How to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping for a Restful Night
By Marilyn Syarto
Contrary to popular belief, house spiders rarely crawl into our mouths at night when we are sleeping. Science backs the fact that most spiders have no interest in humans and they are likely terrified of us because of the vibrations our bodily functions make during slumber, such as breathing and snoring. They also aren’t bloodsuckers so they have no reason to bite us unless they’re spooked.
But we completely understand—we know you’ll get more shut-eye if you know how to keep spiders away while sleeping. And you may not want to hear this, but your empty bed makes a perfect spider hideaway spot, which we'll explain more in the next section. For these reasons, we put together this guide with natural solutions for how to keep spiders away while sleeping, so you can get to dreamland without the spider nightmares.
Photo via Tina Krenz
Why Do I Find Spiders in My Bed?
If spiders are so scared of us, why do they show up in our beds? They’re likely there by accident, not by choice. Spiders may use our dangling sheets and blankets as bridges that help them crawl up to what they think may be dark, comfy, undisturbed spaces where they can hide out. But usually, it’s more of a mistake on their part once they see how busy your bed can be.
If you see the rare spider rambling over your sheets, it’s likely scared to death and wants to get out of there as fast as possible. In reality, most spiders you’ll find indoors congregate in less active areas, such as basements, attics, garages, laundry rooms, behind large appliances, in high-up corners, inside wall and floor cracks, and under furniture that doesn’t jiggle or move too much.
Types of House Spiders
There are 45,000 known species of spiders in the world, but there are only a few of them that may make it indoors and under your sheets. It helps to know the different types of usually harmless (except for two of them) spiders that roam around your home. Here’s a list of the eight most common house spiders:
American House Spiders
Gray and small, these spiders are completely harmless, but you will know if you have them because they make the messiest and tangled webs of all spiders.
Daddy Longlegs
These bigger spiders are sweet and harmless (they have no venom), although they look scary because their bodies are tiny and their legs are so long. You’ll rarely—if ever—find them in a bed since it’s too confining for them and they prefer the outdoors, anyway.
Wolf Spiders
Wolf spiders are large and hairy with prominent eyes. It’s rare that you’d catch one of these indoors; they prefer insects to just about anything else, and they’re harmless to humans.
Jumping Spiders
These tiny black spiders jump when they move, but they’re super harmless. Their bodies may be small, but their powerful legs allow them to jump several times their body length.
Sac Spiders
Ranging from yellow to tan in color, sac spiders are armless if they bite and they prefer hanging on the ceiling in corners within their own sacs.
Hobo Spiders
Hobo spiders are small and brown like many other spiders. They like hiding in clothing so you may see one in your bed, but if they are scared, they may give you a harmless bite.
Black Widows
Notorious black widow spiders are black with an hourglass shape. If they are in your house (which is rare), they stay in dark, hidden areas. If you encounter one and it bites, head to the hospital to treat the pain.
Brown Recluse Spider
Like black widows, they will hide, rarely if ever in your bed, but do get to a hospital if you know that one bites you. These spiders have a violin-shaped mark on their back and are light brown in color.
Spider Benefits
Safety Warning
If you’re unsure what type of spider the bite came from and have severe pain or a growing wound around the bite or if you are having problems breathing or swallowing, seek medical help ASAP.
Photo via Kelly-n-Tony
How to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping Using Essential Oil
Spiders, much like other animals and rodents, tend to hate the smell of peppermint. If you like the fragrance, use this peppermint essential oil solution to deter spiders.
Tools and Materials Needed:
- Spray bottle
- Peppermint essential oil
- Water
Step 1: Fill Bottle
Fill the bottle with water.
Step 2: Add Oil
Add 15 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil to the water-filled spray bottle. Tighten the lid and shake the bottle to blend the water and oil.
Step 3: Spray
Spray the mixture in corners, around and behind your bed, and around your closet.
Step 4: Repeat
Repeat spraying the mixture every two days or so as the scent will dissolve.
Double Up on Peppermint
How to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping Using Vinegar
Vinegar is another low-cost spider deterrent—they don’t like the smell of the acetic acid in vinegar. We understand that most humans don’t necessarily love the smell of vinegar, either, so to mask the smell, you can always use citrus or peppermint essential oil in the spray bottle with the vinegar mix. Here’s what to do:
Tools and Materials Needed:
- Spray bottle
- White vinegar with at least 5 percent acetic acid
- Water
- Essential oils (optional)
- Cotton balls
Step 1: Mix Vinegar and Water
Mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water in the spray bottle. Secure lid and shake well to mix.
Step 2: Add Essential Oil (optional)
Add 10 to 20 drops of your favorite essential oil(s). Shake again to mix.
Step 3: Spray
Spray where you see spider webs or where you know spiders congregate in and around your bedroom. The smell will dissipate so make a it habit to spray once every two to three days to control the spiders.
For extra protection, you can also soak cotton balls in the solution and place them in corners or near spider webs. If you do not have pets or small children, you can also place small bowls of the solution in the same areas where you know there are many spiders. The spiders will take up a new residence, preferably out of your home.
How to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping Using Citrus Peels
Luckily, spiders hate the scents that we tend to prefer—citrus! You can use either lemon or a zesty mix of citrus fruits to keep spiders away. The easiest method is to use a spray bottle with water and the juice of half a lemon blended together, then spray when needed around your bed. Here’s another more involved method:
Tools and Materials Needed:
- Citrus fruit peels (grapefruit, orange, lemon, and/or lime)
- Food processor
- Labeled container
Step 1: Dry Peels
Let a few cups of citrus fruit peels dry in the sun.
Step 2: Grind Peels
Put the dry citrus peels in a food processor and grind them down to a granular form. Put the powder into a container and label it with a marker or adhesive label.
Step 3: Sprinkle
Sprinkle the powder around your bedroom every week or so to deter spiders.
More Tips to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping
Keeping spiders away from your bed involves a little bit of sleep hygiene. Do the following for spider-free sleep:
- Deep clean, dust, and vacuum away cobwebs, and declutter your home—especially the corners and under furniture where spiders like to hide and spin webs.
- Don’t store things under your bed if you have a spider problem—the dark, undisturbed, and cluttered space will draw spiders to under your bed.
- Use bed risers if you feel that spiders can latch onto your bed coverings too easily.
- Don’t eat in bed—it will attract bugs which, in turn, may attract a spider.
- Keep your bed and headboard a few inches away from the wall so spiders don’t have easy access.
- Shake out your pajamas, robe, and even your slippers and socks before getting into bed.
- Shake out your sheets, pillows, and blankets before getting into bed.
- Keep dangling sheets, blankets, and comforters from touching the floor to eliminate bridges for spiders to climb.
- If you see a spider perilously dangling over your bed, it’s likely a mistake on the spider’s part so be kind and relocate it outdoors.
What to Do If You See a Spider
Seeing one or two spiders every so often should never alarm you—unless it’s a black widow or brown recluse. If you are compassionate towards spiders, the easiest way to put them outside of your home without killing them is to capture them in a coffee can or cup with a lid and place them outdoors far away from your home.
When to Call a Professional
If you begin to see multiple spiders daily and they are becoming a problem in your daily routine, you may have an infestation. If the DIY methods we mentioned above don't work, then turn to a commercial spider repellent safe to use indoors. Your last resort should then be a professional pest control/extermination company that will eliminate the spiders and keep them from coming back.
Have you found spiders in your bed and were able to get rid of them? Let us know if you used any of the above methods to keep spiders away or if you have your own way of shooing them away.
Enjoyed the project?
Comments
Join the conversation
-
Los MiMis Armoire by Silvia Acevedo Eldredge Gloor on Aug 01, 2022
fantastic advices, thank uuuu so much for putzing all the information together🙏🙏🙏
-
-
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?