Cynthia, Do you have any articles or books on how to kill brown spiders? My Mom is terrified of them and I’m trying to convince her to try something else. Like a bug bomb (evacuate for 2days) or an organic spray. ~ Dustin
Before we talk about getting rid of spiders I first want to make you aware that an excessive or unrealistic fear of spiders is often a sign of a serotonin deficiency. Serotonin is a crucial neurotransmitter in the brain that results in a variety of psychological and physiological symptoms when it is not produced enough in numbers. Common symptoms of serotonin deficiencies include, but are not limited to excessive fear of spiders, heights, snakes, flying etc., depression, anxiety, negativity, low self-esteem, excessive worry, sleep disturbances, cravings for sweets, carbs, alcohol or drugs to name a few.
A deficiency of serotonin is very common in our society because of things like a poor diet, high levels of stress and environmental toxins that disrupt and deplete our neurotransmitters. Serotonin can be increased by removing sugar, caffeine, white flour, food additives and preservatives from the diet, avoiding nicotine, alcohol, drugs and environmental toxins, reducing stress, getting approximately 15 minutes of sun exposure a day, exercising, deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga and with the use of amino acids like 5-HTP and tryptophan.
However, if you really want to get rid of the spiders, you most definitely DO NOT want to use a bug bomb. Pesticides are extremely toxic to the human body and mind. They are very destructive to the brain, nervous system, metabolic system, immune system, reproductive system and endocrine system. They will disrupt levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters even further, which will only increase the fear of spiders and likely result in other conditions like anxiety and depression etc. Be sure to read my pesticides page and my neurotransmitters page for more in depth information on this issue.
Here are a variety of natural means to control spiders.
- Try to keep house dust to a minimum. Spiders like to accumulate in dark and dusty areas.
- A variety of essential oils are effective for killing spiders and other insects on contact.Citrus oil
Tea tree oil
Rose oil
Lavender oil
Citronella oil
Peppermint oil
Cinnamon oil - Non-toxic glue traps will attract a variety of bugs. These bugs then attract the spider to the glue strip because it wants the bugs.
- I often use an empty paper towel roll to pick up spiders and toss them outside.
It’s also important to keep in mind that spiders serve a crucial purpose in the ecosystem. They provide a variety of benefits even in the household like killing other insects that may be harmful. So learning to live in harmony as much as possible with insects is my motto, unless you have a severe allergic reaction to them then they must go.
