Camping under the sparkling sky is a great idea and may be the best escape from a busy routine for someone, but most of you don’t know how to keep spiders out of your tent. When you go on camping trips, you must have more exposure to nature to avoid bugs, insects, and animals.
While camping trips, of course, you will sleep in a tent, and it will disturb you at night, like mosquitoes and spiders, etc. in this article, I will guide you on how to keep spiders out of your tent.
Here you will find the best tips for saving your tent from spiders so that you can enjoy your adventure and explore the beauty of nature.
Read More: Best Tent To Keep Bugs Out
13 Tips For How To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Tent
Here are some tips for keeping spiders out of your tent.
1. Check your tent for holes
Before going camping, you must check your tent’s holes and tears. If you find any, then fix it with the help of a cloth patch or duct tape.
2. Zip up the tent door fully
Don’t leave your tent’s door open while moving here and there on the campsite. To prevent insects and spiders enter into your tent, you must zip it up every time you come and go.
3. Shake out your clothes
Always keep all of your things, especially clothes zipped safely. If you lay your clothes everywhere around your campsite, how do you keep spiders out of your tent?
Spiders crawl into them, and when you bring these inside your tent, spiders will automatically enter your sleeping compartment.
4. Use a spider-repellent spray
Use a spider-repellent spray. One more tip from my side is always use the natural repellent spray because there is a small space inside your tent, and if you use toxic chemicals in a tent, you feel difficulty breathing.
You can use the mixture of water and lavender oil and spray it over your tent door and any area where a spider can enter. You can also use a mix of mint, vinegar, etc.
5. Camp in a suitable spot
Keep your campsite away from water and bushes. Always use a neat and clean place for camping. Avoid spaces that attract spiders and any other insects.
6. Store your food correctly
For the sake of how to keep spiders out of your tent, you should store your food in air-tight containers. This attempt will keep your food fresh and bug-free.
7. Avoid scented toiletries
Avoid strong smelled perfumes and deodorants because these will attract bugs and, indirectly, spiders. Always keep scentless spays and perfumes with you.
8. Stay away from the trash
Always stay away from trash. Keep your place neat and clean, and dispose of your trash properly. If you litter your waste material everywhere, how do you stop spiders from entering your tent?
9. Keep your fire going
Bonfire is an essential part of camping. Arranging a bonfire with music and enjoying your favorite smoky meat is another level of adventure. Spiders and other bugs hate smoke, so try to put a bonfire near your campsite. Make sure there is no dry fuel like dry leaves, logs, etc. around you because a new fire may start while you sleep.
10. Put your pet on patrol
If you enjoy camping with your pet, keep your pet roaming and patrol around the area. They may keep an eye out for any danger at the campsite. Your pet eats harmless insects; in return, spiders will stop entering your tent. However, in the case of poisonous spiders, take extra care to protect your pet.
11. Use smell spiders dislike
Spiders don’t like different things’ smells. If you want to know how to keep spiders out of your tent, here is a list of some natural things which spiders dislike these smells. So keep some of these with you.
- Garlic
- Cloves
- Cedar
- Baking soda
- Black paper
- Orange peel
- Salt
- Tea tree oil
- Turmeric
- Vinegar
- Lemon
- Lavender oil
- Liquid dish wash soap
12. Check your gears
If your camping gear is unused for a long time, there is an excellent chance to have spiders already in it. Do a deep inspection of your gear, and don’t keep any spiders on a camping ground. Keep some essential things in your backpack while going. Here is the list of things that will keep you away from bugs and spiders.
- Mosquito net
- Face mask
- Full sleeves shirts
- Long pants
- Shawls
- Jackets (if winter season)
- Long coats (if winter season)
- Socks
- Boots
- Gloves
13. Use diatomaceous earth
Use diatomaceous earth for a campsite. It looks like a soft powder. It harms insects and spiders when they walk on top of it. Just sprinkle it around your camp or any panic area. Remember, it’s safe for humans and pets.
What Attracts Spiders to Your Tent or Campsite?
Spiders are an essential part of a food web. If there is no bug, spiders will automatically not enter your tent because spiders usually eat bugs. To know how to keep spiders out of your tent, you must think like spiders.
Insects like colors: Lots of insects are attracted to bright colors, so avoid colorful tents. Suppose insects attract to your colorful tent. In return, spiders will automatically attract.
Water and bushes: Select a suitable place for your tent. Please Keep away from moisture and bushes because spiders make their web in bushes and trees for prey bugs. Spiders eat other insects, which are generally abundant in wet areas.
Littering: If you litter your leftover foods, defiantly you will attract bugs and other living creatures. Spiders eat other insects, so if you want to keep spiders from your tent, you must clean your tent from littering.
Heat: Your body’s heat makes your tent cozy compared to outside, and spiders like a warmer environment.
Strong perfumes and body spray: Lots of insects are attracted by perfumes and sprays. So bugs enter your tent, then spiders attract to eat bugs. Try to use misty scents.
What Kind of Spiders to Expect (USA)?
More than 3500 species of spiders are in the USA. To know the type of spider in a specific place, you should see the state and time of the year.
Some of the Most Dangerous Spiders in the USA
Usually, spiders don’t bite humans because humans are not their food. They only bite if they feel danger and want to defend themselves.
Black Widow: A well-known spider in the USA. If it bites, it can result in nausea, dizziness, and breathing problems. Its venom is curable, but you should seek treatment immediately after its bite.
Hobo Spiders: These are not much dangerous but more aggressive than most spiders. So Be careful with these, especially if you have children with you.
Red Widow Spider: Red widow spiders are found only in Florida. Although it is poisonous, yet avoid biting humans.
Wolf Spider: Wolf spiders bite when they feel threatened. The bites are painful, so you should go with medical treatment.
Brown Recluse: Brown recluse is one of the most dangerous spiders in the USA. You should seek treatment immediately after a bite because it causes tissue damage.
Poisonous Versus Venomous
If you know how to keep spiders out of your tent, you must understand poison and venom. All spiders are venomous, but not all are poisonous. Spiders use their venom to paralyze the prey before eating.
“Poison enters your body through food or liquid while Venom enters your body through a bite etc.”
How to Treat Spider Phobia (Arachnophobia)?
Suppose you are a nature lover and like adventures but are still afraid of how to keep spiders out of your tent. That’s the reason you don’t go and live outside, just because you are scared of insects and spiders, etc. It might be possible that you have spider phobia (arachnophobia).
You should go through the situation to overcome your phobia, but if you cannot do this, then seek professional help.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps treat your phobia. You can also get help by reading self-help books that talk about arachnophobia.
You don’t need to be ashamed, as many people have arachnophobia.
Final Thoughts
Insects are an essential part of nature. If spiders don’t exist, many biting bugs will roam here and there, and the whole food web will collapse. You must go on adventures, do whatever you want, and enjoy your vacations.
But it is necessary to follow the steps to protect yourself from venomous spiders. All the steps in this article will help you to keep them away from your tent.
Read More: How to repel mosquitos while camping?
Frequently Asked Questions: How to Keep Spiders Out of Your Tent
Following are some commonly asked questions about how to keep spiders out of your tent.
1. What smell keeps spiders away?
Answer: Spiders keep away from smells like Garlic, Cloves, Cedar, Baking soda, Black paper, Orange peel, Salt, Tea tree oil, Turmeric, Vinegar, Lemon, Lavender oil, and Liquid dish wash soap, so keep these things with you.
2. Does keeping the light on keep spiders away?
Answer: Yes, because spiders prefer dark places. Some bugs attract light; if you turn on the light, you will discourage spiders from eating that bugs. So if you turn off the light, spiders will enjoy eating bugs.
3. How to keep spiders away from your tent while sleeping?
Answer: To keep spiders away from your tent, you must clean the area around your tent and make sure to follow these instructions:
- Make sure there is no hole in your tent
- Keep the tent’s door closed all time.
- Keep your food in air-tight containers.
- Avoid littering and dispose of waste food properly
- Choose a safe campsite
Read More: How to get rid of meat bees while camping?