It’s officially spider season – and apparently the colour of your walls could be inviting them in | indy100

Do This To Prevent Spiders From Entering Your Home

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If you've spotted a spider lurking in the corner of your home recently, you're definitely not alone.

As spider season gets underway across the UK, our homes can start to feel like hot spots for eight-legged visitors looking for somewhere warm to hide.

But while there's not much you can do about the fact that spiders exist, there are a few simple things you can change around your home that could make it less appealing to them — and surprisingly, it could start with your interiors.

Michael Rolland, DIY expert and managing director of The Paint Shed, has shared some simple changes you can make around the home this spider season, from the colours you choose for your walls to the very practical business of sealing up cracks and gaps.

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It could be time to embrace lighter colours

First up, let's talk paint.

According to Michael, spiders generally prefer darker environments, so darker shades such as navy, deep brown and dark green could make your home a more appealing place for them to hang out.

That doesn't necessarily mean you need to redecorate your entire home, but if you've been considering going for a lighter colour scheme anyway, this might be another reason to do it.

"Anyone wanting to make their home unwelcoming to spiders can simply focus on light and bright colours. This can work with anything from light neutrals to outright white, or even brighter shades of colour like orange,” he shared.

And yellow could help with flies

Of course, if you want to make your home less appealing to spiders, it makes sense to look at what they're coming inside for in the first place.

Reducing the number of insects in your home means there's potentially less for spiders to feast on, so it's worth keeping food covered, emptying bins regularly and making sure they're properly sealed.

But Michael also points to an interesting bit of research involving flies and colour.

"A university study found that blue is particularly attractive to flies, while its colour wheel opposite can have the reverse effect," he explained. "This means yellow tones could help discourage flies from buzzing around your home. And because yellow naturally brightens a space, it’s a great choice for the darker months ahead."

Check for any sneaky gaps

Now for the bit that's probably going to be more useful than picking up a new tin of paint: checking how spiders are actually getting inside.

Small cracks and gaps around your home can provide an easy route in, particularly around areas such as windows and doors.

Michael says: "Spiders can find their way into your home through some surprisingly small and inconspicuous gaps. Cracks around window frames and doors, gaps in walls and spaces between tiles can all provide an easy entry point.

"As we take on spider season, take a quick look around your home and seal up any cracks or gaps they're likely to crawl through. Don’t underestimate how small a space they can squeeze through.

"It’s also a good bit of seasonal maintenance, as these same gaps can let cold air and draughts into your home during winter. A product such as CT1 sealant is a strong all-rounder that can be used both inside and outside the home, making it useful for tackling a range of small gaps and cracks."

And, conveniently, sealing up those gaps isn't just about keeping spiders out.

With colder weather on the way, sorting out cracks around windows, doors and walls can also help prevent draughts from making their way into your home.

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