Keeping spiders out of the patio is probably one of the most difficult challenges. But, it may also be one of the most important if you fear these eight-legged creatures or if they creep you out.
Apart from the embarrassment, it can cause you when visitors or household members get cobwebs on their clothes or a spider suddenly runs up and down their body; spiders can also be a turn-off by hovering around your table during meals.
Spiders are mostly attracted to your patio in their quest for hunting games and food. However, it is also common to see spiders hopping around your patio, lurking in between furniture, and even making webs around its edges and corners.
Spiders build a web so that they can catch food. However, if there are no food crumbs, spiders may get confused and eat their web.
To keep spiders out of the patio, remove any food waste from the patio, clean constantly, and seal holes to prevent spiders from getting in. The key point lies in keeping everything clean, and a clean environment naturally will repel the infestation of spiders and some other pests.
You will learn other ways to keep spiders out of your patio and other objects, such as furniture and other outdoor accessories below.
Why do spiders stay on your patio?
Before learning how to keep away spiders from your patio, it is important to have a basic understanding of why they are there in the first place; some of the common reasons why spiders stay on your patios are:
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Dirt
By dirt, we don’t just mean all your dirty garbage; this also includes crumbs of food, meat, and other snacks you eat. Spiders hunt for food, and when you keep food crumbs and other dirt on your patio, you attract spiders.
Two things may attract spiders. The first is the dirty crumps themselves, and they are food for spiders; research has found that spiders hunt and eat human food.
In addition to hunting for food crumbs on your patio, spiders may also hunt other smaller insects who come to feast on your crumbs.
For instance, spiders love to eat ants, ants love to come for your crumps, and your patios may become a battleground for the Hunter and the prey.
In addition to active hunting, spiders may also make passive webs to catch insects who come to feast on your leftover crumps. So, dirt is a common attraction for spiders to your patio.
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Large native spider population in your area
If you stay in an environment where there is a large concentration of spiders native to that area, you must prepare to get their visits regularly and smiles; you are the one who migrated to their colony. And you’ll have to pay your dues and get ready for a long-term fight against these creatures.
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Spider and other insects hatching season
Many spiders have a seasonal life schedule. For example, spiders are born in the spring, have babies, and then die in the fall. So, it is very likely that you will find more spiders around your patio during their mating period.
Similarly, it is possible to have many spiders around when other insects also hatch new babies; since spiders are insect eaters, they might come around more often to eat other insects around your patio.
How to keep spiders away from your patio
There are several ways to keep spider away from your patio; some are just natural preventive measures, some involves the use of chemicals, and others require your creativity, learn some of these measures below:
1. Keep your patio clean.
As noted earlier, spiders would never thrive in a clean environment. However, from your child’s candy, patio furniture, and children’s toy, spider loves whatever creates a shadow of protection for them within your patio.
Denying them this easy access is a significant blow; keeping dirt and flinging things carelessly on your patio is like granting them a residential permit.
Keeping your patio clean requires more than action; you can also make strict rules that forbid bringing unnecessary objects into the area; Also, your patio should be cleaned regularly to prevent the accumulation of dirt and dust.
Cleaning your patio furniture, couches and rug is necessary; the dirtier they are, the more appealing they look to spiders and other bugs. Check the various way to make the patio and outdoor areas free of bugs.
Even if spiders attempt to reside within your patio, they will become discouraged if it is always clean, as it would deny them access to food, and a dirty area is always required to make their cobwebs.
2. Spray peppermint solution around your patio
Like citrus, vinegar, and other natural things, mint is an effective pest repellant. But unfortunately, almost all insects, bugs, and spiders find it offensive.
The good news is that using mint to repel spiders offers your double patio advantage. The first is a refreshing minty scent that will fill your patios. Second, your patio becomes dreadful territory to those cripple creatures with multiple legs.
To use mint, buy some peppermint essential oil, mix it with water, and then spray your patio and its surroundings. Alternatively, get some fresh mint crop planted around your patio; it repels them several meters away from you and freshens the breath around your home.
3. Use vinegar as your cleaning agent.
You can use several cleaning agents to clean your patio area, including rugs and furniture, but intentionally using vinegar keeps several pests and bugs away.
Apart from being generally toxic for pests and bugs, it is specifically bad news for spiders. Vinegar has been noted to contain acetic acid, which emits an unpleasant flavor and taste that the spider sees as highly offensive.
Apart from its good repellant effect, it has the advantage of not being poisonous to humans. You can safely apply it without the fear of irritation or any reaction; it could be safely classified as an organic control for spiders on your patio.
In a spray bottle, combine equal parts of vinegar and water to create a misting spray. Next, spray all about your patio, paying attention to the entrances where spiders may be coming in, the rugs, and under your furniture. This solution is also ideal for cleaning furniture, rugs, outdoor tiles, and other household items.
Since vinegar is a cleaning agent, you can kill two birds with a stone by cleaning your patio, couch with it, and rest assured that spiders will find it unbearable to stay.
4. Eliminate hiding spots.
Spiders need shelter, so remove anything that offers them a place to hide. Remove or trim any plants or bushes that are touching your home and patio and any shrubs growing near the windows. Keep grass mowed and weeds at a minimum.
Sweep up any webs and remove spider egg sacs (look for small brown or white balls). This will make it harder for spiders to find places to live near or on your patio, so they’re less likely to move into it.
Also, maintain good air circulation around your patio with fans and air conditioners. Spiders hate direct sunlight, so keep your area as exposed to the sun as possible as you can.
5. Mow the lawn regularly.
Spiders like to make their webs in tall grass, so keeping your lawn short prevents them from having a place to build their webs. Also, if you have pets or small children who play in your yard, make sure they don’t play in tall grass, attracting spiders.
If you cut your grass often, the spiders have less room to hide and will be forced to move away. Also, remove all dead leaves from around your patio and house.
If you have trees, dead leaves are a great place for spiders to lay eggs and build webs. So if you can’t get rid of them completely, at least pick up all you see lying on the ground or in your gutters.
6. Discourage spiders by killing them and removing their webs when you find it
Maintain a zero-tolerance culture towards spiders; when you see them scare and kill them; when you see their webs, they might have taken a lot of time, effort, and patience to lay, clear them off, and sweep the whole area.
You can also teach this idea to other household members and let everyone be on constant lookout.
You don’t have to give them breathing space, and it is wrong to have them laying and hatching eggs on your patio. It is a timely and continuous effort to clear your patio, look under furniture, raise objects, check the rugs very well, and dust any corner or walls you have around. By this, you deny them permanent habitation and the ability to reproduce.
7. Use citronella candles and torches.
You can keep spiders out of your patio using citronella candles and torches. Citronella has a strong scent that will deter spiders from entering the area where these products are placed, so if you light one up when you’re sitting outside, you should be able to enjoy your time without fear of being bitten by a spider!
These products contain an oil that smells like citronella, which many people associate with mosquito repellent, and mosquitoes love spiders. Citronella candles and torches will mask the scent of humans and other animals, making it harder for spiders to find a meal nearby and also keep mosquitoes away.
8. Add plants that spiders dislike around your patio.
Spiders are natural predators, which means they eat other bugs and insects. This is great for your garden but not so great for your patio.
If you want to keep spiders out of your patio, you can create an inhospitable environment for spiders and more welcoming to the plants and insects by using plants that spiders don’t like. Here are some tips:
- Plant mint around your patio: Spiders hate mint; generally, mint attracts beneficial insects and repels bad ones. The smell of mint will ward off cabbage, moths, ants, housefly, mosquitoes, and even mice.
- Plant marigolds in pots around your patio. Marigolds are another plant that spiders tend to avoid. You can also plant them directly in the ground if you have room, but they may be easier to care for in pots since they’re not as sturdy as other plants (like tomatoes).
- Plant basil near your deck or patio, so it doesn’t get too hot during the day (basil prefers shade). Basil is a favorite food of many butterflies and moths, which spiders will leave alone if they find them first.
- Roses are another plant that spiders dislike. Roses won’t attract cats like catnip does, but they will help keep spiders away from your flowerbeds. And who doesn’t love roses? They smell amazing and look beautiful too. Check here for other plants to repel spiders in your yard and on the patio.
9. Get rid of spider food sources.
Get rid of spider food sources. Spiders feed on insects and other small creatures—if there aren’t any bugs around, they’ll look elsewhere for food!
So take care of any outdoor pests like ants or mosquitoes by keeping them under control with an organic, non-toxic insect spray like Harris Spider Repellent Spray or Spiders On The Run. You can also use pesticides made specifically for spiders like TERRO Spider killer.
Use insecticides wisely. If you want to use pesticides to get rid of spiders, read the label carefully.
Spiders like to eat flies and other insects, so it will be hard for them to stay away if you’ve got a bunch of flies buzzing around your patio. Ensure there aren’t any piles of rotting food or dead bugs anywhere around your patio; that’ll help keep the spiders away.
Cut back bushes and shrubs near your patio, so there aren’t places for spiders to hide in the shade.
10. Use an essential oil diffuser.
A good way to keep spiders away is by using an essential oil diffuser on your patio. This will help keep spiders away because they don’t like the smell of eucalyptus or peppermint oils, which are two popular choices for outdoor use.
You can also plant mint plants around the perimeter of your patio to help keep them away, too.
You can put a few drops of peppermint, eucalyptus, or lavender oil into the diffuser and turn it on. This will help keep spiders out of your patio, as the strong scent of these oils repels them.
You don’t need to use a lot of oil; two or three drops should do the trick. Be sure not to use any citrus oil in your diffuser, as this will attract more spiders instead!
Suppose you want to go all out and make sure that spiders stay away from your patio for good. In that case, you can also sprinkle some ground cayenne pepper around the perimeter of your patio area to create a barrier between them and where you spend most of your time outdoors during the day or early evening hours.
How to keep spiders away from your patio furniture
Spiders have a sense of ideal home; their ideal home is clumsy, dark, and abandoned places. One perfect object on your patio that fits this description is your furniture. Learn how to keep spiders away from your patio furniture.
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Clean the furniture regularly
Keeping your furniture clean requires little of your time, and it doesn’t have to be an everyday affair; once in a week or two weeks should be enough to keep those creatures at bay.
However, while cleaning your furniture, you might need to wear a glove and probe its corners and any possible cracks or openings. These are areas where spiders are most likely to be found in your furniture.
If you find any webs, remove them, and this will signal to any spider residing there that this is not a good area to make a home. Special attention should also be given to underneath the furniture.
Not regularly cleaning your patio will be a waste of effort. Spiders can only be discouraged after persistent frustration over some time.
Finally, wash your cushions regularly to kill any eggs spiders may have laid around and keep your cushion looking their best. If you don’t have much time to spare, thorough shaking and dusting once in a while should be enough to pull the trick.
Make sure you do this somewhere away from your patio; if you do it on the patio, you might eventually have the spiders merely change location from your furniture to another secluded area.
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Be mindful of your furniture design.
Insects, bugs, and other furrier species enjoy a cluttered environment. However, due to the abundance of shade and moisture provided by stacks, boxes, and other trash, your furniture could be a welcoming haven for spiders and other unwelcome insects and bugs.
Make sure spiders find your furniture as uninviting as possible if there are few hiding spots for them to take refuge.
If you live in a place where there are a lot of spiders, you should keep this in mind while selecting your furniture sets. Spiders are more likely to be drawn to ornate decorations, high chair backs, and trellises than other designs.
Choosing a simpler design with limited corners and holes reduces the number of hiding spots for spiders and makes it more difficult for them to turn your furniture into a hunting ground.
Conclusion
If you already have your patio infested by spiders, consider a combination of cleaning and spraying with any of the agents listed above.
This article has intentionally not mentioned spraying with chemicals because of the potential harm it could cause pets, little children, and yourself in extreme situations.
You can consider using one or more of the methods above to repel and get rid of spiders from your patio. Cleaning is next to Godliness, and this is the first solution when getting rid of pests, mosquitos, and spiders away from your patio.
Regularly cleaning your patio will make it difficult for spiders to infest. Cleaning includes mowing your lawn and pruning your shrubs and plants.
