Prepare yourself for a difficult few months, arachnophobes.
Your home will turn into a prime hook-up spot for the autumnal spider mating season in the final weeks of September when the summer begins to cool off and damper weather draws in, so you can anticipate a few more eight-legged friends than usual creeping around your walls.
If you’re afraid of spiders, you’ve probably spent a lot of evenings searching online for “how to keep spiders out of my life” and come across a lot of urban legends and anecdotes that pass for science.
However, what can you actually do to prevent these misunderstood spiders from entering your house? We’re sorry to say that the verdict is still out on horse chestnuts and fragrant oils.
The effectiveness of three commonly used all-natural spider repellents, including lemon oil, peppermint oil, and horse chestnuts (also known as conkers), at deterring female spiders was examined in a small study that was published in the Journal of Economic Entomology last year. Despite lemon oil being the most frequently mentioned spider repellent on Google, the researchers were unable to find any proof that it worked. However, in more than 75% of tests, peppermint oil appeared to have some repellent properties against two of the three species of spiders. Conkers also had a slight deterrent effect on two different spider species, albeit to a lesser extent.
Many arachnologists, however, contend that in practice natural deterrents are ineffective.
According to Paul Hetherington of the nonprofit Buglife, “there is no research that shows anything like that is a deterrent to spiders.” He stated this to The Guardian in 2015.
Schoolchildren from the UK won a prize from The Royal Society of Chemistry for their investigation into whether spiders are actually repulsed by conkers, which is a complete contradiction to that study. The conker theory was demonstrably false in their small classroom experiment, as the spiders showed no signs of being scared off by them.
There isn’t much concrete scientific evidence to support the idea that any herb or natural product with a strong scent will completely deter spiders, whether it’s vinegar, tobacco, or any essential oil.
However, there are some simpler options as well.
It’s frequently hypothesized that humans and cats first collaborated to ward off rodents and mice. Cats are also fairly adept at capturing and devouring spiders. It is extremely unlikely that your cat will become ill after consuming a spider, provided that it is not a deadly venomous species.
Keeping your home clean on a regular basis can also help keep spiders at bay, as dull as that may sound. You can easily disrupt their nests by vacuuming or dusting your floors and the corners of your rooms, and by sweeping up any crumbs that might attract them. Additionally, it will lessen the quantity of tiny flies and mites, which spiders like to consume.
Additionally, you can prevent spiders from entering your home by caulking any wall cracks or drafty floorboard gaps. Keep your windows and doors closed as much as you can, obviously.
The fact that only a small portion of the 43,000 species of spiders are actually dangerous should be kept in mind, even though this won’t be much of a comfort to true arachnophobes. Most are completely innocent and not interested in feasting on your blood. Additionally, they are crucial in the management of a variety of real pests, including flies.
If all else fails and you’re still not persuaded, you can always live in the first spider-proof shed in the world for just $3,250, which comes with a “10-year anti-spider-infestation guarantee.”
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