What are you doing for Halloween this year? You could just leave the cobwebs untouched and there you have a great themed decoration. But no one actually likes their home being infested with real life creepy crawlies. Did you know the UK is inhabited by 650 different species of spiders, but the good news is only 12 of them can bite humans. Occasionally, a venomous spider can be sighted in the country and those occurrences are really rare. Even as at that you probably still don’t want any of them in your house. So, here’s how to keep them away.
Step 1: Keep them outside
If your home benefits from a lovely garden this could be an additional risk of spider infestation. Spiders love vegetation because it provides them with lots of opportunities to hide. Try keeping all plants at least 5 feet from the entrance. A concrete or wooden patio here would be really helpful, but don’t forget it also needs a seasonal professional clean. If plants do reach your door or are close to it these are some of the other preventative measures you can try.
- Horse Chestnuts
It is believed that the scent of natural chemicals in horse chestnuts repel spiders. To make sure this home remedy is effective, split the nut into two and place the two halves in every corner of the room or other spider shelter spots.
- Peppermint Spray
Peppermint has such a refreshing scent but spiders hate it. Create your own anti-crawly spray by diluting 20 drops of peppermint oil into 2 cups of water and put it in a spray bottle. Then treat every crack, window frame and door inside your house to keep the mini creepers away. Also, if you don’t really enjoy peppermint as an arome, you can achieve similar results with tea tree oil or eucalyptus oil.
Step 2: Serve an Eviction Notice to the Intruders
- Keep a Tidy Home
Will we surprise you if we told you cleaning your house often will get you rid of spiders? Probably not. It’s true and your grandma was right. The tidier, cleaner and decluttered your home, the less hiding space for the spiders. Even if they do come inside they will soon leave because they won’t have a shelter or food. So, make it a regular habit to wash all the plates before you go to bed and don’t leave food outside. It could be another reason for spiders to stay as uninvited guests. Not that they will eat any of the things you eat, but food leftovers attract other pests such as flies and that’s spiders’ favourite delicacy.
- Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth Around
Diatomaceous earth is a powder from the fossils of the water creature diatom. It is safe for humans and pets, but it kills spiders. The creepy crawly practically turns into a dried exponate when the powder comes into contact with its body.
- Vacuum the Webs and Eggs Away
One of the safest ways to get rid of new spiders is vacuuming. It will suck up any laid eggs and eliminate the cobwebs. You may be able to suck up some grown spiders as well, but make sure you release them outside after that. They won’t die in your vacuum cleaner bag and may crawl out again.
If you notice that you have a growing population of spiders at home, this might be an indication of a more serious infestation problem with larger pests. Your best option at that point is to call pest control.
Scared of spiders? Get cleaning right away. And if that’s not something you enjoy, we are happy to help. Call us to book an appointment.