand one another on some sort of level. I promise the spiders did not talked back!
They Broke the Truce First:
Well, when one of the little fangers decided to come into my home and bite the back of my leg, (which did end up require antibiotics.) I started getting really concerned about the health of my family. My husband and I both were more concerned about our daughter. So me being the homeopathic, tree hugger that I am; I did what any rational anti-pesticide parent would do. I took to Google! Oh that repository of knowledge that our generation would probably be lost without.
I do not like to use chemicals and pesticides in our home. Especially where the baby plays and our cat eats. I also believe that the mosquitos must die! Killing all of the spiders unless inside was totally out of the question. I searched for repellants. I just want them to stay outside. I came across another blog that had 3 DIY methods for repelling spiders. I used one of these methods and I will post a link to her blog at the bottom of this recipe for spider repellent.
Love my Essential Oils:
I am a firm believer in essential oils for anything I can use them for. This was another one of those fun applications where I could kill two birds with one stone. Make my home smell great and not have eight legged creepies! According to Mrs.Happy Homemaker, spiders hate the smell of peppermint and citrus. Personally I like that combination, geez the nerve of some critters! However, this is where the information ended, like just use one or the other; mix them…well I did further research to confirm these findings. It was backed by other sources, so I decided to play mad scientist and mix peppermint, pink grapefruit and orange together. It smells great! Just follow the directions below.
DIY Spider Repellent:
What You Need:
1 Spray bottle
Essential oils: Peppermint, Citrus
Water
Dishsoap: I used 1 TBSP
Mixing Instructions:
Fill your spray bottle up to just below the neck. Mine held 4c of water. Now add your dish soap. I used 15 drops of Orange essential oil, 15 drops of Pink Grapefruit essential oil and 30 drops of Peppermint. The blog that I used suggested 15 drops of EO per 2 cups of water. I wanted a little extra scent to mine. Do what works best for you and your family. Then shake to mix well and before each use. Yes the water will suds a bit at first but it works.
Reference: http://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/diy-natural-spider-repellent-3-ways/
Happy Spider Hunting!!!
Lost in Motherhood 