Question
Hi Charlotte,

I was reading one of your previous answers about using sugar for weed control (I am going to try it, by the way) and I noticed that you said you have a natural remedy for SPIDERS (yuk).  I have been fighting this problem for some time now, and so far it's been a losing battle.  I have a professional service spray my house inside and out every 3 months for spiders and I always have cans of bug spray on hand, but they still seem to find their way into my house (even found one in my pajamas once).  I don't like using the chemicals in the house because of my dog, and I would love to find a remedy that is safe not only for her, but for me and hubby too.  And if you have something for ants, not the fire ants, just regular old ants, that would be great too.  Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Debbie;
I am not sure what is is that works with spiders, but I had a ton of them, and since I started the organics inside the house, I don't have the spiders.
I searched for such a long time on the matural and organic control sites, and nothing was for spiders. Apparently they are considered "our friends"
I don't feel friendly toward them. I was even bitten by a Brown Recluse, in my own living room. It rurned out allright, but the doctors told me had I waited just a few more hours to come to the emegency room, I would probably have lost a leg, and possibly my life. I don't call that a friendly bug!
To keep cats from burying presents I don't care for, in my flower beds, I put chopped lemon peels in the flower beds.
I am told a trail of lemon juice across where little pesky ants come in your house, keeps them out. supposedly they hate lemon juice, and won't cross it.
Orange oil is the number one effective ingredient in fire ant control, so I scatter chopped up orange peels over the lawn in fire ant season.
It is the oil in the lemon peels cats don't like. I have had both cats and dogs that liked lemon flavored cakes and pies, so it has to be just the oil.
I couldn't open my windows because the cats used my hedges under my windows, for their mail box, and that uring smell in the house is awful.Since I started putting the lemon peel in my beds, not odors. Cats don't get in my beds.
I had bought every ct repelant on the makket, and one of those was little gel-looking pods, that you hang on the plants, and they are lemon scented.They din't even help.
I put little sprigs of Rosemary on each cabint and pantry shelf, under sinks, washer and dryer, fridge, etc, everywhere cockroaches can come in or hide,once a month. I never see a roach in my house.  I have them in the yard. They need to be there, because hey are great aerators in the lawn. I just can't abide one in the house.
I have a large container on each side of mt front door, and back doors.
Lavender grows in one, and other plants in the other. Lavender repells house flies.
So, what is in the house is rosemary, and lavender, and cedar scent. I also use lavender oil for aroma therapy, and lavender spray in the house, because it is relaxing.
So, the spiders, have to be recating to the lavender or the rosemary, or the cedar. I don't have cedar oil scent in my clostes all the time, but the rosemary os always there.
I use lavender body wash in my bath, and this summer I started also using lavender body mist, instead of my regular cologne. I go out when everyone else is being eaten by mosquitoes, and they no longer bote me. It' got to be the lavender body mist.
I also don't have any other kind of ant in my flower beds or in the house. I had a lot of little black ants in the flower beds, and they are not there anymore. Lemon peels and orange peels chopped is about all I use there, except cedar bark mulch.
I put cedar bark mulch all over my yard in early spring and again about June or July, to keep termites,and fleas and ticks out of my yard ( I have dogs too).Cedar also repels other insects.
The cedar bark repels a ton of insects, and it sifts down into the grass, and doesn't show, and it composts in 2 years, and noiurishes the soil.I put a small trail of cedar bark mulch arounf the foundation of the house. That is the only termite control we use.
It has to still have the cedar oil aroma to repel insects.
Instead of using cedar shavings etc in my closets, I get a small bottle of cedar oil at the health food store, and I just brush a little onto the poles in the close I hang clothes on. It lasts longer and cost a lot less than the little cedar things you buy to repel moths.When I think of all the things I used touse to repel and kill bugs, and weeds, and all the money I put into them,,,,,,,Geesh!!
All I ever had to do to be rid all of all those things, but anyway, I don't have them now.
I really enjoy being bug and weed free.
The only bugs in my lawn,and garden, are the beneficial ones I want there.
One lady thought the sugar killed the weeds. It doesn't, it enriches the soil, and weeds won't grow in rich soil.
I still use MiracleGro in my potted plants. I have a lot of containers in the yard. There is not as much soil in the containers, and it takes a little boost to feed the plants, because it won't leech in from the surrounding soil, but I always sprinkle a little sugar in after I feed, to keep those microbes alive.
I am more of a mind it is the rosemary in the house, that keeps the spiders away.I was not using as much lavender when I noticed I no longer saw a spider everytime I looked around.
Write any time you feel I can help.Charlotte