If you’re one of the many people that dislike spiders or simply are seeing too many, this list is exactly what you need. Plants can be your secret weapon to controlling the creepy crawlies that lurk around your house and garden. Lets explore the variety of plants that repel spiders that you can choose from.
In This Article
What are the best plants that repel spiders?
The secret shared by the plants that repel spiders is their strong scents and tastes that they give off. These fragrances are disliked by spiders and other insects. There are many herbs that can be grown to repel spiders, including mint, thyme, lavender, thyme, rosemary, basil, lemon balm, chives, dill, and lemon verbena. In addition to herbs, other strong scented plants that can be grown to deter spiders are marigolds, chrysanthemums, onions, garlic, citronella, and eucalyptus. Additionally, utilizing companion planting with these plants can strengthen your pest control abilities.
Mint
Mint plants are one of the most well known plants that repel spiders, primarily due to their strong scent. There are multiple varieties of mint that you can grow that will all have this same effect, such spearmint, peppermint, pennyroyal, etc. Peppermint is one of the best types of mint to grow because it has more menthol than some other varieties. Spiders are unique in the fact that they taste and smell with their legs. This allows them to detect and avoid certain odors. The mint plant boasts a powerful aroma due to the compound contained within its oils known as menthol. In addition to growing mint plants, you may opt to use the oils around areas that you want to get rid of spiders from.
Marigolds
Marigolds are another one of the plants that repel spiders effectively due to their strong and unique scent. If you have grown marigolds in your garden, you may have noticed the potent fragrance emitted by these plants. The smell exists throughout the entire plant, which means that it’s a great choice as a natural spider deterrent. You can choose to plant marigolds near your home where spiders are common, or keep some potted marigolds outside of your house. Marigolds come with a variety of benefits to the home and garden, so this beautiful flowering plant is an excellent choice.
Read more about the benefits of marigolds in the garden!
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a widely known deterrent for pests, and lemon eucalyptus oil is even listed by the EPA as a natural insect repellant that can be applied to the skin. This is because the plant contains eucalyptus oil that gives off a strong fragrance that is overwhelming to many pests, including spiders. Alternatively, you can utilize just eucalyptus oil by diluting it with water and spraying it on areas that spiders may enter by.
Be careful though, as with many essential oils, this is toxic to pets.
Lavender
When you think of lavender, you might think of the stunning purple flowers that have a dreamy scent. However, lavender is excellent at repelling a multitude of unwanted pests, even spiders. A compound called linalool is within the lavender plant’s oils, giving it a strong and very specific fragrance. People might enjoy this smell but spiders do not! Grow this plant in your garden or in containers inside or outside of your house for a beautiful scent and pest control benefits! Strategically plant this amazing smelling plant around your house or in pots for optimal spider control.
Thyme
Thyme is an aromatic herb that is known for its unique smell and taste, and is used throughout the world in culinary dishes. Insects, as well as spiders, dislike the strong scent of this plant. The scent of thyme comes from the compound thymol within the plant’s oils. This compound is known to have insecticidal properties and works well to ward off bugs. This plant grows well in the garden and is an excellent container plant to keep around your house.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a versatile kitchen herb used in recipes throughout the world. This plant is also excellent at repelling insects and spiders. The oil within the rosemary plant contains a compound known as camphor. This compound causes the aroma that many know and love, however, spiders and many other insects do not agree. Rosemary is a great plant to have in the garden or can thrive in containers in your house, as long as they have access to sunlight. This plant has been used as a pest control plant throughout history by bundling the branches together and burning it to give off aroma and smoke. This makes rosemary one of the most useful plants that repel spiders to grow!
Citronella
Citronella is a popular plant for repelling flies but also is able to deter spiders. Its repellent effects are due to the oils that the plant produces. Citronella oil is known by the EPA as a natural insect repellent. This oil is what gives the plant a strong and notable smell that makes the surrounding area unattractive to spiders and other bugs. You can choose to plant citronella in your garden or keep some potted in outdoor areas. As another option, you can use the citronella oil itself or candles that are made with the oil to help ward off spiders.
It’s important to note that citronella is toxic to pets, so be sure to keep the plant and oils away from animals.
Basil
Basil is a common kitchen herb that is known for it’s insect repelling abilities, making it one of the most helpful plants that repel spiders. This plant has the compound eugenol within it’s oils that give off a strong odor. This odor makes it unattractive for spiders and other insects. Since a spider’s food source will be repelled from this plant as well, this makes the environment around the plant even more unattractive. You can grow this in your garden or in containers near your house to deter spiders, while also using this delicious herb in your recipes!
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a member of the mint family and a delicious citrus smelling and tasting plant. Not only is this plant commonly used in cuisine worldwide, but it also is a natural spider repellent. Spiders are known to dislike the scent of citrus, including lemon and oranges. This makes the lemon balm plant a great choice for growing around your home to deter spiders. Plant near your entry points or where you want to get rid of spiders to make the environment unpleasant. This plant produces pretty flowers that can add some beauty to your garden.
What makes the lemon balm plant even better is that this plant is completely non-toxic to pets. Enjoy the benefits of this spider repelling plant without having to worry about your pets going near it!
Catnip
Catnip is not only loved by cats for it’s smell and taste but it’s also recognized by the EPA for its insect repellent qualities. The compound within the catnip oil is nepetalactone, which will excite your cats and deter your spiders. Consider planting this plant within your garden or in containers near your home. According to research, the compounds in catnip were found to be as effective as DEET at repelling insects.
As you probably have assumed, the catnip plant is completely safe and nontoxic to pets. Keep in mind, your cats may be attracted to this plant and might want to consume it.
Read more about catnip’s repelling ability from Northwestern University!
Lemon Verbena
Lemon Verbena is a good choice for repelling spiders because it gives off a strong lemon scent. Spiders absolutely hate the smell of citrus, so this is a very unappealing environment for them. The intense scent of lemons can make it difficult for spiders to navigate their environment and locate prey. Spiders and many other insects are unlikely to inhabit this plant for this reason. Lemon verbena is also a culinary herb that is used in many recipes to add flavor and aroma.
Chrysanthemum
If you want to grow beautiful flowers that will resist the creepy crawlies in your garden, chrysanthemum might just be for you. Not only does this plant have many benefits for people, it is also a plant with strong insecticidal compounds within it’s oil. The compounds are called pyrethrins and the function as a neurotoxin to insects. This makes chrysanthemums toxic to many insects, including spiders.
This is a beautiful flowering plant that you can grow in your garden, however it is toxic to pets so be sure to keep the plant away from them. Chrysanthemums should also be kept away from small children, as the plant can cause adverse reactions if consumed.
Chives
Chives are herbs that you find in many recipes and they are part of the Allium family. This family of plants contains oils that give it a strong scent, which insects and spiders alike do not enjoy. Spiders will not enjoy the environment around this plant, especially because their food source will likely not be calling this plant home either. Grow chives in your garden or in pots outside of your house for pest control and for use in your kitchen. This plant will make adorable purple flowers as well, adding a bit of color to the area.
Onions and Garlic
Onions and garlic are also plants that are a big part of the Allium family. The onion and garlic plants both give off strong, intense, and pungent scents due to the oils within the plant. The scent of these plants are much stronger than with chives, making it a very difficult place to live near for many insects. Spiders and many other insects will stay away because this odor makes it hard for them to function properly and find food. These are some of the greatest food growing plants that repel spiders to add to your garden that come with tons of health benefits!
Dill
Dill is a common culinary herb that is known for its unique smell and foliage. The smell that dill gives off is strong enough to be disliked by spiders and other bugs, making it hard for insects to function well amongst the odor. Dill will help ward off spiders and make them significantly less likely to establish webs near the areas where this herb grows. This is a plant that grows well in a garden or containers and is a pleasant addition to recipes.
Article Sources:
Skin-Applied Repellent Ingredients. Environmental Protection Agency
