How to keep spiders at bay?

[purple-eth]

I'm moving out of home and into my first flat soon. As I'll be living on my own and am absolutely terrified of spiders, has anyone got any tips for keeping them out of my flat? Many thanks!

[Loosehead]

Short of hermatically sealing your home with a large plastic bag having first removed all the spiders, you can't. Anyway, spiders are our friends, they hang around, mostly out of sight and eat all manner of other nasties. If you did manage to get shot of the spiders you would be over run with more undesireables. Sorry fact of life I'm afraid.

[andy-hughes]

It is virtually impossible to erradicate spiders from a home.

That said, they go about their business, and will ignore you, if you ignore them. The only time you are likely to encounter them is in your bath or basin - they wander about the house, and if they get into the bath or basin, they can't get out. If this hapens, leave a towel draped over the side with the hem reaching the bottom. The spider should find it's way out using the towel, and be on its way.

[janetsflower]

You can buy a spray called Dethlac from wilkos and other hardware type stores. Its in a green and white can. You spray it round all the places creepie crawlies can get into your home like window/door frames, skirting boards etc and it leaves a lacquer which lasts for months that once the creepies have walked over they die shortly after. Its also a brilliant weapon for tackling those that do make it in. If you encounter spiders in the bath then wash em down the plug hole but be sure to put the plug in after cos they can hold their breath under water for ages and invariably climb back up as soon as you turn the tap off. (Personally i shoot a good slug of bleach down on top of em too but it would be cruel of me to suggest this). Sorry Loosehead and Andy but i can't go along with your answers in any way, shape or form. If a spider walked across my towel i would have to boil it for a week before i could use it again and endure nightmares about where in my house it had crawled off too. Its also a fact of life that many of us are arachniphobic and can't live with spiders in our houses and i can feel empathy for purple-eth

[Loosehead]

ok Janet, we'll just call you the Terminator then!

[purple-eth]

Ooh thanks, Janet! I'm going to buy a can of Dethlac as soon as I go to town, and from then on, I won't be without it under my kitchen sink! Thanks again!

[netibiza]

I even left the country cos I can't stand spiders, at least we don't get them in the houses over here. It ruins my yearly visit to England in August cos I'm terrified of meeting one on my way to bed. I even take a spider deterring machine with me from Spain.

[Loosehead]

You mean there's no spiders in Spain netty?

[electricblue]

I never kill spiders,i just get 'em with me dyson hose,marvelous creation,,the dyson!!

[WendyS]

I doubt if a house exists that doesn't have spiders in it. Keeping windows and door permanently closed will help, but isn't practical. Dusting regularly in corners and around ceilings and hanging lamps will also help reduce their cobwebs.

I'd just try very hard to get over your phobi if you can. They really are quite, quite harmless and will be feeding on other more unpleasant small bugs like flies which enter your home from time to time .

[janetsflower]

Don't believe them Purple-eth - spiders are evil. They bite and suck blood and cause nightmares and run up and down your arms and legs. Uggghhhh. Hate em, hate em, hate em. Good luck finding the Dethlac - believe me its good stuff and it kills all those things spiders are supposed to kill but fail to. The Dyson is good too so long as you rush it outside soon as you sucked em up - I don't trust them not to climb back down the pipe!!

[Loosehead]

did you know that regardless of where you are it is estimated that you are never more than 1 yard from a spider?

[DillyGent]

purple-eth, I tried the following for the first time this year after reading about it here on AB. When conkers fall gather loads up and place one in each corner of every room, behind doors that you leave open and on windowsills. Hand on heart I can honestly say I have only had/seen one spider this year. It is something to do with the horsechestnut odour that the conkers give off. I am going to do the same thing again once they fall this year.

[Kim A]

If you want a natural-ish solution to spiders, anything with chestnut oil in is supposed to be very effective - I think you can buy something in Lakeland.

[BlueHeaven]

Further to the suggestion of washing them down the plug hole when they're in your bath - forget that (almost) - boil a full kettle of water and pour THAT on them to wash them down the plug hole - they won't be climbing back up then!! That's what I do. Then I put the plug in just in case, LOL

Keep a big heavy encyclopedia handy for the ones that are on the floor, or use your hoover (but stuff something in the end of the hose afterwards so they can't get back out)

However, for the great big monsters, go round and fetch a neighbour to deal with it (I've had to do this, highly embarrassing, but worth it!!)

[lilacben]

netibiza could you please tell me what your spider machine is you have got in Spain as I would love to get one.I too am terrified of spiders. It is just something you cannot help. They move so fast and are so ugly.! Tried hoovering one up once but shock so much I couldnt get the hose near it, I was terrified I would miss and it wpould run up the hose onto me. Uck!

[purple-eth]

I've read about a plant or something giving off a smell that spiders don't like, but couldn't remember what it was, so thanks Dilly! I think, to be on the safe side, I'm going to use the Dethlac spray and put conkers everywhere, and keep my hoover permenantly plugged in and ready to go! And also hope that when I move in to my flat, I find I'm next door to a fearless and good-natured person who'll be willing to get rid of the really huge and hairy ones, just as you suggested, BlueHeaven! Thanks everyone!

[netibiza]

Loosehead yes we do have spiders but not those horrible black things that race around the house, we have yellow/green and black outdoor ones which bite and can seriously hurt, but are not lethal.

lilacben these machines are on sale in England also, just electronic things that state that they scare off spiders, cockroaches, ants etc. If they really work I do not know but I have faith in it and that's half the battle, They cost about �34. Haven't seen a spider yet, but we don't get them indoors anyway, and I guess August is a bit early for the English ones, but I will not go to England without one.

[rabbits]

Cruel as it sounds - you even have to kill the tiny spiders, because they are BABY spiders, and will grow into the big, fat, hairy, bunched-up legs ones!!!

[purple-eth]

Doesn't bother me, rabbits! They are all evil and should be destroyed! Sorry to all you spider-lovers out there!

[janetsflower]

Think i will be collecting conkers this year as well then, though the Dethlac does work it can';t hurt to be more prepared. I like the kettle of boiling water idea too except it might take too long to boil. Spiders can travel along way in that time. Seems lots of us hate the little critters, maybe with perserverance we can wipe them out!!!