It is that time of year again.
When the creepy crawlies start to invade our homes to get out of the dropping temperatures and wetter weather.
September is the time for bugs - and in particular spiders making themselves known.
And spider experts say the spiders are not just looking for somewhere dry and warm.
Chances are, you already have lots of spiders in the home, but come September spiders become more active as they search for a mate.
Dave Clark, Head Keeper of Invertebrates London Zoo, told Good Housekeeping: "Males, in particular, are wandering about looking for females to mate with – especially male house spiders, which are the ones with the very long legs. These males won't live through the winter so need to try and find as many females to mate with before they die."
But how do you stop the eight legged arachnids from coming in – and what can you do to get rid of them?
Here’s some top tips:
Lights out
Turn off lights in empty rooms, because the insects that spiders feed on are attracted to them.
That’s flies, moths, gnats and mosquitoes - they go where the light is, and then spiders go where their food is.
Turning out the lights could stop them from making their way in at all.
Seal up the gaps
They can sneak in anywhere.
So make sure any gaps in your home, around doors and windows are shut as much as possible to stop them making their way in.
Keep a tidy home
Spiders also like to hide in vegetation, like bushes, shrubs and plants.
Make sure your garden is trimmed and tidy to stop them being attracted to the areas directly outside your home.
The same goes for inside the property.
Keeping a clean home could repel spiders, especially if you used citrus scented cleaners.
How else can I get rid of spiders?
There are a range of measures to use if spiders keep crawling their way in.
If you are looking to evict unwanted eight-legged houseguests, there are some things you can try.
It is said that some essential oils such as peppermint, tea tree or lavender could keep spiders away, as they don’t like the smell.
You should also stay on top of web removal around the home, as if spiders can’t construct decent webs they are likely to move somewhere new where it will be easier to catch prey.
