We had a horrible problem with black widow spiders. While my daughter was one we moved to the east bay near San Francisco and rented a small house with an overgrown backyard. My husband got the weeds in check but we had a never ending supply of black widow spiders. They were bold too! Walking down the fence in broad daylight where my toddler played.
I had an exterminator come a few times. I never felt great about the chemicals but they said they were safe and organic. But on one visit he sprayed my cherry tomato plants and then denied it when I told him I saw what he did. I was outraged and had no choice but to dig out my plants and throw them away. I could never feel like they had been washed enough to be safe. And my daughter popped them in her mouth all day long, straight from the vine!
I got chickens to fix the spider problem. Chickens eat all sorts of bugs, spiders, lizards- anything that moves. Ticks will never bother you again when you have chickens. Plus they each lay one egg per day in the spring through fall. They also ingest local pollen and spores passing their antibodies on to you through the eggs. Great for allergy sufferers.
Our three hens have a fun little society. The white one is the boss- there is a literal pecking order and they don’t mess with her. But they are unexpectedly great pets. They will allow you to pick them up if you have a good history with them. They will allow the kids to be near them if the kids are calm and respectful- and if they bring treats like freeze dried meal worms.
Inside the house I use a homemade spider spray with peppermint essential oil. That oil is absolute poison to spiders. I sprayed it right on a spider to test it and he went berserk like I had doused him with acid. I use that spray all around my doors and windows to create a natural barrier. I also give a hefty mist all around my bed. It’s safe too- I could spray it right in my mouth! Would you feel safe spraying spider poison on your bed? Yuck!