Some people love having spiders in the home. They deal with the flies which many consider a far more repulsive issue in the home. However, they do give many of us the creeps and it can be difficult to relax with a spider in the room, no matter how much we remind ourselves of the size difference between us and them.
In truth, you probably have more spiders in your house than you think because they don’t particularly like to make themselves known, preferring generally to hide under floorboards and in cupboards. They also don’t eat your food or repeatedly bash into window panes. In fact, spiders may pass through many generations in your home, never even seeing the outdoors and going through their entire lifecycles, without you even being aware.
Unlike flies, wasps and other insects, they are not attracted to your home in the warmer months, although it may seem like it. Chances are if you’re seeing more spiders in your home suddenly then they’ve probably lived there a good while and you’re seeing them when it’s mating season, due to their nature-driven need to physically ‘put themselves out there’. So, seeing more spiders is not a sign that your home is unclean or that you have spider nests hidden all over the house.
You may choose the classic paper and glass method to keep spiders out of the home, dealing with the issue on a case-by-case basis. However, the idea of this may leave you running in terror and besides, as mentioned, we don’t often see the spiders that dwell in our homes. So here are a few more long-term strategies and habits you need, to make your home uninhabitable for arachnids.
Remove Spider Webs
Spider webs may be intrinsically beautiful examples of the brilliance of nature, but they can make our homes look rather scruffy. There’s nothing like a ceiling corner spiderweb to make us wonder when we last cleaned. Removing spider webs may dissuade spiders from returning but getting rid of spiderwebs should happen during the cleaning process anyway.
Long-handled dusters are a good way to reach those high spaces and hoover extensions can come in useful too. We don’t often look up at home so it can be easy to forget room corners. It’s also easy to forget cupboards and other spaces that generally don’t get a lot of TLC. We find the best time to tackle these spaces is when cleaning the skirting boards, so you’re going to the lowest places and the highest places in the room, often using the same long-handled cleaning equipment.
Declutter
Spiders are attracted to dark spaces. They like to hide underneath and nestle between objects which is why when you move something that’s been still a while you often see a spider sprinting away. Stacks of magazines, paperwork, boxes and other piles and items that have been left to get a little dusty will attract spiders. So declutter regularly and keep those ‘to-sort-out’ piles to a minimum.
Get A Cat
A fairly permanent solution to keep spiders out of the home is to invest in a cat. As predatory creatures, cats will chase and attempt to catch spiders. If they’re not actually killing them they will certainly make the house a hostile environment for spiders. It is a rather high maintenance solution though so probably best to also have other motivations for your pet purchase.
Scents To Keep Spiders Out
For creatures that eat flies, spiders are strangely fussy when it comes to scents. They are known to avoid the smells of vinegar and of citrus. Fortunately, both of these ingredients also make excellent cleaning products. With natural anti-bacterial properties and highly competent at breaking down and getting rid of grease, lemon and vinegar are commonly used in cleaning. A spray can be made by mixing lemon juice, vinegar and water, made especially effective with a bit of bicarbonate soda. You needn’t clean everything with this. However, wiping this along windowsills, door edges and around sinks can help to deter these eight-legged creatures. The downside of this is it will have to be done regular. The upside is you might find you come to love this low-cost homemade cleaning spray.
Keep Insects Out
Spiders are only able to stay indoors when there is a food supply, so keeping insects out is a good way to deter spiders. Ensure that food is not left out uncovered and that bins are regularly emptied to avoid attracting flies. Lights also attract insects and so you’ll want to turn lights off when they’re not being used. Turning porch lights on for a while can help draw flying insects out of the house on summer evenings where they might have found their way into the indoors during the day. Window and door insect screens can also be used to keep out bugs in the warmer months when you’ll want to keep the house aired and cool. Keeping insects out will help keep spiders out of the home.
Having spiders in your home does not mean your home is not clean. However, regular cleaning does keep on top of any insect issues in a house and so if you’re wanting help with the cleaning why not reach out to Haus Maids. We provide domestic cleaning services in Cheltenham, Bishop’s Stortford, Winchester, Fleet, Farnham, Alton, Milton Keynes and Guildford and Godalming.
