If you’ve noticed more spiders in your home recently, you’re not the only one. Autumn is the start of spider season in the UK, as spiders seek out warm places to shelter from the colder weather.
For those who aren’t keen on the unwelcome houseguests, there are several strategies you can use to help banish spiders from your home. According to Pest UK, getting rid of cobwebs, vacuuming regularly, and limiting access to food are all useful steps for preventing the creepy crawlies.
You could also invest in plants that are known to help keep spiders away. Ideal Home reports that there are various varieties that could help keep away arachnids. One popular choice is lavender, which has the added bonus that it helps your home smell beautiful.
Graham Smith MClhort, a gardening expert from LBS Horticulture, told the publication: “If you are intending to use lavender to repel spiders, English Lavender is the strongest smelling of all the available varieties.
“You can grow this outdoors, or take cuttings and hang these around your home to deter spiders.” However, if you’d prefer a gentler fragrance, rosemary could be the way to go.
Graham explained: “Although rosemary may only have a faint scent to humans, it is believed to have a very strong odour for spiders. It can be grown in your garden all year round, but young plants are not very tolerant of the cold, so they may need to be brought indoors during winter.”
Basil could be another option. Not only is it a popular herb, but it’s a plant that spiders tend to avoid. As such, it could be well worth adding a pot to your garden table or kitchen windowsill.
Whichever spot you pick, it’s recommended to opt for somewhere bright. Graham says: “It can be grown indoors or outdoors, as long as it receives a few hours of sunlight a day.”
Alternatively, marigolds, citronella, mint, or chrysanthemums are also popular options. If you don’t want to use plants, you could use essential oils instead.
Pest UK says: “Strong smells are a natural way to deter spiders from entering your home. Smells such as lemon, lime, oranges, anything with a strong citrus aroma, help repel spiders. Also, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, or peppermint oil.
“Vinegar is another strong scent to help repel spiders, but most people aren’t too keen on vinegar lingering around their homes. Rub or spray around window sills and doors with these scents to help prevent spiders from entering.”
The experts add: “If you do see a spider in the house, put a container over it, scoop it up with a card, and put it outside.”