Little-known tips for Irish homes as potentially dangerous spiders set to invade

Many people may be welcoming the arrival of the autumn months, however most people won't be too keen on welcoming any eight-legged guests into their home that may arrive with the cooler and darker evenings.

This is the time of year when spiders are mostly likely to enter homes across the country. Luckily for those with arachnophobia, there are ways to prevent the creepy crawlies from invading your home.

As autumn sets in, spiders are most likely to enter houses to look for a warm place to spend the winter months. They also become more active as the temperatures drop, coming out of their hiding places in search of a mate. Many of them will die off towards the end of the season, although some will hibernate in your home until the following spring.

Irish people are generally advised to leave them alone as spiders here rarely bite and none of our indigenous ones are dangerous. But, that's not so easy to do if you have a serious fear of spiders and there are of course exceptions in cases of serious infestations.

As well as this, just because spiders in Ireland rarely bite people, doesn't mean it isn't possible at all and there are occasions when it can be dangerous depending on the species.

In most cases, spider bites will have little effect on people. However, some species here in Ireland can causes a reaction due to the venom they inject when they bite, such as the False Widow spider. These are not naturally aggressive towards people, but they can bite when they feel threatened.

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If you are bitten by a False Widow spider, you may experience localised pain, tingling or swelling around the bite. There can be occasions where more serious symptoms occur but these are typically exceptional based on the person's reaction to the venom. Other spiders to look out for include the Yellow Stack spider and Brown Recluse spider.

Thankfully there are many ways to prevent the eight-legged pests from entering your home, some of which are easy and free. The first step is obvious, and disgusting, and that is to limit their food source by making sure there are no dead flies or insects in your windows. 

Vacuuming regularly will also help, especially in hidden areas like under worktops and behind furniture. Removing webs will also help here.

If possible, keep piles of firewood or compost far from your home to avoid creating sheltering areas for spiders. 

There are some more innovative ideas to keep the creatures away too, involving some simple household items. 

Of all the options, many experts would suggest that peppermint oil is the best method of keeping the pests out. For spiders, the smell of peppermint oil is far too strong for them and so they will not go where it is sprayed. One thing to note with this solution, however, is that it can be toxic for pets so do keep that in mind if you keep animals inside your home.

White vinegar is a very effective and natural spider repellent because it contains acetic acid which spiders are sensitive to. People are advised to spray a mixture of half vinegar, half water on their windows and other entrances to stop spiders from sneaking in.

Citrus fruits can also be a very effective means of repelling spiders. Like with vinegar, spraying a mixture of lemon juice with water on window sills can be great at keeping spiders away, as well as wiping orange peels around these areas.