effective spider repellant

[fruitful]

my 14yo daughter has taken a dislike to everything creepy and crawley. She seems to always have spiders and other insects in her bedroom and it had become a rather large issue. A few years ago in another house she was bitten by a spider (we think) and had a horrible and painful blistery patch come up on her arm and ended up having injections and creams and all sorts before it went away so it’s kind of understandable that she doesn’t like spiders/insects.

Anyway I suggested she try putting dried bay leaves around her room as I’d heard they are good at repelling things in cupboards etc. It was because I’d managed to score a bay branch at the Gawler Produce share and had dried all the leaves.

Well, she took an ice cream container full of leaves and literally spread them everywhere in her room, she told me when she put them under her bed a daddy long legs crawled up the wall and a huntsman ran our from under there.

I’m happy to say it has been nearly two months and she has not had any creepy crawlies in her room. It’s taken a bit to get used to the leaves all over when I go in her room and there is a lingering bay leaf smell in her room but it is quite mild and acceptable.

:clap:

I’ve just put some leaves in hot water in a jar and have them sitting out in the sun, hoping that I can make a spray that we will be able to spray on the window screens and around doorways and maybe I won’t have to purchase surface spray anymore. I don’t buy a lot but we do get those big black ants around and they come in the house in the nicer weather so I always spray the doorways in spring summer and autumn every couple of weeks. Planning to grow a bay leaf tree somewhere here now!!!

[Kristy]

That is really interesting Fruitful and good to know, I will be keen to hear how you go with your bay leaf spray. I’d prefer a more natural product, rather then surface spray.

I have heaps of danny long leg spiders, which don’t bother me, but I don’t like the other chunky ones!

[Jeanie]

Son was bitten by white tail last year had an op big scar down leg on going probs.

Every year I get inside of house walls sprayed with pyrethem its a deterrent to spiders and flying insects its a powder would not get it treated if harmful to us I was told white tails breed in the roof cavity so that gets treated also

[Bel]

Thanks for sharing fruitful! I recently planted out our bay tree that we moved in a pot from the last place. The rabbits are enjoying the lower leaves, but it’s put on a new spurt of growth, so I’m hoping it will take off. Hopefully I’ll have extra to share soon.

[lavman]

That’s good to know fruitful, maybe the spray that you make up will work in the vegie patch as well to deter other insects.

[fruitful]

:wave:

WOW lavman,

I never thought of that, imagine a millipede/earwig/ant repellant, that would be THE BEST. Must go and give that jar an encouraging shake.

Bel, do you mean that you will have bay leaves of bay trees to share???

Kristy – I have nothing against daddy long legs except that they seem to reproduce faster and more prolific than even rabbits,and huntsman spiders cos they don’t really have a big messy web area although it’s kind of creepy when they are on you!!

I keep all of my things off the floor because we do tend to get white tails here but I’ll spread bay leaves under beds and in cupboards and other out of sight places in our general living areas just to be safe.

[Bel]

I hope so fruitful – if it keeps growing well, then I should have plenty of leaves to share. I wonder if the trees grow well from cuttings too? Being that they are quite a thick/hard leaf, I wonder whether steeping them in oil, or on the stove on a low heat might be a good way of drawing out the essential oils?

[earthwalker]

The most effective spider repellent is lemon oil. Mist a bit on your fluffy duster (or on a rag wrapped round a broom) and go round all the corners, under beds and around windows. Learned this from Shannon Lush’s book, and it works.

[fruitful]

ha ha, Bel, I read your comments and it didn’t make sense til I realised I’d made an error in my last post, I meant to ask if you’d have bay leaves OR bay trees to share :laugh:

earthwalker – that’s a good tip but what is lemon oil, do you mean steeping lemon zest in oil or more like a fragrant or essential oil? That would certainly be something I’d try in the up high places if this other little experiment of mine doesn’t work.

[earthwalker]

Essential oil is the best. I can’t see why you couldn’t try other things, I have used lemon essence when I ran out of oil. I think it is the strong fragrance of the lemon that repels spiders and insects.

[fruitful]

just to update you on my bay leaf spray, I managed to get a really nice smelling spray from the jar I left in the sun and was able to put it to the test as we had some hot weather so I gave the dogs their food inside and sprayed the door way, it only worked while the liquid was present, the ants didn’t cross the barrier until the spray dried out and then they were in to hassle the dogs for their bones. Needless to say I got out the surface spray and stopped the little blighters in their tracks!

I will still try the spray on pot plants and the like when the creepy crawlies appear in the garden and see if it works at all.

The leaves in my daughters room seem to have lost their effectiveness and so we will need to get some trees planted out to ensure a good and regular supply of bay leaves for the house. In the meantime I’ll try the lemon oil and/or eucalyptus oil to see if they work.

[Snags]

weve got ghekos everywhere doing their job

[Author]

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