You're on the sofa in the evening when a big brown spider suddenly races across the living room. You're not alone: between late August and October we all see far more spiders in the house. It doesn't mean your home is dirty or that you have an infestation. There's a simple explanation and, with a few practical measures, you'll see a lot fewer of them.
Why you see more spiders in the house in autumn
Most of the spiders you come across now have been living with you for a while: in the storage room, behind a piece of furniture, in the garage or in gaps in the walls. For most of the year they're small and go unnoticed. In autumn, the males reach adulthood and go out looking for a mate. On their travels they end up in the middle of the living room, in the bath or on the wall next to your bed. So the main reason isn't the cold, it's the mating season.
The most common house spiders
- House spider. Brown, with hairy legs and a leg span of up to about seven centimetres. It runs very fast and it's the one you see dashing across the floor in autumn.
- Daddy long-legs spider. A tiny body with very long, thin legs. It hangs in the corners of the ceiling in a messy web that it shakes if you get close. It eats other spiders, even house spiders.
- Garden spider. You can recognise it by the white cross on its abdomen. In autumn it spins large round webs between windows, frames and fences.
In Spain almost all the spiders that come indoors are harmless and rarely bite. The best known for its bite is the violin spider, a Mediterranean relative of the brown recluse: small, light brown and fond of dark corners. Bites are uncommon, but if the area swells, becomes more and more painful or a sore forms, see a doctor.
How to keep spiders out of the house
- Seal cracks and gaps. Check window frames, the bottom of doors, pipe entry points and air vents. A tube of silicone and some draught excluder strips cost very little and stop cold draughts at the same time.
- Fit insect screens on the windows you open most. Especially in the bedroom, where the window is often left open at night with the light on.
- Switch off outdoor lights at night or use warm light. Light attracts insects, and where there are insects, spiders follow. Drawing the curtains at dusk also helps.
- Clear the outside walls. Ivy, shrubs growing against the wall and piles of firewood or leaves by the door are perfect hiding places. Trim back any plants touching windows and doors.
- Vacuum the quiet corners. Behind wardrobes, under the bed, in the storage room and in the loft. Remove the webs and the egg sacs too: that way you prevent a new generation next year.
- Tidy the storage room, garage and loft. Store things in plastic boxes with lids rather than cardboard boxes. Fewer hiding places, fewer spiders.
Do peppermint, vinegar or conkers work?
You'll read online that spiders hate peppermint, vinegar or conkers on the windowsill. The evidence is thin: there's none at all for conkers, and smells work for a short time at best. If you still want to try, be careful if you have a cat: essential oils, peppermint oil included, are toxic to cats. They're very bad at breaking them down, and whatever lands on their fur or paws ends up being licked off. Don't spray insecticide around the house either: with pets and children it's an unnecessary risk and it doesn't tackle the root of the problem.
How to get a spider out of the house without any drama
Grab a glass and a piece of card or a postcard. Place the glass over the spider, carefully slide the card underneath and take it outside. It's better to leave it in the garage, the shed or a sheltered corner of the garden than in the middle of a cold lawn. If you'd rather not get close, there are long-handled spider catchers that do the same job.
Is there a spider in the bath or the sink? It didn't come up the plughole: it fell in and can't climb the smooth surface. Hang a towel over the edge so it has a way out, or use the glass trick.
A few spiders are not a problem
However annoying they are when they run over your feet, spiders catch mosquitoes, flies and fruit flies. A daddy long-legs high up in the storage room can happily stay where it is. And if your cat or dog chases a house spider, for them it's mostly a game.
Finished your autumn clean? Then it's time to make your home cosy again. Take a look at our full range for practical, beautiful things for your home and your pets.