When it comes to cleaning there’s one little pest that it seems next to impossible to escape from – the spider and it’s crafty cobweb.
It’s like the never-ending story: you clean then he re-spins his little webs throughout your pristine house; sometimes it almost feels like he’s intentionally trying to aggravate you. We find cobwebs in nooks and crannies but the most annoying webs have to be the ones that are spun sneakily in the dead of night that lay waiting for you like a trap in the doorways of your house, to give you an unexpected surprise of your way out of the house in the morning; just what you need to get the day off to a great start.
We understand how frustrating cobwebs can be, which is why we have put together some advice on how to remove, reduce and prevent cobwebs.
Firstly a little education – we don’t mean to sound patronising, there are just a couple of interesting facts about spiders and their webs that you may not know!
There is a difference between spider webs and cobwebs – spider webs are where spiders catch their prey whereas cobwebs are those pesky wisps you’ll find all over the place that are the dormant remains of what was once a spider web.
Multi-purpose Silk – Spiders are the only animal that can produce different types of silk for different purposes, varying in thickness and stickiness.
Spider silk is stronger than steel – Darwin spent a lot of time studying and researching spider silk and its qualities and amongst his discoveries he uncovered that spider silk is in fact one of the strongest materials on the planet.
Maybe not all cobwebs are so bad! – The Nephila spider’s silk is significantly different to all other spiders because it is gold. People have even spun gold spider silk into cloth before now. So maybe if you had a Nephila spider living in your home you may not mind the cobwebs so much, although you definitely wouldn’t want to be bitten by one.
Spiders’ taste buds – Spiders taste with their legs, so they literally taste every surface they walk on.
Spiders go fishing too – Not all spiders catch their prey in a traditional spider web; some spiders spin a single strand of silk with a sticky ball attached to the end to weigh it down. Then then release and aim as prey passes by, catching them at the end and reeling them in.
When it comes to cleaning cobwebs there are multiple ways you can remove and prevent them.
1.Seal all cracks to prevent spiders entering your home.
2. Collect conkers and pierce them with a pin, then spread these around your house. Conkers release a scent that deters spiders.
3. Use repellent scents to deter spiders. Keep a spider deterrent spray handy in your house and go round a couple of times a week spraying all those nooks and crannies that they love so much. To make your own spider spray fill a spray bottle with water and then add a few drops of lemon or peppermint essence, shake it up and you’re ready to go!
4. To remove cobwebs use a dusting cloth or feather duster. If you are struggling to reach down narrow gaps i.e. behind cupboards etc. then use a hanger or stick and tie a duster over the end. Then reach down and swipe those cobwebs away!
We hope that these tips and tricks helped. Remember Autumn is prime time for spiders so make sure you prepare your house at the end of summer, ready to tackles the webs.