Spiders - Saint Paul,MN

I have never tried these before but I've heard they work. In Iowa at the farmers markets they sell things called Hedge Balls. They are some kind of plant - they kind of look like small green brains. Anyway, they are suppoed to keep the spiders away. Good luck.

OMG!!! i'm a total arachnidphobic...........i like the bird feeder idea! but no matter how many times you caulk or whatever, they will find a way in, you have more holes in your house than you realize, not to mention bugs can find a way up through your plumbing, through your roof............ooo my god now i got the hibby jibbies!!!

I hear you- I live in the country, AND have bird feeders, and have oodles of spiders as well- I have been looking up some natural solutions. I have a severe phobia of spiders as well- I have no control over how I feel- I can go into hysterics,crying- Every time I see one in the house, I call my hubby crying and say we have to move. Spiders aside, I love my house and love living in the woods and the country.
I am going to try sprinkling cayenne pepper around. I don't have pets tho, so there is no problem with that.
FYI- sprinkling peppermint oil around can help take care of mice- they don't like it!

HAve you ever watched Billy the Exterminator? I love that show-lol! I actually added his site to my Facebook account because I like it so much. They really do try to use all-natural things to rid of the buggies. Your post made me think of one episode where this couple had a bad case of the spiders in their log cabin home. I want to say the spray they used was derived from a plant they also use something similiar I think to get rid of wasp. Something in the herb paralyzes them within seconds and eventually kills them. I can't remember the name but if you go to his website I bet they make some reference to it.

hedge balls work for us.
i dont know if you can get them anymore though; you would have to look around. they are usually in the grocery produce section in the fall, and they are these bumpy green things that should have a sign that says "DO NOT EAT" or something. you put them around in your house, and spiders just stay away. they turn all dried up and brown and you would think they would mold and get squishy but they dont. they just get dry and brown. you probably would need one for every room in your house, and it might cause some "spider disturbances" whilst they move around and realize they dont want to be anywhere near the hedge balls, but it seems to work just fine for us!

try a health foods or natural foods store if theres one in your area (or drive to the nearest one!!) they might have something - ask them in the store they usually have a good idea of things that would help.
hope you have some other ideas from other people or something! :) :) good luck!

I shouldn't have read this...now I'm going to have nightmares. ICK. Good luck!

put a bird feeder and bird house outside birds eat spiders let nature take care of nature like they do in the country. ps birds also eat roaches and fleas and ticks and ants. :)

Find another bug guy. Mine uses all natural non-toxic spray, safe for kids & pets, smells really nice too - basically it's a mix of essential oils. Haven't had him in over a year and most of the spiders have stayed away; usually one of his treatments is good for 12+ months of spider free living!

Hedgeballs are amazing!! I use them every year. It is getting late in the season. We have a ton of spiders in our basement. I got 4 hedgeballs and placed them in different rooms and have not seen a spider since.
You can order them online. I dont know where you are in the Twin cities, but some health food stores carry them. I got mine at Village Market in Prior Lake.

We use those "monkey balls" --the seeds from a particular kind of tree, and place them around.

Generally, the spiders are around because there are other bugs to eat. So if you can eliminate the food source by sealing up cracks & places bugs can get into your house, the spiders will go away on their own.

Good luck.

OK -that's bizarre -especially since you live in a cold climate where most creepy crawlies should be well tucked away at this point. I am a complete arachnaphobe, so I would probably be sleeping in the streets by now!

I've heard eucalyptus is a natural spider deterrent. I love it and do keep it in my home, but I've never had a spider issue. Some places have had more than others -but nothing like you have going on. It sounds like you rent an apartment, and if that's the case, you should complain to the landlord.I realize this may require chemicals you're trying to stay away from, but it sounds as though you have some sort of wood infestation or something where they're breeding, hatching and living in the walls. Have you spoken to any of your neighbors? Do they have the same problem? You could also google "natural insecticide" + your area to see if there are any pest control companies that offer natural options. Many of them do now. Years ago I had a flea problem and a cat, and I had a pest control company come out and use an all-natural powder and spray and they were gone IMMEDIATELY. Good luck!

Spiders have to eat, just like everyone else. If there's no food, they'll look elsewhere. In otherwords, there may be a bug problem in the building, either above or below ground that is providing food for the spiders. Also, some spiders like moisture. Be sure there are no leaky pipes anywhere, including laundry hoses, etc. Check and fill with caulking or insulation, places like around water pipe holes, laundry room pipes, holes in screens, etc. If the furnace ductwork isn't tight below the building, spiders may be crawling up thru the ductwork into your floor registers. Require that your maintenance people check the basement areas for places they can get in. Worse case, they could pay you (or you pay) to stay in a motel for 1-2 days (with your pets) while they spray, however, if the source of the problem isn't found it will be a matter of time before they come back. I'm petrified of spiders, myself.

Every exterminator I have ever talked to says there isn't much you can do about spiders. All solutions will be temporary. Basically, just dust every corner and windowsill, and vacuum once a week. This will bring them out of hiding where they can be sucked up. Wish I could help more!