July 3rd, 2018 by Chris Chapman

Spider season is the worst time of year for arachnophobes, as you might expect. However, it’s also a problem for countless business owners who see spiders as a hygiene risk in the kitchen and as a security risk when they crawl over burglar alarms and CCTV cameras. This means it’s always wise to be prepared for a swarm of spiders from August onwards; but what exactly is spider season and how do you prepare for it?

What is Spider Season?

Spiders leave their webs and move indoors during spider season Spider season is the time of year when you’re most likely to run into a spider, and it occurs around late summer every year. At the end of summer, as the weather cools and starts to turn wet, spiders will start to leave their webs outside to find a warm, sheltered place to mate. Unfortunately for arachnophobes, this means they start moving into our houses and sheds! As a result, we see far more spiders around this time of year, as well as the usual media hysteria about false widows.

Preparing for Spider Season

Seal Any Cracks

If you’ve got some DIY that you’ve been putting off, do it before spider season kicks in! This’ll help you track down and fill any holes in your house that might have appeared in your walls, skirting, or anywhere else. Spiders love finding these tiny crevices and will commonly enter your home through them. Of course, it’s impossible to make your home completely airtight, but sealing any unnecessary cracks will help make it a bit harder for spiders to make an entrance.

Tidy Your Garden

Make sure you keep your garden free of dirt, especially after you've finished planting Spiders aren’t attracted to dirt, however, the insects they prey on absolutely are. Keeping your garden clean and tidy will help discourage the pests that spiders eat, and if your house isn’t a good source of food for spiders, they’ll be less likely to want to live there! The same goes for inside your house, too; spiders live exclusively on other insects and won’t be attracted to dirt or bits of food you’ve left out, but flies, ants, and other critters will be. Keep these away from your house, and you’ll keep the spiders away, too!

Get a Pet

If you’re really terrified of spiders, a pet like a cat or a dog is a great way to deter them from your house. Cats are especially good at chasing away spiders as they’re a bit nimbler and can get into places dogs can’t, but if you have a pet, you’ll naturally notice you run into fewer spiders around the house.

Use Spider Repellent

Xterminate Spider Repellent Spider repellent spray is one of the best ways to prepare for spider season. Just before the end of summer, pick up some spider repellent and spray it around your house in any room you want spiders to keep away from. We recommend Xterminate’s spider repellent, an all-natural spider deterrent that works by producing a smell that spiders can’t stand. The smell isn’t noticeable by humans, but to spiders, it’s extremely strong, and they’ll stay away from it. Remember to focus on the corners or rooms, around your doors and windows, and around skirting boards, as this is where spiders will lurk. If you’re a business, spray it around your kitchen or around your CCTV and burglar alarm sensors if you have any.

Mechanical Spider Repellent

Spider Free A slightly different form of spider repellent, mechanical spider repellent is no less effective and will put an invisible barrier around the place you spray it. We recommend Spider Free repellent spray as, apart from a faint minty scent when you first spray it, it’s odourless and completely clear. While it doesn’t feel sticky to humans, mechanical spider repellent reacts with the hairs on spiders’ legs to create an impenetrable barrier that spiders get stuck to. It’ll soon exhaust the spider, which will give up and look for another place to build its home! Mechanical spider repellent is great for spraying around the boundaries to your home such as door frames and windowsills, as well as around CCTV cameras and security equipment.

Get Rid of Cardboard Boxes

If you have anything stored in cardboard boxes in your home or garage, consider upgrading to sealed plastic containers over the summer. Even if it doesn’t get damaged or rot, cardboard boxes usually have some way for spiders to squeeze inside and they’re an appealing home for a spider. Plastic containers usually have a tighter seal, meaning a spider will have to look elsewhere for its new home! If you absolutely have to use cardboard boxes for storage, try and seal them as best you can with some strong tape.