The 14p Trick to Keep Spiders from Coming Inside When Mating Season Starts

As spider mating season approaches, households across the country are trying out all sorts of tips and tricks to keep these creepy critters at bay.

But you don’t have to spend a fortune on expensive products. This 14p trick is all you need.

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Spiders usually seek out a dry and warm place indoors towards the end of August, which means you can probably find them in dark corners of your home throughout September.

But they are not just looking for a cozy hiding place; they are also on the hunt for females to mate with.

Apparently spiders don’t associate strong smells with each other, which means you can make the most of certain foods you already have in your kitchen.

Lemon is a good option because it repels spiders and leaves your home smelling fresh.

It is best to keep the peel of lemons and other citrus fruits.

Mike Norton – Director of Trading and Projects at Magnet tradetold House Beautiful: “This is one of the easiest and most effective tricks, costing around 14p, compared to a £10 ready-made spider repellent.

“Rub lemon peels on windowsills or anywhere spiders like to hang out, like skirting boards and bookshelves. The strong citrus scent will repel them and give your home a lovely fresh smell.”

You can also mix the peels with water to form a paste first. This can then be easily rubbed into the cracks of windowsills and doors.

If you don’t have lemons at home yet, the trick is still very cheap. You can buy the fruit in the supermarket for less than a euro.

Currently you can buy a pack of four from Asda for just 79p, or head to Tesco to buy four for 65p.

Other ways to get rid of spiders from your home.

Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms.co.uk previously shared some cheap and easy tricks to keep those pesky critters off your property.

Try lavender

Spiders can’t tolerate lavender, says Nic, and won’t go near the scent.

He added: “An essential lavender scent oil can do the trick, as the scent spreads throughout the house.”

You can add a few drops to your fabric softener or on your pillowcases so that the scent spreads throughout the house.

Or put a handful of dried lavender in a bag in your drawer.

You can buy a 10 ml bottle of lavender essential oil at Holland and Barrat for just £4.87, or just £2.25 on Amazon.

Please note that if you order online you will pay a little more for delivery, so please take this into account.

Filling holes

Spiders often crawl through narrow passages when they enter homes, so check for holes and cracks in your skirting boards or floorboards and seal them.

Nic said, “Preventative measures like these are the best way to keep these eight-legged insects out.”

To close these gaps you can use some kind of sealant or draught excluder.

Screwfix sells a pack of two of 3.5 metres of extra thick tape for £6.99.

But if you don’t need something sturdy, you can buy a six metre roll of tape on Amazon for £3.99.

Spray white vinegar on the corners

“A mixture of white vinegar and water is not only a genius cleaning trick, but can also be used to keep spiders away as they can’t stand the smell,” says Nic.

Try spraying it into the corners once every morning to keep annoying spiders at bay.

A bottle of white vinegar costs just £2 at B&Q and a 750ml bottle costs £1.19 at Savers.

Coin

Another scent that spiders don’t like is the fresh smell of mint.

Nic said: “Light a mint-scented candle to diffuse the scent, or add fresh mint to your meals. The distinctive smell will deter guests.”

Candles can be quite expensive, for example we found one at The White Company for £24.

But at Ikea they’re on sale for just £1.25 and they burn for 20 hours.

Make the bedroom dust-free

To prevent mating spiders from entering the bedroom, you should clean the room regularly to remove excess dust.

Think of headboards, plaids, cushions and even mattresses, because less dust means less spiders, according to Nic.

It won’t cost you anything, except a few hours of your time if you already have feather dusters at home.

If not, you can buy four large yellow dusters from B&M for £1 – that’s just 33p each.

Everything you need to know about spiders