We often look for ways to get rid of spiders because we fear being bitten and because webs can be irritating to see in the home. Among natural pest repellents, cinnamon can be an effective option, as spiders hate its strong smell and may stay away. However, if you notice spiders crawling in areas where you have applied cinnamon, it doesn’t mean they were attracted to it. Spiders may already have invaded your home in search of food, shelter, and water. This blog covers various aspects of using cinnamon to deter spiders and how effective it is.
What Do Spiders Actually Look For?
Spiders have multiple reasons to enter your house, and here they are:
- Food/prey- One of the main reasons is food, which could be insects, flies, ants, mosquitoes, or other bugs in your home.
- Shelter- A safe space is what spiders look for, which they get in the garage, basement, or any dark and quiet corner. Where no one disturbs them.
- Suitable Places to Make Webs- Spiders form webs in areas where they are undisturbed, such as window frames, corners, or other quiet spots.
- Entry Points Into Homes- They need easy access to your home, such as cracks, gaps, doors and windows, and damaged screens.
It can be concluded that the main reason for spiders' presence in homes is not cinnamon, but rather other factors providing them with a conducive environment and whatever they need.
What Happens If You Put Cinnamon Where You See Spiders?
Cinnamon is known as a natural deterrent, used either in the form of cinnamon sticks or in powdered form, sprinkled around the suspected entry points. When it is used around entry points, cracks, and corners, spiders tend to avoid that area due to the pungent smell. They may shift temporarily to other locations. Spiders have a strong sensory power through which they can sense chemicals, but there’s no evidence that cinnamon can force spiders to avoid the treated areas forever.
Therefore, if you see any spider in areas treated with cinnamon, it is not an indication that spiders got attracted to cinnamon. Rather, they may be around in search of food (insects, bugs) and a safe space. Cinnamon, when used as a powder and in cinnamon products, has a distinct impact on spiders. When used as oil, it has a stronger impact than ground cinnamon. You can use it as cinnamon sticks or powder, but it would be a temporary solution.
Why You Might Suddenly See More Spiders at Home?
The use of cinnamon is not the reason spiders get attracted to your home. There are diverse reasons for a sudden increase in their numbers at home. Here is the list of the reasons:
Seasonal Changes
With the changing season, spiders get more active, especially during fall and winter when they try to enter your home for a conducive environment. They find safe shelter in garages and basements.
Increase in Insects
Insects are the source of food for spiders; hence, when the supply of food increases, spiders automatically get attracted to your home. Even after using cinnamon, these insects may not be deterred and continue to exist.
New Entry Points
Spiders may identify new entry points around the doors, windows, and walls from where they can easily enter your home.
Clutter or Undisturbed Areas
The best place to build their web is a cluttered, dark, and undisturbed area of the house, which could be a closet, basement, or garage.
Outdoor Lighting Attracting Prey
Outdoor lighting can attract insects at night, which is a potential food source for spiders. Hence, lighting can indirectly attract spiders.
What Should You Do If Spiders Keep Appearing?
No matter what the problem is, working on the root cause of the problem is the best way to get rid of a problem forever. To prevent spiders from entering your home, here are the steps you can take:
- Find and Seal Entry Points- Identify and seal the entry points around the windows and doors, and also look for cracks and crevices and seal them. This will naturally put a curb on their entry.
- Remove Webs- Remove webs either simply by dusting or by vacuuming the corners because such areas offer ideal hiding space for spiders.
- Reduce Insects Around the Property- Insects serve as the main source of food for spiders, so reducing the number of insects around the property can reduce the spider infestation too.
- Clean/Declutter Hiding Places- One of the foundational ideas to prevent spiders is to declutter the potential hiding corners of your home. This is because dark and dirty corners are where spiders happily build their web.
Can Cinnamon Be Used as a Spider Repellent?
Cinnamon can undoubtedly be used as a spider repellent, but not a permanent solution. When used in the form of cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon around the infested areas, spiders may avoid the area due to the strong scent of cinnamon. Based on different observations, it is concluded that cinnamon can be used as a spider deterrent, but only temporarily.
