Anyone have a particularly spidery house?

[FflosFfantastig]

What do you do to keep spider levels down?

I am finding huge house spiders constantly in our annexe. I went in there yesterday evening and there were four. I have a feeling they're just walking in between the door and door frame. It's got wooden doors and there is a small gap of about 5 mm. I can't afford new doors. Can you recommend anything that is effective in deterring them? I evict several every day.

I have tried something that you plug in that emits high frequency sounds that people can't hear but spiders can, and it does seem to work but I had to switch it off as it emits a loud clicking sound that's extremely irritating and not really possible to put up with. Once you switch it off the spiders are back in. So if you have any recommendations as to other things I could try I would be very grateful.

Conkers! Pots of them dotted around.
No idea if it works but it is a sort of old wives' tale.

It's conker season now too...

I have a cat. Although last house seemed to get one every night in my bedroom but they were always on the wall so I think they were in the air brick and we got loads in the lean to. Also if you have the spindly ones leave them be as they eat the horrible ones.

Apparently Aldi sell a spider killing spray - not used it myself but my mum is a fan

Do spiders actually do any harm? Just leave them be

@ThesecondLEM

Do spiders actually do any harm? Just leave them be

Agree.

They come in at this time of year to mate. It’s part of nature. Obviously if you have a genuine phobia that’s different, but in general, they’re more scared of you than you are of them.

We did. It's a timber frame house right opposite woodland. We have conkers under all the furniture but we also have cellar spiders everywhere so I'm sure they really help. I'm very carefully to only Hoover up the dusty cobwebs so they are left alone.

Its ironic as I studied entomology as part of my degree but all spiders outside are one thing, inside I wouldnt mind if they stayed in place. I hate bit fat wolf spider popping out from nowhere.

Another thing is to help every single house spider baby out of the house. Even tiny ones I put out so less adults in the future.

I also take them closer to my neighbours house than mine as they will come back in at some point.🤣

I love spiders in the house. As long as they keep to their squirrelled away area I leave them be. I rarely evict unless one gets too cosy near my bed. Obviously, if there were loads of them something might have to be done, but a few will never hurt anything.

We have been inundated this year. (And also with flies which doesn’t make sense )
Dh has recently sprayed this around the outside of our house and I’ve definitely noticed a difference.

www.amazon.co.uk/Spiderex-Spider-Repellent-Aerosol-Cameras/dp/B003R0E9V6/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&crid=3TRN4XR3MG3HQ&keywords=anti+spider+spray&sprefix=anti+sp&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1633560198&sr=8-4

Thank me later

CritterKill Spider Trap 30 Pack - Spiders And Crawling Insect Killer Traps - Child And Pet Safe - Eco Friendly https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0176LV8Z6/ref=cmswwrcppapiglttfabcT0561G0RYD53SWJ4F6N8

We've loads. We co-exist happily with them and wouldn't dream of harming, or evicting, them. It's cold out there!

No, but I have quite a few cellar spiders knocking about so its unsurprising I don't see many big house spiders 🕷 🕷

I have two expert spider-munching cats, highly effective. I also keep the cellar spiders.

I've been ok so far this year, but do get quite a few usually. I bought one of those Spider sprays a few years ago which worked really well. I have really high ceilings so cobwebs are a nightmare if I get them. I sprayed all of the corners high and low and it did make a difference. The commercial spray is ultimately peppermint oil, so now I make my own with a few drops of oil in a spray bottle with water and have had equally good results with that.

I do tend to evict them when I see them somewhere easy to catch. I'm not massively bothered, but the dog is terrified of them.

I didn't think conkers made any difference when I tried those one year. They are toxic to dogs so have to be placed somewhere curious pups can't get to them.

Sadly my house is remarkably un-spidery I did see one the size of Aragog stroll across my patio the other night but he didn't want to come in. I would put it down to having a cat but she's utterly useless at catching anything so not sure that's it, I would share tips if I knew why they don't like our house

Thanks for all the responses I appreciate it. Just to clarify, I would never kill them I simply put a glass over them, slide some card under it and pop them outside. I think it's just that it isn't the odd one, it's numerous spiders every day. I do like all creatures but there's a limit to how many spiders I actually want to live with

Ooh what's a cellar spider? goes off to look I might need to move one of those in...

@FflosFfantastig

Thanks for all the responses I appreciate it. Just to clarify, I would never kill them I simply put a glass over them, slide some card under it and pop them outside. I think it's just that it isn't the odd one, it's numerous spiders every day. I do like all creatures but there's a limit to how many spiders I actually want to live with

I'm pretty sure this kills them... Just slower.

If you just put them outside, they'll come back in again, they're called house spiders for a reason!

As for stopping them coming in under the door - yes they do this. I was in the bathroom the other day and saw one squeezing in under the door Have you fitted draught excluder around the door to fill the gap? Its available from any hardware shop and there are different types, depending on the type of door you have.

Thank you I will try the draught excluder I hadn't thought of this. From a heat retention point of view it also makes sense.

I'm sorry if I am killing them by putting them back outside. I hadn't realised this. I will make sure that if I relocate any I put them in the shed from now on ( which is insulated) I don't mind them hanging out in there. Thanks again for all your thoughts.

Do the electric repellers work? I have a few kicking around and will use if anyone has had any success

Yes what is a Cellar Spider? Is it the thin spindly ones?

Yes the thin spindly ones, they see off all other spiders, even those much bigger than them. I never see the big ones in my house, but there are a few cellar spiders.

I wouldn't kill spiders, they kill flies, but conkers do seem to discourage them

My house is spidery but I use peppermint oil around the door and window frames. This year we are having building work done so no peppermint oil. They’re everywhere. This week I’ve found one in my hair and I woke up in the night with one on my eye!

I need my peppermint oil back!

We have dozens of spiders. This means we can have the windows open and not get eaten to death by midges.