Autumn is the season where you’ll start to see more spiders in your homes, as they head indoors in search of mates. While their reproduction is an honourable endeavour, sometimes we don’t necessarily want them getting it on right under our noses – so it’s inevitable we might start to look for ways to get them out of our homes.
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Conkers have traditionally been used as spider repellents, with many believing that spiders are repelled by the saponins in the conkers’ seeds. But in reality, spiders don’t eat the conkers – or any other plants containing saponins – so they’re not likely to be impacted by this at all.
If you're looking for natural spider repellents, take a look at our tried-and-tested methods.
Conkers are the brown shiny seeds of a horse chestnut tree, which are encased in a hard outer shell. In autumn, they fall from the trees and open up.
Conkers are, however, poisonous to dogs, as they contain a toxin called aesculin, which can be damaging to a dog if they eat a conker. They are also poisonous to other animals including horses, cats and cattle. While the chemical can be harmful to other species, there is no evidence to suggest it harms or deters spiders.
No major studies have been conducted on this, but in 2010 a group of year 5 and 6 students from Roselyon School in Cornwall won an award from the Royal Society of Chemistry where their investigation showed that spiders were seemingly unfazed by conkers.
It’s likely to be more of an old wives’ tale than a theory with any real substance. You’d be better off embracing the spiders in your living room and playing a game of conkers instead.
Discover more about bugs in the UK
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- Meet Britain's tarantula, the purseweb spider
Top image credit: Getty
