Pest pros urge homeowners to spray patios and paths with vinegar until November – and it’s not as strange as it sounds

When preparing for cold weather, spraying down your patio with vinegar is probably not on your to-do list; however, pest experts suggest that it could be the answer to stopping spiders in their tracks.

Better yet, it’s cheap, and only takes seconds – no more need to awkwardly scoop the eight-legged creeps up into a glass.

Here’s how this crazy-sounding hack can keep spiders away naturally to prevent an invasion, rather than having to treat one.

How spraying a patio with vinegar can prevent spiders

So far as natural pest control methods go, cleaning with vinegar is one of the easiest and most affordable. The idea behind this non-toxic pest control hack is that the strong odor confuses the chemoreceptors on a spider’s sensitive legs.

30% concentrated cleaning vinegar, from Walmart, doesn’t just work on spiders, either. As Tony King, pest control expert and founder of The Pied Piper Pest Control, explains, ‘strong scents can repel a whole host of pests and make them actively avoid your home.’

Simply add the vinegar to a spray bottle, also from Walmart, and apply to the area directly around your home’s perimeter, paying particular attention to the areas around doors and windows, applying daily, especially after rain.

For an extra added kick, Tony suggests adding some peppermint essential oil, from Amazon, to the vinegar mix before spraying.

He says, ‘Menthol, an active constituent of peppermint oil, has been documented to have repellent action against rodents, spiders, and ants. A few drops diluted in water in a spray bottle can be used to treat entry points, baseboards, and other high-traffic pest areas.’

Clove oil for spiders can also be effective.

Alongside homemade bug sprays, Scot Hodges, A.C.E., certified entomologist and VP of professional development and technical services at Arrow Exterminators, adds that you should be doing a little fall home maintenance.

Not only will it draft-proof your home, but it will help stop spiders from getting in, too.

‘To keep more spiders from entering, seal all holes and cracks along the foundation, as well as around doors, electrical wires, and plumbing,’ he urges. ‘Repair tears in window and door screens, too.’

We suggest the GE Advanced Silicone, from Lowe's, which is suited to outdoor use, and for around windows and doors.

Fall pest prevention

Meet the experts

Tony King

Tony founded The Pied Piper Pest Control in 1992, mainly dealing with rodent control, bedbugs, insect control, and bird control.

Scot Hodges

Scot Hodges is the President of Professional Development and Technical Services at Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta-based pest control experts. Since 1964, Arrow Exterminators has been a family-owned pest and termite control company serving Americans throughout the Southeast.

If a creepy crawly does make it inside, be aware that you should never squash spiders in your home – doing so could make your problem ten times worse.