Annually, 1000’s of creepy crawlies invade our houses and yearly I search for methods to maintain them out.
Spiders seem much more round houses through the autumn months because of mating season, so males are sometimes looking for a companion.
Because the climate cools this implies they’re doing so inside houses because the circumstances are drier than outside.
With that in thoughts, a £1.40 hack to supposedly hold spiders out of your own home caught my consideration this yr.
Low-cost, out there from most supermarkets or on-line, and easy to use, may peppermint oil maintain the solutions to my spider issues?
After buying the oil from Asda, I blended it with water to make a twig that I may spray onto curtains, windowsills, doorframes and the corners of carpets.
The thought is that spiders might be deterred from coming into the house because of the odor of the oil on the surfaces and entrances they’re more likely to encounter first.
Jess Steele, heating know-how professional at designer radiator specialists BestHeating, defined the idea behind the hack: “Peppermint oil offers a robust odor and spiders are delicate to them which makes it an efficient but low-cost methodology of taking away the concern of discovering creepy crawlies everywhere in the dwelling, with out inflicting hurt to them.”
However does it work?
Residing in a comparatively rural a part of Wales I see no scarcity of spiders invading the home right now of yr, and even earlier than I sprayed the peppermint oil, I had already come nose to nose with a few of my greater home friends – actually in a single case as he made himself comfy on a bed room pillow.
Nonetheless, since spraying the oil round entrances and on curtains, the frequency of their visits has been a lot decrease, as has the dimensions of the visitor.
And the outcomes have had no ailing impression on residing in the home, with the odor being so faint as to not appeal to my consideration.
For significantly spider infested houses, it is usually really useful you soak some cotton buds within the peppermint spray to position round areas they prefer to congregate, akin to on high of wardrobes.
What’s spider mating season?
Feminine spiders are identified to remain in a single place for all of their lives, however males are all the time on the transfer.
Throughout spider mating season, the males will go trying to find females and sometimes discover them inside houses, which is why it’s possible you’ll discover extra of them over the subsequent couple of months.
Within the UK, there are greater than 650 completely different species of spider and whereas all of them can chew, solely 12 could cause hurt to people.
Cash, cellar and lace net spiders will doubtless be seen extra regularly over the approaching weeks, in addition to home spiders, which is without doubt one of the UK’s greatest spiders.
The males of this species can develop as much as a terrifying 10cm throughout the leg span, though that is the highest finish of the dimensions, with their dimension relying on how a lot they’ve eaten.
After mating, the feminine will lay eggs and the male will normally die.
How can I hold spiders out?
In case you are eager to maintain the eight-legged creatures out of your own home, there are some things you may attempt to deter them from creeping inside.
Keep away from litter
Spiders love looking for refuge in darkish, damp and cluttered locations, so making certain your own home is saved clear can hold them away.
Be sure you vacuum and dirt frequently, and retailer issues away in plastic-lid bins reasonably than cardboard, to stop the critters gaining entry.
Let pure mild in
Keep away from leaving the blinds or curtains closed through the day, or for extended intervals when you find yourself away from dwelling as spiders love the darkish.
Use important oils
Spiders ‘odor’ with their legs, so sturdy scents will deter them from leaving their nooks and crannies.
Tea tree, rose, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, citronella, lavender and eucalyptus are good oils to attempt – be sure you spray corners, window sills and skirting boards, and replenish frequently.
Draw some chalk strains
Spiders style with their toes and so they don’t like chalk, so drawing a line round window sills, your mattress, or doorways, will deter them from crossing.
Seal any cracks
Seal up any little cracks in partitions, flooring and ceilings that spiders may use for entry.
Preserve foliage away from your own home
Keep away from permitting crops to develop too near your own home to creep as spiders will disguise away in them.
Leaf litter and accumulating wooden piles additionally make for nice spider hiding locations, so you’ll want to hold your outside area tidy.
Don’t use conkers
There isn’t a proof that conkers are efficient at maintaining spiders out.
Different sturdy aromas are more likely to work higher, akin to garlic or vinegar.
