How To Keep Spiders Away From Balcony

Spiders help us deal with common household pests like roaches and mosquitoes. But, too many spiders in a visible spot like the balcony can soon become a problem.

If you are reading this, you are probably dealing with a major spider invasion on your balcony or trying to prevent one from occurring. Whichever may be the case, we’ve got you covered here.

This guide will teach effective ways to keep these crawling insects away from your balcony.

In the following headings, we will discuss some DIY tricks to keep spiders at bay from balconies. But before we get into the spider-deterring strategies, let’s first try understanding the behavior of these insects.

Why Are Spiders Drawn to Balconies?

Like other pests, spiders come around in search of food and warmth.

These eight-legged pests find comfort in high, dark spots like ceilings and balconies.

The balcony is one household spot where you are likely to see different flying bugs like mosquitoes.

Spiders love to eat bugs, and the balcony is the perfect place to hunt prey.

16 Ways To Keep Spiders off Your Balcony

Many people do not like to look at spiders because their webs look irritating and out of place.

For others, it is the fear of having their house invaded by poisonous spiders.

Below, we compiled 16 practical ways you can keep these insects at bay from your balcony:

1. Clean Your Balcony

Before we recommend more complex pest control strategies, we’ll like to start with simpler ones. These include cleaning and clearing the affected area to reduce or eliminate the infestation.

Cleaning makes the environment uncomfortable for pests — in this case, spiders — to thrive. Start by removing stationery items from your balcony, especially if you have already turned it into a makeshift storage room.

Spiders love high or solid surfaces, especially those starting to gather dust. They will spin webs over anything, including forgotten boxes and stationary plants.

Removing these items will disrupt spider activities and send them scurrying in confusion. Follow this up with cleaning, sweeping up cobwebs, litter, and debris, and wiping down surfaces.

Removing their webs will make it difficult for spiders to find their way back. Plus, the clean environment will make spinning new webs less appealing.

2. Use Electronic Repellents

If you do not have much time to chase after spiders, an electronic repellent may be best for you.

These electronic devices release ultrasonic sounds that are too high for the human senses to pick up. But the spiders will get the message and steer clear of your balcony.

Plus, ultrasonic electronic sound repellents work on many other household pests. So, you are technically killing multiple birds with one stone.

However, these devices require a constant electricity supply to function. So, before making a trip to the hardware store, check if there is an electric outlet on your balcony.

After locating a power source, head to a local hardware store to purchase any plug-in ultrasonic device you fancy. If you don’t have time for physical shopping, you can place an order on online marketplaces.

With your ultrasonic device ready, plug it into the infested balcony. For maximum effect, plug the device close to the spider webs.

The ultrasonic device will make spiders uncomfortable until they leave, without harming them — a plus if you are not into harming animals.

With this spider-repellent strategy, you do not have to worry about the harsh effect of chemical residues in your home.

3. Inspect Your House for Cracks

There is no point driving spiders away if they can easily find their way back. So, inspect your house, especially the outdoors, for signs of a crack. This is especially important if you live in an old house.

Spiders can easily slither through cracks as they go about their activities. All your preventive measures may be in vain if these gaps are left unchecked.

Check your windows, walls, and other openings, including the house’s foundation. Grab some sealants like caulking to close up any holes you identify.

That way, spiders will find it difficult to regain entry into your house after a successful elimination.

4. Move or Replace Your Outdoor Lights

We mentioned earlier that spiders are primarily drawn to balconies because of the insects that hang out there. But what attracts these insects to your house in the first place?

The clearest answer is your outdoor lighting, as insects love hovering around light sources. You can move the outdoor bulbs on your balcony to another location to redirect the spiders.

Alternatively, you can replace your outdoor light with a type less attractive to insects. For example, research shows that insects are less attracted to LED lights.

Plus, LED lights will save you more power than regular light bulbs. So, why not get two for one by switching your outdoor bulbs for LED ones?

5. Place Spider-Repelling Plants on Your Balcony

Some plants have pest-repelling abilities either through their strong scents or bitter tastes. Like most household pests, spiders are not immune to these pest-repelling plants.

Some powerful plants that can drive spiders away are lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, basil, and rosemary.

However, note that spiders are tricky animals. They can spin webs around the flower pots and start a fresh infestation.

If you notice this, remove the plant from your balcony and try an alternative strategy.

6. Use Tobacco To Drive Spiders Away

Before now, you probably know tobacco as a psychoactive and addictive substance people inhale from cigarettes and the like. That’s the negative side of the plant.

If you have the plant in your environment, you can apply its cured leaves to repel spiders from your home. This may sound strange, but tobacco can chase spiders out of their hiding spots on your balcony when used properly.

Get some fresh tobacco leaves and place them in different spots, especially where you spotted spider activities.

Alternatively, you can make tobacco balls from these leaves, water, and flour. Then, spread the combination across your balcony.

However, keep children and pets out of the way while applying this strategy.

While the spray solution is less harmful, leaving the raw leaves for children to find is dangerous.

7. Clear Overgrown Plants

You may not know this, but spiders can find their way into your balcony by climbing walls. So, if you have overgrown plants extending from your backyard to lean on your walls, there may be a problem.

Spiders can use these plants as a ladder to get into your house. Look out for tall trees and shrubs that extend towards your balcony.

Get your gardening gear and prune these down frequently to keep them from growing further.

This reduces the chances of spiders entering your balcony through these plants.

8. Try Eucalyptus Oil

The oil extracts from eucalyptus trees are great pest repellants, effective against insects and even snakes.

So, using them on your balcony helps to kill both spiders and other lingering pests you probably haven’t spotted yet. The secret to the effectiveness of eucalyptus oil in deterring pests lies in its powerful smell.

Simply get some eucalyptus oil and pour it into a water-filled spray bottle. Shake the bottle thoroughly, apply it around your balcony, and give ut time.

Alternatively, you can get some cotton balls. Then, douse them in eucalyptus oil and leave them strategically on your balcony.

Any of these strategies will help chase spiders out of their hiding places and off your balcony.

9. Use Cedarwood

Cedarwood has an overpowering smell that spices find irritating. That makes it a strong pest repellant you can add to your spider-deterring arsenal.

Consider replacing your balcony furniture with something made of Cedarwood to scare them away naturally.

You can even get cedar mulch and spread it around your balcony if buying new furniture is out of place. However, ensure that whatever cedar product(s) you get is of the best quality.

If the above options are too expensive, you can make do with cedar oil. Mix some with water and spray on your balcony regularly.

10. Rub Citrus Peels on Your Doorway

Spiders hate citrus peels, whether as oranges or grapefruit. A possible reason is because of its high acidic content.

You can use this to your advantage to deter spiders from your home on a low budget. Get some citrus peels and rub them on the doorway to your balcony.

Find other solid surfaces on your balcony and rub these peels across them for a stronger effect.

This cheap remedy will save you from buying expensive commercial spider-repellent sprays.

11. Combine Diatomaceous Earth With Baking Soda

Diatomaceous earth and baking soda are some of the most powerful natural pest repellents. When combined, they form a strong barrier against crawling spiders.

Simply get some of each and sprinkle them around your balcony.

Pay close attention to the railing, as spiders love to spin their webs between these holes.

Leave some mixture between the gaps to end your spider infestation problem.

12. Apply Vinegar

Vinegar is more than just a kitchen ingredient. It can work magic against pests like spiders and other crawling insects.

Get some raw vinegar and pour it into a spray bottle half-filled with water. Shake the bottle so the vinegar and water can mix properly.

Afterward, spray the mixture around your balcony, covering the walls and doorway.

Repeat daily, especially when it is hot outside.

13. Use Peppermint Oil

Peppermint is a well-recognized pest repellent, especially against insects. The strong minty smell of the peppermint plant and its byproducts are a turn-off to most animals.

To make a spider-repellant out of peppermint oil, you need a spray bottle, water, and peppermint oil. Combine these ingredients in the spray bottle and shake vigorously.

Spray this mixture across your balcony to cover the walls and floors.

Pay close attention to the corners because those are where spiders love to spin their web.

14. Try Some Garlic

Garlic is another kitchen ingredient that doubles as an effective pest repellant. Its unpleasant smell keeps many household and garden pests away, including spiders.

But fresh garlic bulbs will not affect your uninvited webbed visitors. Instead, crush some garlic cloves into a paste and mix with some water in a spray can.

Apply this mixture like a regular spray repellant all over your balcony. As usual, pay more attention to areas where you have spotted increased spider activities.

15. Use Borax

Here is another effective and easy-to-apply pest repellant you can use in your fight against spiders. Borax has top-notch potency in deterring these troublesome crawling insects.

This chemical repellant typically comes in powder form and kills any pest that comes in contact with it.

Buy some borax from any store that sells pesticides. Then, sprinkle some of its powder around your balcony, with a special focus on spider webs. You can even rub them against the doorway and railings for better results.

16. Get an Exterminator To Deal With the Problem

Only so much DIY pest-repellant strategies can do, especially if you face a serious infestation. These homemade spider repellents can be toxic, especially when it involves the uncontrollable use of harsh chemicals.

You may prefer to turn the problem over to professionals to handle. These experts know how to manage harsh chemicals and even venomous spiders effectively.

They also know the safest ways to rid your balcony of unwanted spiders. Expert spider control often starts with an inspection.

This inspection aids the pest control experts understand the infestation source, cause, and type of spiders. After gathering this information, the experts can identify the best and safest ways to eliminate the invading spiders.

They may even fix follow-up meetings to check the progress and determine if more aggressive procedures are needed.

Hiring experts take the problem off your hands, especially if you have a busy schedule.

Conclusion

Although spiders are generally harmless, they can easily become a problem if left to spread their webs. Using these lacy webs, they spread their tentacles, encroaching on spaces like balconies and other open areas.

As we saw in this guide, there are many ways to prevent or eliminate spiders from your balcony. These include cleaning your balcony, turning off the lights, and using deterrents.

The best strategy to use depends on the infestation level and other factors. So, carefully review the options above and deploy those that best suit the spider infestation problem on your balcony.