Said It Here

How to keep spiders off your porch without killing them

Standard spider treatments rely on toxic chemicals or traps, leaving people who are terrified of spiders searching for effective non-lethal repellents like peppermint oil and vinegar. These DIY methods often fail to keep spiders away permanently from porches and entryways, leaving individuals constantly startled and looking for reliable solutions.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Using chemical residual sprays like Onslaught Fastcap, TempridFX, or Fendona
  2. 2
    Knocking down webs daily with a telescopic pole
  3. 3
    Turning off porch lights and covering windows to reduce insects
  4. 4
    Using peppermint sprays
  5. 5
    Using citrus sprays
  6. 6
    Trying various other repellent sprays

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/Pestcontrol2 people · September 2026

“My bedroom is right next to the garage, which is a breeding ground for hundreds of daddy long legs spiders. I am absolutely terrified of spiders and I have tried everything to repel them without killing them.”source ↗

“I am so startled everytime I see a spider inside my room and I am so desperate to find a solution to permanently keep them all away.”source ↗

sardineselene · r/Pestcontrol · 2 upvotes

“I want to keep them off my porch in the fall. Preferably non-lethally. Will vinegar and/or peppermint oil actually work?”source ↗

Realistic_Till9674 · r/Pestcontrol · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised