Nature
PUBLISHED
It’s beginning to look a lot like fall, and with the crisp sound of a crunchy leaf underfoot and the smell of pumpkin spice in the air, it's time to tackle some of the more unwanted aspects of the third season. What can we do about the spiders?
In the 'ber months, spiders begin looking for mates and also looking for warmer places to shelter. If you don’t want to share your space with these eight-legged creatures, there are a few things you can do.
The first is to block up any obvious gaps, and keep windows and doors closed to prevent the spiders getting in in the first place. This can be done on both interior and exterior walls. Decluttering and cleaning to minimize webs and small spaces for spiders to hide in is also recommended.
Spiders are particularly sensitive to strong aromas and some suggest that soaking crushed garlic cloves in water and using the spray around your house is a good way to deter the arachnids from joining you inside. Peppermint oil added to water and spritzed around is also said to have the same effect.
Another strong smell that is more fitting in this fall period is cinnamon, and since many candles and room sprays contain this ingredient at this time of year it is not too hard to get a hold of.
Other suggestions include planting mint, lavender, or eucalyptus in your garden near the windows to ward off spiders by the smell. You could even go so far as to rub citrus peel along skirting boards.
One thing that has no benefit is conkers. This is an old wives tale and is not scientifically proven to work, though it will certainly add to the fall vibes. Conkers are poisonous to dogs though, so be careful leaving them around your house if you have pets.
Of course sharing the same space with spiders has benefits too. They particularly enjoy eating fruit flies that might be buzzing about in your fruit bowl, and at least they are very quiet house guests.
Spiders are an important part of the ecosystem so please don’t kill them. Instead they can be gently removed and put inside a shed or outbuilding, rather than left in the cold. Putting a towel in a bathtub at night can also help these chilly beings help themselves out of the tub if you don't want to touch them.
