How to spider-proof your home

Spiders finding their way into your home is unfortunately a pretty standard feature of living in Australia. They're incredibly common throughout all parts of the country, and their presence is something that we'll probably always have to live with.

Having said that, however, that doesn't mean there's nothing we can do about these creepy crawlies invading our space. The tips outlined in this article will help to minimise the unwanted visitors in your home, so if you dislike spiders as much as the author of this piece, we strongly recommend ensuring you've got your bases covered.

Spiders are like humans in that they also find our homes much more comfortable than the outside world. After all, they have far less natural predators indoors and we've got climate control.

This means that any crack or hole is essentially an invitation to these eight legged critters and they're going to take it. By sealing all possible points of entry, however, you can greatly reduce the amount of spiders that you find in your home.

When looking for areas that need to be blocked off, inspect near doors and windows first, then move your way around the home looking for gaps in bricks or missing weatherboards. Make sure you're using an appropriate sealant for each space, and regularly check to ensure that it has stayed in place.

The more places there are for spiders to hide, the more likely you are to find them in your home. For this reason, it's important to keep everything clean and tidy. This includes regularly checking on areas that probably don't get as much love when you're doing a standard clean.

Places like storage spaces and behind furniture are particularly popular with creepy crawlies, but they'll happily make their home anywhere they don't feel like they're likely to be disturbed. This is why you often find their webs in corners of the roof or between items that are rarely moved and the wall.

Dogs and cats aren't just great companions, they're also a wonderful anti-spider measure. Your furry friends generally feel inclined to scare away anything that doesn't belong in your home, and spiders are no exception.

While this does mean you need to be careful that they don't get bitten, most creepy crawlies are more scared of us than we are of them, so they'll simply vacate the premises.

Like attracts like, so if you've got webs in your home, they're basically an invitation for more spiders to move in. This is because they see the existing webs as a sign that the living conditions and food availability are favourable. To help combat this, always remove webs as soon as you come across them.

Spiders feed on bugs, so if you've got a lot of them inside, their eight legged counterparts are going to come for the buffet.

While it can often be hard to keep some types of bugs out, keeping the lights off or at least low can be helpful. The earlier tip for sealing points of entry will also be useful in keeping bugs away, however, since some of them are small enough to seemingly make their way through fly screen, other measures must also be taken.

While no one is going to be deliberately bringing spiders into their home, it is surprisingly easy to bring them in by mistake. Shoes are some of their favourite hiding spots, as are children's toys and pot plants, so it is important to always check for creepy crawlies before bringing anything into your home. If you do discover a spider, either leave the item outside or shake it off if it is a harmless variety. Spiders that pose a danger to your family and pets should not be permitted to remain on the property in any capacity.

Finally, essential oils are quite versatile indeed, with one of their perks being potentially dissuading spiders from entering your home, according to a 2018 study.

Peppermint oil is said to be particularly effective as a repellent, but there are other options such as garlic and chestnut oil.

When using essential oils as spider repellent it is important to ensure that you're mindful of the safety of all members of your family. This means only using pet friendly essential oils in areas where your four legged family members can access them, and keeping oils away from small children.

Spiders within the home can range from a nuisance through to downright dangerous, so minimising the number of unwanted guests that find their way inside is always a good idea.

These tips for spider-proofing your home will help, but given out environment here in Australia, these eight legged creepy crawlies will always be around. We suggest keeping your eyes open for them and doing your best to accept that they're still going to come visit from time to time.