6 Tips to Keep Spiders Out of Your Home

Spiders are an ever-present fixture in most homes. Majority of spiders are actually rather harmless, and help keep the insect population under control. However, there are also dangerous species, such as the Sydney funnel-web and Redback spiders, which can threaten the safety and well-being of your family members. it’s best to make sure that venomous spiders are nowhere near your family and property. Below are some of our top tips to keep spiders out:

1. Eliminate their hiding spots. Inspect your home for the presence of webs and clean them off as soon as they’re spotted. You also want to keep woodpiles clean, and maintain any thick plant growths around your home as best as you can. If they don’t have a place to nest, spiders typically won’t bother sticking around – that’s why you never see them in the good hotels where cleaners do a thorough job of cleaning the rooms.

2. Turn them off with scent. All spider species possess taste receptors in the hairs at the ends of their legs. They will usually avoid pungent or acidic substances, like peppermint oil, when they sense these scents in an area. Fortunately, humans love the scents spiders hate, so don’t be afraid to light that cinnamon candle in the evenings or use a lavender room spray liberally. The scent can also turn off the spider species that have a sense of smell.

3. Eliminate all points of entry. Sometimes the most obvious solutions are the best ones. Sealing up any cracks or crevices around your home eliminates a potential entry point for spiders. It’s also a good idea to keep the fly screens on your doors and windows closed at all times, as well as to reinforce the caulk seal around your windows. You may also want to install some fine mesh over any air vents inside the property.

4. Adopt a furry friend. Preferably a cat – even a docile one usually has a killer hunting instinct. Besides gaining a forever friend for yourself and a playmate for your children, cats will catch anything they see skittering across the floors of your common areas, making them a perfect deterrent to eight-legged creatures.

5. Keep your home clean. This one ought to be a no-brainer – a home that’s neat and tidy has no room where opportunistic spiders can hide. Declutter regularly, and don’t just clean on the surface – spiders love dark, unseen spots such as the area behind bookshelves, under furniture, bathrooms and between the leaves of any indoor house plants, make sure to clean them up on regular bases.

6. Turn off the lights. This one doesn’t affect spiders so much as the insects that they typically feed on – and those are attracted to sources of light. You can stop indoor lights from shining through your windows using opaque shades and blinds, and utilise a motion-detection system so that your outdoor lights only turn on when they sense a person coming. You may also replace your existing bulbs with yellow sodium vapour lights, which are less likely to attract insects.

In the event that a spider makes its way into your home – and they well might, the crafty things – don’t panic. Most of Australia’s estimated 10,000 spider species are non-venomous and likely pose no threat to you or your family. Teach your household how to identify the most common dangerous types, and impress the importance of avoiding those at all costs to your children. This way your family and the spiders living around your property can coexist peacefully.