Homeowners are putting buckeyes in their rooms to deter common pest – experts say you must do 4 things for it to work

FOR many, nothing is more frightening than seeing eight-legged arachnids occupying corners of your home or crawling across your floor.

While spiders are everywhere, there is a natural home remedy that is said to keep them out of the home, but some preparation is needed first.

Alamy

Buckeyes, also known as conkers or horse chestnuts, are your secret weapon against spiders[/caption]

Alamy

Spiders will bother you no more with the addition of certain all-natural products to your home[/caption]

An old wives tale claims that spiders can be kept away by using buckeyes, also known as horse chestnuts or conkers, when strategically placed around your home.

Although it may seem unbelievable, an expert from the Fantastic Pest Control agrees that anecdotal evidence suggests this to be the case.

“Using conkers as a natural spider deterrent is a popular method for keeping spiders at bay without relying on chemicals. Although scientific evidence on its effectiveness is limited, many people claim conkers help reduce spider activity in their homes,” they explained to Cornwall Live.

This approach is also thought to fend off other nuisances including moths, lice, fleas, and ticks.

However, there are four important steps that have to be taken in order to maximize the effectiveness of this anti-pest approach.

The first involves gathering fresh buckeyes that are still firm and shiny, since they’re said to be most potent at this stage.

The second step is lightly scoring or puncturing the surface of each buckeye in order to maximize their effectiveness.

“In this way, chemical compounds and odours, such as saponins, can be released more effectively, potentially increasing their spider-repelling properties,” said the specialist.

After properly preparing the fresh buckeyes, they should then be placed in locations where spiders are frequently seen in the home.

Generally, this can include window ledges, corners of rooms, and near entrances and exits. However, you should also place them in any unique areas specific to your home that you know spiders to frequent.

The fourth and final step is swapping out the older buckeyes for fresh ones every few weeks, as they’ll lose their effectiveness after aging.

However, homeowners may want to consider using this tactic in conjunction with other, more proven methods.

“While the effectiveness of conkers as a spider deterrent remains debated, they are a harmless, natural, and inexpensive method to try. Even if conkers don’t fully repel spiders, they can be part of a broader strategy to keep your home spider-free,” said the expert.

The expert from Fantastic Pest Control also cited an experiment done by middle schoolers in 2010 which showed that spiders had no problem walking both in the vicinity of and over buckeyes.

Other experiments have yielded similar results, further suggesting that spiders have no inherent aversion to buckeyes.

While this may be disappointing to those who wanted to keep spiders out of their home without the use of chemicals, there are many other natural deterrents proven to be effective.

Lemons, limes, oranges, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and vinegar can all help to keep spiders and other pests out of the home.

PEST CONTROL PRO TIPS

While the above tips for controlling spiders and other pests are the most effective, there are other actions that can be taken to minimize their presence in the home.

Inexpensive pest control options also exist for other insects, such as a hack to keep ants out which utilizes a food you may already have in your fridge.

Aerial pests can also be kept out of the home with a relatively cheap approach involving the utilization of a common herb that you may already be growing in your garden.