How To Get Rid of The Banana Spider 

Banana spiders are highly beneficial arachnids who can help our yards and gardens thrive. Better yet, they can assist us with keeping a number of annoying pests away during the spring and summer.

Though banana spiders in the United States are not considered dangerous to people or pets, they can still be quite unnerving to stumble upon if they get into your home or garden shed.

But don’t worry. These spiders are neither poisonous or aggressive. In fact, many gardeners in the United States count themselves lucky to have banana spiders watching over their gardens. However, sometimes this beneficial critter can find its way inside your home and cause quite a panic, especially if you suffer from arachnophobia

That said, even if you don’t have a serious fear of arachnids, we’re willing to bet that you still don’t want a giant spider running around inside your home, regardless of how beneficial it may be. If you’re wondering how to get rid of banana spiders in your home and keep them outside where they belong, you’ve come to the right place.

Join us as we learn more about the banana spider, why it is so beneficial, and how you can enjoy all the benefits of having one in your garden without ever having to cross paths with one inside your home.

What Is A Banana Spider?

The United States banana spider, also known as the Argiope Aurantia, is not poisonous to people. 

There are a few different species of spiders in the world which are commonly referred to as banana spiders, and some of them can be quite deadly. That said, the US species of banana spider we are going to focus on today is not deadly at all and in fact considered by most pest control experts to be highly beneficial.

That’s right, we are talking about the United States banana spider commonly referred to as the yellow banana spider, the garden spider, the yellow and black garden spider, the zigzag spider, or the writing spider.

Scientifically known as an Argiope Aurantia, this spider is part of the orb-weaver classification of spiders and is famous for its bright colors, intricate web designs, and large size.

In fact, this banana spider can grow to be between .75 inches and 1.1 inches in length, not including his long legs! This often makes banana spiders appear to be much larger and much more intimidating than they really are. These spiders can also be a multitude of colors including yellow, red, black, silver, orange, and brown.

Adult banana spiders have a short lifespan of only about a month, and females generally eat the male after mating. Still, despite their short lifespan, they reproduce quickly with one female banana spider laying between 300 to 1,400 eggs in her lifetime.

While banana spiders are not a danger to humans, they can bite if provoked and their bite is painful and can cause mild irritation. That said, most experts don’t consider the Argiope Aurantia banana spider to be a nuisance pest and even encourage people to leave these spiders alone so they can assist the environment with natural pest control.

Wondering what these spiders eat? Well, their diet it quite beneficial to us humans and includes:

• Flies
• Mosquitoes
• Wasps
• Stinkbugs
• Beetles
• Butterflies
• Moths
• Bees
• Leaf-footed bugs
• Beetles
• And (Sometimes) Dragonflies

For the most part, banana spiders generally prefer to live outdoors where food sources are abundant. That said, they have been known to make their webs in the eaves of houses and sometimes even inside houses, especially if there is a large enough food source for them there.

Do you have banana spiders entering your home? One or two banana spiders coming inside your home now and then isn’t all that uncommon. But a large infestation of banana spiders inside or on the outside of your home could be the sign of a larger pest issue that may need to be addressed.

With that in mind, let’s talk a bit more about what attracts banana spiders to certain properties.

What Has Attracted The Banana Spider To Your Home Or Yard?

Garden spiders are attracted to tall, sturdy plants where they can build their webs. 

Like any living creature, banana spiders are on the hunt for three basic things:

• Food
• Water
• Shelter

While these arachnids most commonly build their nests outdoors where they can fill their bellies with tasty bugs, they can make their way close to your property and build an abundance of strong webs along your deck, porch, eaves, and sometimes even inside your home.

Banana spiders are attracted to different insect food sources like those listed above, but they also seek out good places to build their webs and hide. They prefer taller plants and strong stalks they can attach their webs to. Remember, these guys are pretty big!

Their favorite types of plants include sunflowers and corn stalks, but they’ll make their webs on trees and other sturdy sources as well. This is one of the reasons many banana spiders are so attracted to the eaves and sidings of houses, especially if your house has a good deck with lots of sturdy rails in areas that are protected from the wind and elements.

Banana spiders are also attracted to areas with lots of hiding spots. In gardens, lots of large rocks or debris make for excellent and safe places to run if a predator approaches. In your home, the cracks and crevices, eaves, and dark corners also make excellent hideaways for these spiders.

How To Get Rid Of A Banana Spider – Identifying A Banana Spider Problem

Banana spiders are easy to distinguish by the zigzag webs they weave.

Identifying a banana spider problem around your home isn’t difficult. While these spiders are not social and don’t generally hang around in large numbers, an infestation can start inside your home if the environment is ideal and a female banana spider lays her eggs somewhere inside.

That said, it’s rare to have a banana spider infestation inside and you’ll likely just run into one or two stray banana spiders looking for some shelter or a safe place to stay.

But how do you identify a banana spider problem? Simple. Most banana spider problems are easily spotted because the spiders themselves are so large. Furthermore, a banana spider web is tough to miss and has an interesting design that is unique to this particular Argiope Aurantia species.

If you find a web inside your home, in your garden, or around your property that is large, circular, and has an interesting zigzag pattern down the middle, you’re dealing with the Argiope Aurantia, aka the banana spider.

The below video shows a banana spider in action building his web and creating that amazing zigzag design.

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Now, as we mentioned above, having a banana spider outside in your garden is a wonderful thing. But how do you keep them in your garden and deter them from coming into your home?

Great question.

How To Get Rid Of A Banana Spider – Most Popular Methods

If you don’t want banana spiders getting too close to your home, there are some methods you can use to control them.

Since banana spiders are not poisonous and not generally considered nuisance pests, most experts agree it is best to leave them alone if you encounter them outside your home or in your garden. Remember, these spiders can actually help your garden thrive by taking care of annoying pests.

To help control and stop banana spiders from building their webs near your property, in your eaves, porch railings, or sidings, experts suggest following three common methods of prevention to keep them at bay including natural repellents, insecticides, home remedies, and professionals.

All three remedies should be primarily aimed at removing what the banana spider is after, which is a food source and a hospitable living environment.

If you can get rid of the insects the spiders are after and make your home less inviting to them, chances are you won’t be dealing with them at such close range. Let’s learn more about the common methods you can use to control banana spiders.

Natural Products

Natural products are wonderful for those dealing with banana spiders because they are often safe to use around people and pets and won’t hurt the environment. Many natural repellents even prevent spiders from finding your home a habitable place to build their webs due to either smell or sound. This includes the use of essential oil sprays as well as ultrasonic sound repeller products that use sound waves and vibrations to deter pests.

Insecticides

Since the banana spider is not poisonous and is really a beneficial arachnid to have around, you want to try and refrain from killing it. That said, a large number of banana spiders, or any type of spider for that matter, accumulating on your property could be a sign of other pest problems.

If you are dealing with quite a bit of insect activity around your home and believe this has attracted spiders to your property, you may need to use a quality insecticide around the perimeter of your home to help keep these insects and their spider predators away.

That said, insecticides often use harsh chemicals that can be toxic to people, pets and the environment and should be used only as directed and with caution.

Home Remedies

Banana spiders are sensitive insects and are easy to repel using home remedies. Best of all, many of the same home remedies that will repel banana spiders will also repel the insects they may be after on your property. We will talk more about some home remedies and do it yourself pest control options you can use at home to help get rid of the banana spider.

Professionals

Most people don’t need help getting rid of a banana spider on their property as these creatures rarely cause infestations and are generally just hanging around for a feast of bugs. That said, a large amount of spiders on your property could be an indication of another, larger pest problem, as we mentioned above.

If you feel you are constantly battling banana spiders in your home or around your perimeter, you may want to call a professional to find the source of the problem.

But before you call in the experts, let’s take a closer look at the methods you can use to try and control a banana spider problem on your own.

How To Get Rid Of A Banana Spider Using Natural Products

Natural repellents are not only an effective form of pest control but also safe to use for people, pets and the environment. 

Natural pest control products usually don’t contain any harsh ingredients and are generally safe for people, pets and the environment, so we’re excited to start here. We have listed some of our favorite products for natural pest removal that can help you get rid of and control the banana spider problem on your property.

Wondercide Eco Treat Outdoor Perimeter Spray

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One of the best ways to keep banana spiders and other pests from entering your home is to put down an insect barrier spray around your property. This will not only keep spiders out but also the insects they are looking to eat.

The product above by Wondercide is meant for outdoor use and uses natural ingredients like essential oils to repel insects and spiders and keep them from coming too close to your home. Best of all, this product is safe to use around people and pets and is totally environmentally friendly.

Wondercide Indoor Pest Control Spray

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Another Wondercide product we like is for indoor use specifically. This is ideal for homes who see a consistent number of banana spider activity inside and around your porch, eaves, and railings.

Like the above outdoor perimeter spray, this indoor insect repellent spray can be used anywhere you notice insect or spider activity and is perfectly safe to use in homes where children and pets live.

MDXConcepts Organic Home Pest Spray

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MDXConcepts is another company that offers an organic form of pest control that can help keep banana spiders outside where they belong. This spray uses essential oils like peppermint to repel spiders and is designed to be used indoors.

It can kill pests on contact and is effective against spiders, roaches, fleas, bed bugs, stink bugs, and many more.

Mighty Mint Spider Repellent

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If you are looking for an indoor spray that is specifically designed to repel spiders, then we recommend you try Mighty Mint Spider Repellent. This product has been personally tried by us and we use it to keep spiders from becoming a problem inside our homes.

It leaves behind a fresh smell and also repels other pests and insects that spiders feast on like roaches, ants, earwigs, mosquitoes, and more using essential oils that are safe for people, pets and the environment.

Zero Pest Repeller Ultrasonic Pest Repeller

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Along with using spray and repellents to keep banana spiders at bay, we also recommend trying an ultrasonic pest repeller. The product above by Zero Pest includes a four pack of ultrasonic pest repellent devices that you can use all around your house to keep spiders and other pests away.

This product uses sound and vibrations that are safe for people and pets but are highly irritating for pests like mosquitos, ants, roaches, spiders, crickets, rats and mice.

Neatmaster Ultrasonic Pest Repeller

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Another ultrasonic pest repellent product we like that will help control your banana spider problem is by Neatmaster. This pest repellent’s ultrasonic sound waves are even strong enough to penetrate walls, which is helpful in also repelling hard to reach pests like termites or bats.

Neatmaster ultrasonic pest repeller is safe to use in homes for people and pets and works without the use of any harsh chemicals or toxins.

Stay Away Spider Repellent Packets

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Last on our list of best natural repellents to help keep a banana spider from making your home his home are these scent packets by Stay Away. The order contains four scent packets that are specifically designed to repel spiders using plant based ingredients including essential oils like lemongrass, rosemary and citronella.

This product is environmentally friendly and safe to use around children and pets. It won’t kill the beneficial banana spider, and will instead deter it and other insects it is preying on from entering your home.

How To Get Rid Of A Banana Spider With Insecticides

Insecticide perimeter spray may be helpful in controlling a large spider problem.  

As we mentioned above, any spider infestation in a home can be an indicator of a secondary pest problem. Since spiders are attracted by food and they primarily eat other insects, a large amount of spiders inside your home or around your property could mean you’re dealing with a number of bugs as well.

If this is the case, you may need to turn to insecticides to help remedy the problem. Getting rid of the abundance of insects inside your home and around your property will help keep banana spiders away.

Let’s take a look at some of our favorite insecticide products you can use to control a banana spider problem.

Ortho Home Defense Perimeter Spray

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One of the best ways to go about protecting your home from unwanted visitors is to use a perimeter spray around your property. For this purpose we have added Ortho Home Defense Spray, which is designed to keep all kinds of insects and pests away like spiders, roaches, ticks, fleas, ants, and more.

While this is an effective form of pest control, it does contain toxic ingredients that can be harmful to people, pets and the environment if not used carefully so keep it out of reach of children and use it only as directed.

Harris Insect Killer Spray

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Another spray you can use to target the pesky insects a banana spider might be after is by Harris. This insect spray comes in a large container and includes an attached spray nozzle to make application easier.

It is designed to be used outdoors and repel a number of pests like roaches, ants, stink bugs, fleas, scorpions, flies, silverfish, and more. Like the other insecticide on this list, it does contain harsh ingredients and chemicals that can be toxic to people, pets and the environment and should be used only as directed.

Best Home Remedies For How To Get Rid Of A Banana Spider

Citrus is very repulsive to spiders and is a natural ingredient you can use to get rid of them. 

If you prefer to control your banana spider problem using home remedies and recipes you can make yourself, then you’ll love this section of the article. Keep reading to learn about common household ingredients that repel spiders and other pests and learn some recipes you can use to make your very own natural spider repellent below.

White Vinegar Spider Repellent Spray 

White vinegar is commonly used as a pest control remedy for a number of different pests, but it works especially well to repel spiders like the banana spider.

To make your own white vinegar spider repellent spray, simply mix equal parts vinegar with water in a spray bottle and spray the solution around your home, window sills, entry and exit points, and around the eaves outside your house. This will repel banana spiders without killing them and can also repel other pests as well.

Citrus Spider Repellent

Citrus is a great go-to for spider repellent home remedies and can help deter banana spiders from your home without the use of chemicals.

There are a few easy ways to use citrus to repel spiders, with one of those ways being as simple as leaving a bowl of citrus fruits out on your counter or window ledge. You can also make your own spider repellent spray using two freshly squeezed lemons, a half cup of white vinegar, and two cups of water.

Mix the solution in a spray bottle and spray it around your home or anywhere you have noticed banana spider activity.

Essential Oil Spider Repellent

There are plenty of essential oils you can use to keep banana spiders and other spiders at bay, but some of our favorites are listed below:

• Peppermint Oil
• Cedarwood Oil
• Citrus Oil
  Citronella OIl
• Tea Tree Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Lavender Oil

You can make your own banana spider repellent spray by mixing 10 drops of the above oil of your choice into two cups of water and mixing the solution in a spray bottle. Then just spray it anywhere you want to keep banana spiders from coming around.

You can also soak cotton balls in your preferred oil and place those near entry and exit points to help keep spiders and other pests from coming into your home. This method will also work to repel mice, ants, roaches, earwigs, stink bugs, and even bats.

How To Get Rid Of A Banana Spider – When To Call A Professional

An infestation of spiders may be a symptom of another pest problem in your home.

While it’s highly unlikely you’ll need to contact a professional to get rid of a banana spider on your property, you may need to turn to a professional pest control expert to help control the insects who are luring them there.

If you feel you have a large pest problem that is enticing banana spiders into your home or onto your property and none of the above methods of removal and control are working, it may be wise to contact a professional.

Professional pest control experts generally cost between $100 and $500 depending on your region and the severity of your infestation but they can help you to remedy the problem effectively.

Alright, we’ve talked about how to control and get rid of the banana spider problems around your home and property. Now let’s talk about prevention.

How To Prevent A Future Banana Spider Problem In Your Home Or Yard

Banana spiders are beneficial when they stay outside. 

While most banana spiders are seen as beneficial insects and are helpful to gardeners and homeowners looking to keep other, much more annoying pests away, they can become problematic if they get too close for comfort, especially for those with a fear of spiders.

In order to avoid having to deal with the banana spider or other creepy crawlies up close and personal, experts recommend following a few of the below guidelines to keep pests like spiders and other bugs outside where they belong.

Practice Routine Home Maintenance

Spiders enter our homes most often through unsealed entry and exit points. The best way to keep a banana spider out of your home is to caulk cracks and crevices around your home. We also suggest fixing ill-fitted or ripped screens and making sure windows and doors shut securely.

Vacuum and Sweep Often

Insects come into our homes in search of food that we accidentally leave out. Sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning your surfaces often can help reduce the number of insects coming into your home, which in turn will reduce the chances of having spiders.

Keep Vegetation At Least Three Feet From Your Home’s Perimeter 

Another way to keep spiders away from your home is to keep vegetation and plant life at least three feet from your home’s perimeter. Doing this will reduce the chances of having spiders get close enough to your home to want to enter in the first place.

Use Pest Control Methods To Keep Insects That Attract Spiders Out 

Last but not least, use a pest control regime all year round to protect your home against pests. Whether you use natural repellents, insecticides, or home remedies, experts suggest using a perimeter protection to keep your home pest free and keep those beneficial banana spiders out in your yard and garden where they belong.

Happy gardening!