A woman was seen placing a common autumnal object around her home in a bid to ward off spiders – but it left everyone saying the same thing. Spiders are a common source of fear and anxiety for many people, and they’re more common during the autumn months.
This is because, as the temperatures drop and cooler days roll in, spiders seek solace in the warmth of our homes and garages. They opt for these spaces to take advantage of the heat and shelter from the natural elements, while also looking for a mate – though this isn’t good news for those with arachnophobia.
Many people turn to social media looking for tips and tricks to keep their homes free from their eight-legged foes, with one common hack advising people to place conkers in corners and other areas where spiders are likely to lurk as it’s believed to deter them.
The thinking behind this is due to conkers containing the natural substance saponin, which is a natural, bitter-tasting chemical derived from plants.
Conkers are actually nuts and come from the horse chestnut tree but they’re not a viable food source. In fact, they’re toxic which makes them completely unsuitable as food for people or animals.
They’re said to repel spiders due to their toxic and bitter-tasting nature. One woman was keen to put this theory to the test by placing conkers all around her home in the hopes of keeping spiders away.
She shared her exploits in a video which she posted on TikTok. People were keen to share their thoughts in the comments section.
One person said: “I literally won’t go into a room that has one in it. What is this sorcery you speak of? I must know.”
The woman replied: “Same, the phobia is so bad! Apparently they don’t like conkers but I’m not 100%?”
But others were quick to dismiss the effectiveness of conkers against spiders.
One person said: “It doesn’t help. It’s bad if you have animals. It’s poison for dogs.”
Another shared: “This doesn’t work, my partner does this every year and we still end up with Godzilla strolling across my bedroom carpet!”
Someone else commented: “My aunt used to do this. Would go and look at the conkers and there were spiders sitting on them…”
Another said: “This doesn’t work at all… I have conkers everywhere and I have been riddled with spiders.”
One person stated: “They do nothing babs…”
Another commented: “They’re mostly harmless, leave them be,” To which, the woman replied: “I would if I could but I genuinely can’t sleep at the thought of them.”
Someone else suggested: “I use lavender oil. Can also use lemon oil or peppermint oil diluted into a spray bottle. Spray around the edges of all rooms. I also put [it] on makeup wipes [placed] around too.”
Another added: “Spiders get rid of lots of bugs so chasing them away is counter productive.”
Of conkers repelling spiders, Fantastic Pest Control states: “In 2010, a group of middle schoolers also did an experiment that proved the statement to be just an old wives’ tale.
“They placed several spiders in a box half of which is blocked with conkers and the other side with some other objects.
“When released, the spiders walked all around the box and over the two kinds of barriers, including the conkers. Thus they proved that spiders are not afraid of conkers.”