Spiders are largely harmless, yet the unexpected sight of one in your home may cause you to scream in terror. While most do not bite and will gladly run away instead — some do. The venom of a black widow or a brown recluse spider can be dangerous. To keep spiders away — a lavender plant in your home may be the answer to repel these pests.
If you have a fear of spiders or live with someone who does, doing what you can to prevent them from getting into your home can help quell the fear. Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, is one of the most common fears, according to the Cleveland Clinic, with 3 to 5 percent of people living with the phobia.
You can remove spiders with natural remedies like essential oils and spices, such as cinnamon and vinegar, and some even leave rolling tobacco around the home. However, by using a lavender plant to repel spiders, you’ll create a peaceful and relaxing environment in your home while keeping those pesky spiders at bay.
Spiders and lavender
Spiders are known for not liking lavender. Containing linalool and linalyl acetate, two compounds that repel spiders and other insects, lavender is a natural deterrent for spiders. When a spider encounters lavender, it doesn’t like the scent and is less likely to venture any closer. The plants won’t kill spiders, but it will deter them. It will also prevent them from making a nest in your home. That’s why it’s a good idea to place lavender plants around your front and back doors as well as around windows or any other gaps.
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When planting lavender bushes as a spider repellent, you can plant them in your garden or a container on your porch. However, these plants need a lot of sunlight, so if you have a covered porch, they won’t do well there. Instead, you can try to place them along a walking path that leads to your door. The more lavender plants, the greater the deterrent effect — so the more, the better.
Keeping lavender plants indoors
If you already have spiders in your home and want to shoo them away by using lavender plants, place the plants in areas where you have seen spiders. Lavender plants grow nicely indoors as long as they get enough sunlight. They typically need at least 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight daily.
Alternatively, you can use lavender essential oil in a diffuser to let the scent permeate through the air. Another way to use lavender oil is to mix 10 drops of it with water in a spray bottle. This will create an easy-to-use spray for areas where spiders are most active. An added boost is that, unlike chemical pesticides, lavender won’t harm the environment. Plus, lavender’s calming scent has a positive impact on our mood and well-being. Yet, while lavender plants are non-toxic to humans and an eco-friendly solution, they can be toxic to dogs and cats, so you may want to avoid keeping the plants inside if you have pets.
