I can't function without opened windows in my house during the summer but it lures all the bugs, mosquitos and spiders in I do not want to kill them or pollute the environment with some toxic, horrible spray so I have been looking for a vegan, environment-friendly alternative. Anyone knows something really EFFECTIVE?

Self-defense is perfectly okay.

That said, the only thing I've found that's non-toxic and effective is CedarCide. There are imitations with other ingredients, but the added ingredients do nothing but add to the scent overload. CedarCide has a strong cedar scent at first, but it dissipates rapidly.

It will repel all things bitey and will kill whatever it's sprayed directly on. I use it for fleas when necessary. (I use nematodes in my yard, but my dog will pick up fleas occasionally at the park.) I have no guilt about killing mosquitoes or fleas on me or my dog. (I've already had West Nile and don't want it again.)

I've wiped it on my screens to keep no-see-ums and fruit flies out. (Spray it on a thin, soft cloth and wipe the the screens.) It works fairly well. It's an effective repellant for anything bitey and is good for humans and nonhumans.

It isn't as effective on spiders. I don't know how effective a repellent it is for spiders, but it's worth a try. I don't worry about non-venomous spiders, but I will kill the venomous ones immediately. I live very green, but I keep a bottle of Windex under my sink for when CedarCide doesn't work. I only use Windex to kill bugs. It's not nearly as toxic and long-lasting as regular bug sprays. Windex will kill any bug, anywhere, any time. It even kills our palmetto bugs (flying roaches, up to 2.5" long). Bugs are nearly immune to commercial sprays, but Windex works like magic.

My dog survived a very bad black widow bite (long, awful story) and when we found dozens of them all over the yard, only Windex killed them. (My then-bf used spider spray which seemed to feed them. I used Windex and they died instantly.) It's one of the very few chemicals in my home.

You have to weigh the pros and cons of everything. Self-defense is different from wanton violence.

WOW! Thank you SO much for your reply . The info was really helpful, I will definitely try it.

In my rush, I wasn't clear. I use "Windex" generically. It's like "Kleenex", a brand name, has become just kleenex to mean tissues. Anyway... I don't know which brand of cruelty-free window cleaner I'm using. I bought a bottle that was too tall to fit under my sink so I poured it into smaller spray bottles. You may have to experiment to find the one that kills instantly. IIRC correctly, Windex is an SJ Johnson product and they still test on nonhumans. You can also make your own "windex" with non-sudsing ammonia and water and soap. Regular dish soap is fine. You can find a recipe for it online. (It's mostly the soap that kills, but it's not a good idea to be spraying plain soap around because it makes a mess.)

I did use CedarCide on wolf spiders. It worked. Wolf spiders are venomous but far from deadly unless you're allergic.

Good luck. I'm a fresh air person, too, and my windows are open until it hits 90 degrees (F).

And what about natural repellents such as lavender or tea-tree oil? If you don't have allergies, you can use aroma-lamp.