Simple household staples have a ‘repellent effect’ on spiders

Spiders: Expert advises on using essential oils as repellents

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On today’s episode of ITV’s This Morning, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were joined by two experts for a segment called “how to spider proof your home for winter”. During the latest instalment, the ITV chat show decided to look at why people are scared of spiders and how to “spider proof” homes for the winter season.

It is currently spider mating season in the UK which is why many homeowners may have noticed more of the creepy-crawlies inside their homes.

The spiders seen crawling around are most likely male spiders who have made their way inside warm homes to seek out a female.

Spiders can lay many eggs quickly inside homes. They produce egg sacs which can contain anywhere from a few spiders to thousands, deepening on the species.

The segment on This Morning included experts even bringing real spiders onto the show, including a tarantula called Rosie.

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Some of the most common ways to deter spiders include using strong scents which spiders run away from.

The experts explained: “These are essential oils you can get and essential oils tend to have a repellent effect with a lot of insects and arachnids but they probably don’t last long enough to have an effect.

“Conkers are interesting because a lot of people talk about putting conkers out.

“Scientists have actually found that within conkers, there are chemicals that do repel spiders.

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“Whether there’s enough coming out of a conker on your window sill, I don’t know.”

The expert suggested putting the essential oil on a piece of cloth and wiping it along window sills to stop spiders coming in through cracks in windows.

The best essential oils to use are those that contain citrus, peppermint, tea-tree, lavender, rose or cinnamon.

If you’re worried about using a spray, a homemade deterrent can be made from a spray bottle filled with water and 15 to 20 drops of the chosen essential oil.

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Alternatively, homeowners can use mint plants, dried lavender and even citrus peel to deter spiders.

Citrus peel can be placed on window sills to keep spiders at bay along with dried lavender.

Mint plants can be placed close to entrances like backdoors or front doors where spiders can easily make their way inside.

Spiders taste and also smell through special sensory organs on their legs which is why strong scents repel them.

Cleaning regularly, using plug-in repellents and using a door sweep are also ways to deter spiders.

Several times during the This Morning segment, pretend spiders would crawl across the TV screen as a special effects feature.

Phillip also decided to play a prank on Holly where he pretended there was a spider on the sofa. She leapt up in fear and seemed genuinely scared.

The co-presenter quickly assured her there was no escaped spider in the studio.

He said: “Oh, how did that one get out?” to which Holly jumped up in panic from the sofa as he added while laughing: “Too easy!”

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