Do Walnuts Really Keep Spiders Away

Walnuts do not keep spiders away.
 
There’s no scientific evidence that walnuts repel spiders, and placing them around your home won’t solve a spider problem.
 
If you’ve been wondering, “do walnuts really keep spiders away?”, the short answer is no—walnuts don’t keep spiders away at all.
 
This is one of those old home remedies that sounds clever but doesn’t hold up when you look at the facts.
 
In this post, we’ll look at where this walnuts and spiders myth came from, what science says about whether walnuts keep spiders away, and what actually works if you want spiders gone.
 
Let’s dig in.

Why Walnuts Do Not Keep Spiders Away

Walnuts do not keep spiders away, and here’s why that myth falls apart:

1. No Compound in Walnuts Repels Spiders

People often say the strong smell of walnuts drives spiders off.
 
But there’s no chemical in walnuts that spiders detect and avoid.
 
Walnuts contain juglone, a compound that can be toxic to some plants and insects, but spiders are not affected by it in any meaningful way.
 
So the idea that walnuts keep spiders away simply doesn’t match what we know about spider biology.
 

2. Spiders Don’t Avoid Walnuts in Nature

If walnuts really kept spiders away, you’d never find spiders near walnut trees.
 
But spiders build webs in walnut trees all the time.
 
They hide under bark, in leaf litter, and around the roots of walnut trees without any problem.
 
That alone shows walnuts do not keep spiders away, because spiders happily live right next to them.
 

3. The Myth Comes From Confused Pest Control Folklore

The claim that walnuts keep spiders away likely grew out of older folklore about walnut leaves and husks repelling certain insects.
 
People heard that walnut husks could deter moths or other bugs and assumed the same applied to spiders.
 
That’s how the idea that walnuts keep spiders away spread from one home remedy list to the next.
 
But folklore isn’t evidence, and walnuts do not keep spiders away no matter how many you scatter around.
 

4. Spiders Rely on Vibration, Not Smell, to Navigate

Spiders don’t hunt or hide based on the scent of nuts.
 
They sense vibrations, air movement, and touch through tiny hairs on their legs.
 
A bowl of walnuts on your counter doesn’t send any signal that would make a spider turn around.
 
So placing walnuts around your home won’t make spiders leave, because walnuts do not keep spiders away through scent or any other means.
 

Where the Walnuts and Spiders Myth Came From

The walnuts and spiders myth probably started with confusion between different pests.
 
Walnut husks and leaves contain juglone, which can repel some insects and even kill certain plants nearby.
 
Someone likely assumed that if walnuts worked on ants or moths, walnuts must keep spiders away too.
 
From there, the idea spread through word of mouth and old wives’ tales.
 
Today you’ll still see people claim walnuts keep spiders away in blog comments and DIY pest control threads.
 
But none of these claims come with real proof, and none of them explain how walnuts would actually affect a spider.
 
So the walnuts and spiders connection is really just a myth with no science behind it.
 

What Actually Keeps Spiders Away

Since walnuts do not keep spiders away, here’s what does work:

1. Reduce Clutter and Hiding Spots

Spiders love cardboard boxes, piles of clothes, and dark corners.
 
Clearing clutter removes the shelter spiders need, which is far more effective than walnuts.
 

2. Seal Cracks and Gaps

Spiders slip through tiny openings around windows, doors, and pipes.
 
Caulking those gaps keeps them from getting inside in the first place.
 

3. Control Other Insects

Spiders go where their food is.
 
If you have ants, flies, or moths around, spiders will follow.
 
Getting rid of those insects removes the reason spiders hang around.
 

4. Use Essential Oils Carefully

Some people use peppermint, citrus, or eucalyptus oil as a spider deterrent.
 
These oils may help a little, though results vary and they need frequent reapplication.
 
Still, they’re a better bet than walnuts, because walnuts do not keep spiders away.
 

5. Call a Pest Control Pro for Big Problems

If spiders are everywhere, a professional can treat the source and keep them from coming back.
 
That’s a real solution, unlike walnuts, which do not keep spiders away no matter where you place them.
 

So, Do Walnuts Really Keep Spiders Away?

Walnuts do not keep spiders away.
 
There’s no evidence that walnuts repel spiders, and spiders live happily around walnut trees in nature.
 
The walnuts and spiders myth likely came from confusion with other pests that juglone actually affects.
 
If you want to keep spiders out, focus on sealing gaps, cutting clutter, controlling other insects, and using proven deterrents.
 
So the next time someone tells you walnuts keep spiders away, you’ll know the truth.