As the weather gets colder, spiders are more likely to venture into our homes but experts say there are a few simple natural remedies and tricks that may help keep them out
While we’re slap bang in the middle of spider season, you might notice that increasing numbers of these eight-legged visitors are finding their way into your property. This reality struck me when I returned home following a recent trip to discover a cobweb hanging directly above my bed (thankfully minus any spiders… for now).
With this in mind, I set out to track down some experts who could offer guidance on keeping spiders out of my house, and remarkably, many of the solutions turned out to be fairly straightforward.
Daniel Steward, managing director at Shield Pest Control, explained: “Spiders can enter our properties the same way any other insect enters our home. Preventing them is not easy, as they can enter through many tiny gaps or holes around our homes.
“Male spiders will often look to enter homes during the autumn to find a female to mate with. Entering the home also offers warmth and protection from the elements.”
Daniel recommends turning to natural solutions, including potent scents such as peppermint or vinegar, which can be sprayed throughout the house, especially around windows and doors.
This guidance has been supported by Chris Bonnett from GardeningExpress.co.uk, who explained: “Spiders dislike the strong smell of certain essential oils.
“Mix a few drops of peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus oil with water in a spray bottle, and apply it to areas where spiders may gather, like on fences, doorways, or garden sheds. This is a safe, chemical-free solution.
“Similarly, spiders are repelled by citrus scents, so you could try scattering lemon or orange peels around areas you want to keep spider-free, or rub them on window sills, doorways, and plant pots. The same goes for vinegar – a simple mixture of white vinegar and water can be sprayed around the garden.”
While using fragrances is an excellent natural approach to keeping spiders out of the home, Daniel explains that there’s another technique that could prove even more effective.
He said: “The best approach to eradicating spiders is by using a hard, stiff broom or a handheld vacuum cleaner to physically remove the egg sacks and webs. This will help to reduce the number of spiders being produced.”
Meanwhile, Darren Coates, window and door expert at SolarFrame said: “Realistically, you’re never going to be able to completely stop spiders from coming into your home, but there are a few obvious entry points worth paying attention to that can help to keep as many spiders out as possible.
“One of the easiest things you can do is be more careful about leaving windows open after it gets dark. Earlier in September we were suggesting around 8pm as a sensible cut off for having windows open, but as the evenings have got darker, I’d now bring that forward to around 7pm.
“This is because spiders are much more active at night/as soon as it gets dark, so an open window after dark just encourages them to move inside.”
With this in mind, it’s also crucial to inspect the state of your window and door frames since spiders, along with any other unwanted visitors, can slip through even the tiniest of openings.
Darren adds: “If you can see daylight through a gap when the door is shut, then that’s definitely something worth getting looked at, not just because of spiders, but also due to the fact that your windows will be letting out warm air from your property and creating permanent draughts.”
His guidance applies whether you’re living in a house or a flat, and he concluded: “Flats aren’t exempt either. People sometimes assume being a few storeys up means that spiders can’t get in, but they can very easily climb walls and plants outside to reach the windows and doors of flats. Open windows and balcony or patio doors are then a very easy route indoors.”