Have you ever wondered if your houseplants are responsible for spiders coming into your home?
In this article, I will tell you exactly if your houseplants are attracting spiders, how to remove them and how to avoid this problem in the future.
Here’s If Houseplants Attract Spiders:
It is possible for indoor plants to attract spiders, yes. They provide hiding spots, moisture, and the possibility of insects for the spider to eat. If you have houseplants, you might see spiders hiding in or around them. Not all houseplants attract spiders, however.
Fortunately, we’ve compiled all the answers for you:
Can Spiders Harm Your Houseplants?
You don’t need to worry about normal house spiders doing harm to your houseplants. Spiders do not eat vegetation; they are a predatory species, and they eat insects. They will not chew the plant’s leaves or attack the roots.
The very worst that a spider is likely to do to your plant is to spin its web around some of the leaves, bunching them up. If this happens, you can remove the webs and clean the leaves, and nothing further needs to be done.
Spiders are quite territorial creatures, meaning that you don’t need to worry about them overpopulating a space.
If there are too many spiders, some will simply move elsewhere, so you are very unlikely to end up with too many on one plant.
Are Spiders Good For Houseplants?
In some cases, spiders are good for houseplants, because they are predators. If your plant ends up infested with insects, such as aphids, some spiders will prey on these and remove them.
It does depend on the species of spider and the species of pest, but often, a spider will help to keep your plant safe from bugs.
If you find a spider in your home, you can relocate it to one of your houseplants, and it may help to guard it against insect infestations.
However, spiders do not offer any other advantages to plants besides this protection from insects.
Houseplants That Attract Spiders
Spiders aren’t specifically attracted to any kinds of houseplants; they are attracted to the environment that these plants can offer. Plants that offer better hiding spots are more likely to attract spiders.
For example, if you have a fig tree, your spider might be attracted to it because it can spin webs between the branches and catch insects.
Some plants will attract spiders that like dampness, so if you have something like a Pitcher plant (which likes to be perpetually wet), you may see spiders around the plant. Other humidity loving plants, like Peace lilies and Monstera plants, may also attract spiders.
A plant that is harboring pests is even more likely to attract spiders, and this could be any species. If you have insect infestations, don’t be surprised if you spot spiders nearby.
Plants that offer lots of hiding spots are more likely to appeal to spiders too, so if you have plants with lots of foliage and twigs, you are far more likely to find spiders in them.
Plants with just a few stems and only a few leaves, such as aloe vera, may be less likely to appeal to spiders, whereas structured and bushy plants, such as figs and Monsteras, are more likely to attract them.
Overall, there aren’t specific plants that draw spiders in, so if you want to be visited by arachnids, it’s about creating the right environment, rather than finding a specific smell or foliage.
Since spiders don’t eat plants, all they are interested in is how good the hiding or the hunting spot is.
Houseplants That Repel Spiders
Although no specific plants attract spiders, there are a handful of plants that spiders actively dislike and avoid.
Here are 4 popular plants that spiders dislike, that you can grow in your home:
- Mint is one of the best spider-repellers, as spiders dislike the smell of mint and will not go near it. If you don’t want spiders in your home, try growing mint on your windowsills.
- Basil is another option. It smells strong, and again, it is the scent that drives spiders away. This aromatic herb is a good choice for repelling arachnids from your space.
- Citrus trees will also repeal spiders, again because of their scent. It might smell pleasant to humans, but it is overpowering to a spider, and they will steer clear of these plants. Putting a small citrus tree in your home is a good way to deter spiders.
- Lavender isn’t easy to grow indoors as it likes large containers, but if you can persuade some to grow, it’s a very effective way to keep spiders at bay. If you cannot get a plant growing inside, try taking cuttings from an outdoor one and placing them in vases around the home.
Spiders dislike the strong, perfumed smell and will stay away.
How To Keep Spiders Away From Your Houseplants
Besides growing houseplants that spiders dislike, the best way to keep spiders away from your other houseplants is to move the plants regularly and clean up around them.
Spiders do not like to be disturbed. They will avoid spaces with lots of activity and movement, and take up residence in other spots instead.
Moving your houseplants frequently will reduce spider interest in them. However, don’t introduce a new environment for your plant when you move it. Rather just shaking the plant or moving it a foot or two will be enough.
Houseplants don’t like to be moved around often and it can even damage them.
Keeping your plants pest free is another very effective way to keep spiders away from them. If they don’t have anything to eat, spiders will move away to another spot.
Keeping the areas clean and clutter-free will also help. Spiders do not like being exposed, so they are more likely to settle in spots that are hidden.
The more exposed a houseplant is, the less likely it is to attract spiders.
How To Remove Spiders From Your Houseplants (Permanently!)
To permanently make sure spiders won’t ever come back to your houseplants, you can grow mint or any other plant varieties spiders dislike nearby. Other good options are to install grow lights and to keep your plants pest free.
It’s pretty tricky to permanently remove spiders from your houseplants, unless you grow the varieties that they do not like.
You can also try planting sprigs of these plants around your other houseplants to keep spiders away, but you need to use this technique with care – things like mint will very quickly take over a pot, crowding out your other plants.
Almost all other strategies will prove only temporarily effective.
Your best option would be to install grow lights near to them, as spiders prefer dark spots. A grow light will illuminate the plant and make it less appealing to most spiders.
How To Clean Spider Web From Your Houseplants
If there are spider webs all over your houseplants, the best thing to do is to remove them manually. You can use a damp cloth to wipe the webs off the leaves. If the web is particularly sticky, consider using a bit of soapy water.
This shouldn’t hurt the plant and will help to remove any residue, but it is often not necessary.
Spiders VS Spider Mites On Houseplants
You may have heard of spider mites being a problem on houseplants, and that might leave you wondering about the differences and how you can tell which you have.
Here’s How You Can Tell If You Have Spiders or Spider Mites:
If you notice sticky patches of sap, the chances are that your plant has spider mites (rather than normal spiders), because these mites puncture little holes in the leaves to drink the sap.
Investigate and determine whether this is the case so that you can get rid of them and restore your plant to full health.
Spiders are harmless for your plant and can even help it stay pest free, while spider mites are very dangerous for the plant’s health.
Spider mites are related to spiders, but they are very tiny arachnids that feed on plants, and they are a pest species.
It is often hard to see them without a microscope, but you may find the webs that they spin. These will be wrapped around the foliage of the plant, and the strands will be sticky.
Spider mites will damage your plant, so you need to get rid of them.
You can get rid of spider mites by blasting your plant with a strong spray of water, or by wiping the leaves down with soapy water. You could also use spider mites specific pesticides, but I recommend going the natural way.
Do not allow spider mites to stay on your plant; unlike other spiders, they are harmful.
Do Spider Plants Attract Spiders?
No, spider plants do not attract spiders. They are named “spider plants” because they look like spiders with their many leaves springing from a central point, rather than because they can attract or not actual spiders.
You may find spiders living in a spider plant. The leaves could offer enough cover and an opportunity to hunt, but they are not structured enough for a spider to use for its webs in most cases.
Generally, you will only find spiders living behind the pots, rather than in the plants.
Do Fake Plants Attract Spiders?
A fake plant could attract spiders only in the same way as anything in your house can – by providing good hunting grounds. If a fake plant offers shelter and warmth, a spider may choose to live in it.
Fake plants do not offer any moisture, which most spiders like to have access to, so they are not a home of choice.
However, if one is dark, undisturbed, and offers the potential for web spinning, it may house spiders.
Final Thoughts
Houseplants can attract spiders if they offer an environment that is suitable for the spider to live in.
Dampness, darkness, and peace are the main things that appeal to spiders.
Alongside that, if the plant will provide them with food (via insect infestations), spiders are far more likely to want to move in.
