The truth is, peppermint oil doesn’t kill spiders. But it repels spiders. And you can effectively use peppermint oil to keep spiders away from your home.
Some essential oils, including peppermint oil, have insect repelling properties that works on spiders and bugs.
But essential oils are not pest killers.
Essential oils like peppermint oil act as a bug repellent, but only up to a certain degree. And, they’re most effective when the infestation level is low.
Relying only on essential oils for pest control solutions won’t help you in any way.
Peppermint oil, and other types of oil, which you’ll find later in the post, can keep away bugs like centipedes, millipedes, and spiders.
But essential oils are a complete failure against destructive and biting pests, like roaches, bed bugs, and termites.
So, the question is, what’s in the peppermint essential that repels spiders?
Let’s find it out.
Why Peppermint Oil Repel Spiders?
Spiders hate peppermint oil. There are two reasons for it.
First, a strong odor from peppermint essential oil repels the spiders. Spiders hate the smell of peppermint.
Spiders avoid liquids that emit a strong odor.
Second, essential oils have monoterpenoids.
Monoterpenoids are a botanical fumigant that repels many bugs.
There’s scientific research to back the claim that peppermint oil repels spiders.
In a 2010 study, researchers have observed monoterpenoids have a repelling effect on spiders.
Another thesis researchers’ wrote concluded that peppermint oil is a viable preventive solution against arachnids, ants, earwigs, and crickets.
How To Keep Spiders Away With Peppermint Oil?
Using peppermint essential oil to get rid of spiders and insects like centipedes and earwigs in your home is pretty simple.
To make spider repelling spray using peppermint oil, take a 16-20 ounce spray bottle.
Pour 7-10 ounces of peppermint oil in the bottle. Then fill the bottle with water.
To add more punch to it, you can also add 3-5 drops of dish soap.
Shake the bottle well, and spray it at places where spiders hide.
Spraying it at the hiding places of spiders works more effectively than spraying at random places in your home.
For example, spraying the peppermint oil in your bedroom can keep spiders away from your bed.
On detecting the smell of the peppermint essential oil, spiders will quit your home.
But there’s a downside to it.
Spiders may choose a different hiding place inside your home.
As long as there’s clutter, gaps, cracks, and other hiding bugs inside your home that spiders eat, your home will attract spiders.
So, it’d be best if you take care of these issues first before using the peppermint essential oil spray to repel spiders in your home.
Apart from peppermint essential oil, there are other oils that repel spiders.
- Citrus essential oil.
- Eucalyptus essential oil.
- Lavender essential oil.
- Tea tree essential oil.
- Citronella oil.
How Long Does Peppermint Oil Smell Last?
After spraying, the peppermint oil smell lasts for two weeks.
During this period, you may observe spiders crawling out of their hiding and find a way to move out from your home.
Do not try to kill them by stomping on them or by spraying insecticide spray on them. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove them.
If there are no physical sightings of spiders in your home, then there can be two reasons. Either the spiders have quit your home, or they’ve moved into other places.
So, it’d be best if you use the spray again after two weeks where you think spiders can hide.
Side Effects On You While Using Essential Oils To Repel Spiders
There can be side effects of peppermint essential that you need to be aware of.
National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy states the following side effects –
- Irritation on the skin because peppermint oil contains methanol.
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Muscle pain and weakness
- Distorted vision.
The best part is that these side effects are temporary.
And these side effects can only occur if you use significant dosages of undiluted peppermint essential oils in small rooms.
The best way to null these side effects is by using essential oils in the manner described above.
Also, do not spray the entire house at once, keep your windows open while spraying, and ensure that you don’t spray it on your skin.
Is Peppermint Essential Oil Safe For Pets?
No, peppermint essential oil isn’t safe for pets.
If you have cats or dogs inside your home, avoid using peppermint essential oil.
Instead, use other oils that we mentioned in this post.
As per ASPCA, mint, and methanol are toxic to dogs and cats.
If dogs and cats sniff at the peppermint essential oil, you sprayed in your home. It can make them sick.
It’d be best for your pets that you use other essential oils.
And if you’re using peppermint essential oil, spray it at places where your pets don’t have access.
What If You see Spiders Even After Spraying Peppermint Oil?
Spiders are sneaky creatures, and they’re great at hiding in tight places.
If there are physical sightings of spiders after spraying peppermint oil, then it means spiders are escaping the areas where you’ve sprayed.
Or you’re not spraying often enough.
In either case, you’d need to know the tricks to get a spider out of hiding.
You’d need to strategically use the baits and lures at the right places to get them out, trap them, and dispose of them.
Should You Kill A Spider?
Spiders are harmless creatures.
They’re inside your home to escape the temporary weather changes outside, food, shelter, and, as we stated earlier, to mate.
And the guts that splash out after you smash a spider can give you some serious skin issues if it touches your skin.
So, it’d be best if you don’t kill a spider.
Lure the spider out, trap it, and drop it away from your home.
Final Words
Peppermint oil doesn’t kill spiders, but it repels them.
In this guide, you’ve found out why peppermint oil repels spiders and how to use peppermint oil to evict spiders from your home.
So, if you’ve spiders in your home, use the peppermint oil recipe to get them out of your home without killing them.
Nang Chen is an Entomologist and Arachnologist who is associated with Vienna’s museum of natural history. He’s also a consultant with real estate groups, insecticide conglomerates and law enforcement groups as a forensic entomologist. Nang Chen holds an M.S. from South China University and he’s a regular contributor to our site.