Best Spider Killer Sprays for Indoors: Residual and Contact Picks

The best spider killer spray for indoors is Ortho Home Defense MAX, an odor-free trigger spray that keeps killing spiders on non-porous surfaces for up to 12 months, per the maker. Miss Muffet's Revenge reaches high corners, Harris Spider Killer is an odorless deltamethrin liquid, Raid MAX handles black widows and TERRO's aerosol 2-pack handles spiders you see.

Contact Kill vs Residual: How Indoor Spider Sprays Work

Every indoor spider spray does one or both of two jobs. It kills on contact, which handles the spider on the ceiling right now. Many also leave a residue that kills spiders that later walk across the treated surface, which is what reduces the number you see over the following weeks.

The difference matters more for spiders than for most pests. Spiders sit still in webs or hide in corners, so a contact-only spray misses most of them, and University of California IPM's pest note on spiders notes they are hard to control with pesticides unless you can see and spray them. A residue along their routes does the work while you are not looking. The same note warns that spraying is only temporary unless it comes with housekeeping, so plan on vacuuming and sealing too.

For repellents, plant-oil sprays and traps alongside these killers, see our guide to the best spider repellents for the house. The indoor spider repellent guides also cover garages, cars and pet-safe options.

Where to Spray Spiders Indoors

Indoor spider sprays are labeled for spot and crack-and-crevice use, not for misting a whole room. Aim for the places spiders travel and hide:

• Door and window frames: the inside edges where spiders enter.
• Baseboards behind furniture: the quiet stretches spiders follow.
• Room corners and ceiling corners: after vacuuming webs away.
• Basement and closet corners: where cellar spiders and wolf spiders settle.
• Gaps around pipes and vents: under sinks and behind appliances.

Vacuum webs before you spray, so the residue lands on the surface rather than on old silk. Keep sprays off bedding, toys, food-prep surfaces and anywhere pets lie, and follow each label's limits on surfaces and reapplication.

How We Selected These Products

We compared indoor spider sprays on how long their residue lasts, which spiders and surfaces their labels list, how they apply and what buyers report. Our sources were the makers' listings, an EPA label record, Amazon's review digests and UC IPM guidance; we did not test the products.

We favored sprays with a residual effect that list spiders on the label, since contact-only sprays miss most hidden spiders. We left out sprays whose residual claim excludes spiders, plant-oil sprays with mixed effectiveness reviews (covered in our repellent guides) and new listings without buyer feedback. Two picks list black widows, because the long-lasting barrier spray does not.

Ortho Home Defense MAX: Best Overall Indoor Spider Killer

Ortho Home Defense MAX Insect Killer for Indoor and Home Perimeter comes as two 24-ounce trigger bottles.

• The maker says it controls ants, roaches and spiders indoors for up to 12 months on non-porous surfaces.
• It is odor-free and non-staining, per the maker.
• It is labeled for indoor use and for a barrier around the home's perimeter.
• Buyers find it effective on ants, roaches, spiders, stinkbugs and centipedes and like that it is odorless; value opinions are mixed.

Choose it for treating baseboards, door frames and window frames throughout the house in one go. Its long residue on non-porous surfaces suits painted trim, tile and vinyl best; on carpet and bare wood, expect it to wear off sooner.

OUR CHOICE

Ortho Home Defense MAX Insect Killer 24 oz 2-Pack

SprayOdor-free

Best for: A long residue on baseboards and frames

• ✓Up to 12 months on non-porous surfaces, per the maker
• ✓Odor-free and non-staining, per the maker
• ✓Effective on spiders and other invaders, per buyers
• −Shorter residue on porous surfaces
• −Mixed value feedback

Editor's Note

It treats baseboards and frames throughout the house in one go. Best on painted trim, tile and vinyl.

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Specifications (3)

Liquid Volume

24 fluid ounces

Item Form

Spray

Target Species

Insects

Miss Muffet's Revenge: Best for High Corners and Ceilings

Indoors, Miss Muffet's Revenge earns its place on high corners: the 64-ounce bifenthrin jug has a sprayer that reaches ceilings and stairwells without a ladder.

• The maker says one application kills spiders and leaves a barrier inside and outside the home for up to 12 months.
• The sprayer reaches up to 10 feet, so ceiling corners and stairwells need no ladder.
• The maker says to spray webs, then brush them down the next day.
• Buyers find it effective and fast, but many say the attached sprayer does not work well, and opinions on how long it lasts are mixed.

Choose it for vaulted ceilings, stairwells and high window frames where cellar spiders hang their webs. The maker says it is formulated for all spiders except black widows and brown recluses, so pair it with one of the aerosols below if those live in your area.

Wet & Forget Miss Muffet's Revenge 64 oz

BifenthrinAttached sprayer

Best for: High corners and ceilings

• ✓Up to 12 months per application, per the maker
• ✓Sprayer reaches up to 10 feet
• ✓Effective and fast, per buyers
• −Not formulated for black widows or brown recluses
• −Mixed feedback on how long it lasts

Editor's Note

Its long reach covers ceiling corners and stairwells without a ladder. Pair it with an aerosol for black widows.

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Specifications (3)

Active Ingredients

Bifenthrin

Liquid Volume

1.89 liters

Item Form

Spray

Harris Spider Killer: Best Odorless Liquid

Harris Spider Killer comes as two 32-ounce trigger bottles of a deltamethrin liquid, registered with the EPA for indoor residential use.

• The active ingredient is deltamethrin at 0.03%, per the product label.
• The maker says it keeps killing spiders once the spray has dried on a surface.
• It is odorless and non-staining, and should not damage fabrics when used per the label, per the maker.
• Buyers report it eliminates spiders, one with none seen for four months; the trigger and value get mixed to negative reviews.

Choose it for bedrooms, living rooms and closets where any smell would bother you. It also lists ants, roaches, crickets and silverfish, which helps where spiders are feeding on other indoor insects.

Harris Spider Killer 32 oz 2-Pack

DeltamethrinTrigger spray2 bottles

Best for: Bedrooms and closets without odor

• ✓Deltamethrin 0.03%, per the label
• ✓Odorless and non-staining, per the maker
• ✓Eliminates spiders, per buyers
• −Mixed trigger performance, per buyers
• −Value mostly negative, per buyers

Editor's Note

It suits rooms where any smell would bother you. It keeps killing once the spray dries.

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Specifications (4)

Item Form

Liquid,Spray

Unit Count

64 Fluid Ounces

Specification Met

EPA

Target Species

Spider

Raid MAX Spider and Scorpion Killer: Best for Black Widows

For a black widow in the basement, Raid's 12-ounce Spider & Scorpion can kills on contact and lists the spider on its label.

• It lists black widow spiders, household spiders, scorpions, roaches and ants.
• The maker advises retreating every 7 weeks on porous surfaces and every 12 weeks on non-porous surfaces.
• It leaves no lingering chemical odor, per the maker, and buyers agree.
• Buyers find it effective on spiders and scorpions; spray performance gets mixed reviews.

Choose it for a basement, utility room or crawl space entrance where black widows show up, and for scorpions in the Southwest. Spray the spider directly, then treat the corner it came from.

Raid MAX Spider & Scorpion Killer 12 oz

Aerosol12 oz

Best for: Black widows and scorpions

• ✓Lists black widow spiders and scorpions
• ✓Retreat every 7 to 12 weeks, per the maker
• ✓No lingering odor, per buyers
• −Small can for targeted use
• −Mixed spray performance, per buyers

Editor's Note

It covers the black widows the barrier spray does not. Spray the spider, then its corner.

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Specifications (3)

Item Volume

12 fluid ounces

Target Species

Spider

Item Form

LIQUID

TERRO T2302 Spider Killer Aerosol 2-Pack: Best for Spiders You See

TERRO's T2302 comes as two 16-ounce cans of pyrethrins and deltamethrin.

• It lists black widow, brown recluse and hobo spiders, along with ants, roaches, crickets and scorpions.
• The maker says the pyrethrins knock spiders down fast and the deltamethrin gives extended killing power.
• It is labeled for surface, spot and crack-and-crevice treatment, indoors and outdoors.
• Buyers find it effective on spiders; some cans do not spray well.

Choose it as the can to keep under the sink for spiders you see, especially where brown recluses live, since it is one of the few picks that lists them. Two cans cover the house and garage for a season of spot treatments.

TERRO T2302 Spider Killer Aerosol 2-Pack

Aerosol2 cans

Best for: Spiders you see on a budget

• ✓Lists black widow, brown recluse and hobo spiders
• ✓Fast knockdown, per the maker
• ✓Crack-and-crevice use indoors and outdoors
• −Some cans do not spray well, per buyers
• −Little effect on spiders you miss

Editor's Note

It is the household can for spiders you can see. It lists brown recluses, which few picks do.

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Specifications (3)

Size

16 Ounce (Pack of 2)

Item Form

Aerosol

Scent

Unscented

A spray works best once the webs are gone, the gaps are sealed and the clutter is cleared.

Using Spider Spray Safely Indoors

All of these are insecticides, and indoor use puts them near people and pets. Read the label before the first use and follow it on where to spray, how much and how often.

• Keep people and pets out until it dries: residual sprays are safest once dry, and the labels say when treated areas can be used again.
• Spray spots, not rooms: crack-and-crevice application puts the insecticide where spiders are and keeps it off surfaces you touch.
• Protect fish tanks and pet bowls: cover tanks and move bowls, food and toys before spraying nearby.
• Ventilate: open windows when using aerosols in small rooms.
• Skip foggers: University of Kentucky entomologists note that total-release foggers are seldom effective against spiders, which hide where fog does not reach.

If a child or pet gets into a spray, check the label's first aid section and call Poison Control or your veterinarian.

Common Questions About Indoor Spider Sprays

Which One Should You Buy?

Ortho Home Defense MAX is the spider killer spray to buy for indoors. It is odor-free, lists spiders, and the maker says one treatment keeps working on non-porous surfaces for up to a year, which covers baseboards, trim and frames throughout the house.

Choose Miss Muffet's Revenge for high ceilings, Harris for bedrooms where odor matters, Raid MAX for black widows and scorpions, and TERRO's 2-pack for spiders you see on a budget. Whichever you pick, vacuum webs first and seal the gaps spiders use to get in.

Before you buy, note the rooms where you see the most spiders and whether any are black widows or brown recluses, since that decides which label you need.