I hate chemicals and toxins. You are polluting your own home environment by using toxins. Spiders are repeled by chestnuts. See if you can find chestnuts and/or chestnut oil spray. The attached link is a website in the UK. I haven't been able to find something similar yet in NA. Maybe someone has an idea where chestnut oil spray might be available in NA.

Here is a link that might be useful: Humane Pest Control

Could you work on changing your attitude?

Spiders keep many other bugs away-roaches,skeeters,flies, etc.

Thanks *Ojoy* for that tip about Chestnut oil... i'll be looking into it!!

*TypoQueen* --I can't change my attitude towards spiders. I think it stems back from a dorm experience in college where I'd wake up with spider bites on my arms. I don't like the idea on spiders being in my apt but I FEAR spotting one in my bedroom.
My mom keeps saying the same thing you do though "they kill other bugs, they're good"... but I can't deal with them.

Thanks!

kelly726 -

I share your fear/repulsion of spiders! When I felt spiders were over-running my apartment, I spoke to the manager of my building and she offered to have the apartment sprayed for pests. All I had to do is move my furniture away from the walls so maintenance could do their thing. It may not be safe if you have pets, but I haven't seen a spider or any other bug since. There was a slight chemical smell for a couple days, but now I can't even tell. Maybe you can just have your laundry closet sprayed? I'm not sure what type of building you live in, but most apartment communities should be willing and able to help you. Hope this helps!

wildeyjr

I've found spiders IN MY BED three or four times now (luckily while I wasn't in it, although it's probably happened). For whatever reason (probably because I'm on the ground floor) they love my apartment. Things had been okay but just in the last week I'm finding them everywhere. Most are the whispy, light kind but there was one mini-tarantula type in my closet last week. I just keep the vacuum cleaner handy and suck them up!

I am afraid of spiders also, and I really hate these creepy-crawlers!

I get them in my house, especially in the spring and summer. It doesn't matter how clean I keep the house, spiders still appear. I realize that spiders can crawl through small cracks, so I think that they may be getting in through the basement and through tiny spaces around the doors to the outside. I'm such a scaredy cat that I refuse to go down to the basement alone.

I really don't like the idea of spraying chemicals to exterminate spiders and other bugs because I simply don't know what the long-term affects of being exposed to chemicals are. However, since I've reached the point where I don't want to see another spider upstairs, I had my Mom spray in the basement and my Dad spray around the outside of the house. Well, the day that my Mom sprayed, I found a black spider in the kitchen and then a beetle in my bedroom even though I had just finished washing down all the floors. Then tonight I found a big spider in the bathroom. So maybe I'll need to call an exterminator. However, I will only allow someone to spray in the basement because I have a cat, and even though a product may say that it's safe for pets and humans, I still don't want to expose my cat to chemicals.

I've read that it's important to seal cracks where spiders may enter from the outside. Sometimes it's impossible to seal all cracks.

Update:
[side note: I live on the 2nd floor] About a week ago I ran into a new downstairs neighbor... she has the cutest little dog and we were talking some small chit chat about her dog and I just threw in "have you been seeing alot of spiders around your apt. lately?". She said yes and that she had called management already who told her they would have someone come over to check it out. Well the next day someone was power washing our hallways, doors, and stairwells. Then 2 days later I guess some guy was around the exterior with a spray for bugs.

Well I noticed quite a decrease in spiders... still a random one here & there but for the most part they are gone .... for now.

Congrats kelly.

regardless of my post, I had a lot of sympathy for you.
My sister has always been freaked by spiders.

Oh wow - I completely sympathize with you. I have really bad "aracnaphobia" or i guess you could just say bug-o-phobia. I wonder if you can find a scent-less spray? I personally keep a can of Raid right next to my bed just in case.