As we settle into September, those of us in the dating pool might reap the cosy rewards of cuffing season.
Well, spiders are no different ― as the weather cools and the nights grow longer, our eight-legged friends start looking in earnest for a mate.
Male spiders in particular are more visible in autumn, making their way from the cool outdoors or the darkest corners of your home into more romantic (read: noticeable) settings in search of love.
And while spiders are a good thing, those who want to avoid contact with them as much as possible may inadvertently summon the arachnids into their homes with a simple reward; light.
In a roundabout way, yes, Chris Parker, the founder of Parker Eco Pest Control, says.
Writing for WikiHow, he explained: “While spiders themselves aren’t necessarily attracted to light, bugs and insects most definitely are.”
Spiders know this and are drawn to the various flies the light draws in.
As a result, he advises us to use our curtains and blinds, ensuring we’re “blocking light from leaving your home…[in order to] really reduce spider activity.”
Uncovered panes that offer tempting beacons will teach spiders that “your windows are a place where they can build webs and hang out and catch food,” Parker adds.
Pest control company Pest UK agrees, recommending that we “turn outside lights off when you’re not using them and keep doors and windows closed or blinds shut when the lights are on inside.”
They added that we should be extra vigilant at night as this is when spiders are most active.
Professor Adam Hart, ecologist, conservation scientist, entomologist, and the University of Gloucestershire’s professor of Science Communication, previously told HuffPost UK that, “Spiders are incredibly important in the wider ecosystem and we should do all we can to look after them ― which includes not squashing them!”
If you really despise them (I myself am a recovering arachnophobe), methods which deter, rather than eliminate, spiders may be best.
Vacuuming regularly, using strong-smelling citrus scents, removing food sources, and sealing cracks in your walls, pipework, doors, door frames, and windows can all help.
And should the sight of your next house spider send you into a spiral, do what I do; thank Arachne it’s not one of the rat-sized, fish-eating species that have recently seen a population boost in parts of the UK.
