How To Keep Spiders Away: Best Natural Spider Deterrents For Autumn

I don’t know about you but I’ve noticed a lot of spiders indoors of late – from the bulbous ones making Halloween-esque webs in my garage, to the smaller ones gracing each and every window frame, to the spindly lass who decided to have a billion babies in a suitcase under my bed (not a fun find).

Autumn is typically deemed peak spider season in the UK – that is, the time when spiders head indoors to find a mate and we see a lot more of them. But are there more this year? And did spider season happen upon us earlier than usual?

Professor Adam Hart, an ecologist, conservation scientist and entomologist at the University of Gloucestershire, told HuffPost UK: “There does seem to be a perception that ‘spider season’ has started slightly earlier this year, and anecdotally I’ve noticed house spiders appearing a little earlier myself.

“I’ve seen several over the last couple of weeks, whereas I’d normally expect them to become particularly noticeable around the beginning to middle of September.”

That said, he doesn’t think it’s “dramatically early” for them to be making an appearance in people’s homes.

“The spiders haven’t suddenly appeared or necessarily come into the house because autumn has arrived,” he added.

“Many house spiders live in and around our homes throughout the year. What changes in late summer and autumn is that adult males become much more mobile as they wander around looking for females, which is why we suddenly see these large spiders running across floors or becoming trapped in baths.”

We’ve also had a pretty hot summer which means windows will have been left open on repeat, giving spiders a free pass to head inside. Another reason why you might be seeing a lot more of them than usual.

Prof Hart noted preventing spiders is “much easier than trying to repel spiders once they’re inside”.

That said, he’s pretty sceptical of some of the more traditional spider deterrents (think conkers and peppermint oil) as there “isn’t convincing evidence that putting these around the home provides reliable protection against spiders”.

So, how can you prevent them from coming inside then? “If people really don’t want spiders entering the house, the most useful measures are physical ones: insect screens on open windows and doors, sealing obvious gaps around windows, doors and pipes, and using draught excluders where appropriate,” he said.

But it’s also worth remembering that spiders are beneficial predators. “They feed on flies and many of the other small invertebrates that share our homes, so if a spider is living unobtrusively somewhere, leaving it alone is often the easiest option,” he added.

Not everyone is enthralled by the prospect of sharing their home with spiders, so if you do spot one, the best way to get it outside again is with a glass and a piece of card.

“Put a glass or other container gently over the spider, slide a piece of reasonably stiff card underneath and carry it somewhere suitable,” said Prof Hart.

“There are also some useful spider-removal products you can buy and their long handles often make them easier to use if you really aren’t keen on spiders.”

If you spot a big old house spider in your home, he suggests popping it in a shed, garage or other sheltered location “because these spiders are strongly associated with buildings and sheltered environments”.

And if you find one in your bath, it’s not necessarily because it’s climbed up your plughole Incy Wincy-style. “Spiders generally fall into baths and then can’t climb the smooth sides. You can remove it with a glass and card, or simply provide something such as a towel over the side that it can climb up,” added the expert.

If your home is particularly appealing to spiders, you might spot the odd egg sac knocking around too. “Firstly, don’t panic. An egg sac doesn’t necessarily mean you’re about to have hundreds of large spiders running around the house,” continued Prof Hart.

“Different species have very different reproductive cycles and the spiderlings that emerge are tiny and disperse.”

If the sac is somewhere unobtrusive, he suggests there’s no need to do anything with it. But if you genuinely don’t want it inside, he recommends “carefully moving it, ideally with the female if she is obviously guarding it, to a sheltered location such as a shed, garage or outbuilding, rather than destroying it”.