How to Kill a Spider on the Ceiling Easily? Best Methods!

Do you know how to kill a spider on the ceiling?

Are you aware of the different ways you can eradicate and get rid of them while they’re on the ceiling?

I’ve never been a fan of arachnids, and that is why I dug deep into learning the best, easiest, and of course, safest ways of getting a spider off the ceiling.

You can effectively get rid of a spider on the ceiling by using bug spray, Lysol, vacuuming it, drenching it in water, or by applying vinegar or essential oil on them.

Why You Should Kill a Spider 

Exterminating a spider isn’t really my cup of tea, to be honest. Apart from the fact that I loathe arachnids, they’re often extremely challenging to catch.

And while most species of spiders aren’t toxic or poisonous, here are a few reasons why it’s recommended to exterminate them:

• Some species are dangerous and can harm you
• There are some that feed on infectious insects, which can cause diseases
• There could be children or people who have arachnophobia or “the fear of spiders”
• It can mix with your food, meals, etc.

Why You Should Consider Not Killing Them

While I would often resort to exterminating them, there are claims discussing why you should refrain from doing so.

These include:

• They’re effective mosquito repellents
• Spiders can stir off pests and other insects

Most of the time, the spiders you’ll see inside your home won’t be harmful, so there’s no need to exterminate them.

This is unless you have a fear of spiders or if you’re concerned about them meddling with your meal and food.

DID YOU KNOW: Only 30 of the 47,000+ spider species are harmful to humans. Harmful in the sense that they are poisonous and venomous.

How to Kill a Spider on the Ceiling? 6 Easy and Best Ways

Being someone who isn’t too fond of spiders, I decided to learn the best ways how to get a spider off the ceiling.

I made it so easy that whatever you choose to do will be practical and doable!

Method #1: Using Bug Spray

Probably the go-to solution or method of most people would be to use bug spray, which is true. I often resort to this especially if I see that the legs are so long.

It’s simple, you just have to spray it directly on the spider.

When you do this, make sure that:

• Your children aren’t nearby
• You’ll evacuate the room/area where you used the spray in

Bug sprays, often toxic, can lead to hazards and dangers when inhaled by people.

Method #2: Using Lysol

Another method would be by using Lysol. While it won’t exterminate spiders completely, it can paralyze them, bidding them unable to move.

What you want to do is spray Lysol on the spider straight and directly, and after a few seconds, they’ll just fall off the ground.

What you’ll do next will depend on your goals – you can exterminate it by squishing it, or you can throw it outside or in the bin.

Unlike bug sprays, Lysol is not that toxic, but it still is concentrated. You don’t want children to inhale it directly, too.

So, keep children and other people out of the room for at least 15 minutes after spraying Lysol.

Remember that Lysol sprays don’t take the lives of these spiders – it just paralyzes them for a few minutes.

Method #3: Vacuuming the Spider

This is what I think is the best way to get rid of a spider that’s stuck on the ceiling.

This method won’t require people to leave the room – unless the noise and sound vacuums emit are causing a nuisance.

What you have to do is plug the vacuum in, and then point it directly at the spider.

That’s it! No ifs and buts! That’s all you have to do, and you can be carefree of the spiders lurking above you.

Turn the vacuum on even before you point it to the spider. The spider could run away when you point it close to their bodies first.

Method #4: Drenching it With Water

The next method is by using water. In case you didn’t know, spiders can’t swim! So, what you’ll do is you’ll drown them with a splash of water.

You’ll see that they’ll fall from the ceiling eventually!

What I usually do is pour water with dish soap into a sprinkler/sprayer.

Then, I spray water over the crawler as much as I can until it can’t handle it any longer – they eventually just fall off.

NOTE: Be careful in doing this because if you are directly below the spider, there’s a tendency that it will fall on you. 

Position at an angle far from its landing spot so you can be sure that it wouldn’t land on you.

Method #5: Applying Vinegar or Essential Oil

This next method is pretty unorthodox, and to be honest, I’ve only done this once or twice simply because there are far simpler methods and ways to follow.

The idea of this method is typically similar to how you can solve this spider or insect problem with water.

You put a mixture of vinegar and essential oil in a sprayer or a sprinkler, and then you spray it on the creature.

What I’ll recommend is to use 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 5 tablespoons of essential oil – peppermint, citrus, or lavender would be great to conceal the smell of the vinegar while keeping its compounds and effectiveness at bay.

Spray away!

Method #6: Using Tissue Paper or Paper 

Last, and most definitely not least is by using toilet paper, tissue paper, paper towels, or plain paper (could be scratch papers, torn paper bags, pages from books, etc.).

For this method, you just have to roll up whatever material you want to use, and then squish the spider from where it is on the ceiling.

What I usually do is roll up tissue paper, toilet paper, or paper and I stick it on top of a broomstick.

Don’t get me wrong, the ceiling is less than a foot away if I get my hands up – I just can’t fathom the feeling of being too close to them.

And these are the different methods you can indulge in to be able to get rid of the spider on your ceiling once and for all!

The bonus bit I can give you is that you can do all these without getting inches close to the creature!

FAQs

For the benefit of everyone who might have a few more questions, here are the inquiries that are most common regarding this concern.

How Long Will a Spider Stay in Your Room?

There is actually no timeframe for when your spider will stay inside your room.

So long as they have food in the room like insects, roaches, flies, clothes moths, and other indoor pets, they will stay where they are.

Does Killing a Spider Attract More Spiders?

No, they won’t. This is one of the most common misconceptions people have about spiders.

It’s not like they have a radar on all their buddies so they can swarm the individual that did it.

However, there is a chance that when a dead spider’s carcass turns into food for other insects and they feed on it, spiders will detect the said insect and prey on them.

Would You Still Be Scared of Spiders?

Do you now have a better idea of how to kill a spider on the ceiling even without you getting close to it?

Don’t worry, we share the same sentiments!

Nevertheless, here are a few of the best, easiest, and most effective methods on how you can exterminate these creepy-crawlies that are feeling comfortable on your ceiling!