Spiders can be a common annoyance in houses across the UK, and even more so as we open our windows to let the warm air in. But with the warm weather comes unwanted visitors in the form of insects.
However, one cleaning and home hacks creator has shared three simple and natural ways of deterring pests. Anna, who goes by Anna Louisa At Home on TikTok, explained three different ways she “spider-proofs” her entire house. She explained in the video’s caption: “They enter your home for warmth and also to keep out of the sun which is why we can see them all year round!
“These are tips to help persuade them to go elsewhere – they’re not only easy to do but they also make my home smell amazing!”
One of her chosen scents is orange, which you can add to your cleaning products when cleaning around the house.
How to deter spiders
Anna said: “Add the recommended dose of orange oil to the water for your particular mop with a squirt of dishwashing liquid.
“I use a Vileda spray mop so I added 15-20 drops – again spider AND insects dislike this scent but for us it’s not too overpowering like peppermint and tea tree so it’s perfect for larger surfaces like your floors!”
You can also use orange peel too. Simply rub the orange around doors and windows.
Spiders have a very keen sense of smell, so strong scents like oranges – or other citrus fruits – are thought to be unpleasant for them, and will put them off going anywhere near where the scent is placed.
This could also work for citrus-based incense or orange-scented cleaning products.
Anna’s video has already been viewed over 987,400 times, receiving 90,500 likes and 367 comments.
You can also use peppermint oil. Zoflora explained that spiders aren’t fans of strong scents, including citrus, peppermint, tea-tree, lavender, rose or cinnamon.
One theory behind this is because spiders smell and taste with their legs, so they will avoid surfaces with strong odours.