Households across the UK are being urged to turn off, or limit use of, outdoor lights from August to keep spiders at bay. Peak spider season typically begins in the UK from late August to early September, but the season can be triggered early due to higher temperatures earlier in the year.
Why outdoor lights attract spiders
The warm spring and summer weather helps give spiders plenty of food to grow and reach adult size sooner than usual, and with the UK enduring several heatwaves this summer, it’s likely that the critters could be spotted around homes slightly earlier than normal. Spiders start to head indoors in late summer in search of shelter and a mate, and will find their way in through cracks, gaps, open windows and doors.
While outdoor lighting doesn’t directly attract spiders, it does attract their food source with insects like moths, flies and midges all being drawn to bright lights. As such, by leaving on your outdoor lights in an evening, you’re actually indirectly luring spiders towards your home as they seek out their prey, and as they get closer, they will naturally investigate gaps and openings that can give them access to shelter in your home.
Expert advice on deterring spiders
In its online advice, Active Pest Control explains: “While spiders show no direct attraction to artificial lighting, they demonstrate remarkable ability to identify and exploit the feeding opportunities that illuminated areas provide.
“These skilled predators quickly recognise that outdoor light fixtures create consistent, predictable hunting grounds where prey insects concentrate in reliable patterns.”
It adds: “As spider populations establish themselves near your outdoor lighting, they naturally investigate nearby cracks, gaps, and openings that provide access to interior spaces where prey insects also seek shelter.”
Simple adjustments to reduce spider sightings
Making some simple adjustments to your outdoor lighting can help avoid attracting spiders into your home and reduce sightings of the critters during the peak spider season. Turning lights off in the evening once it gets dark is the easiest solution, but if you’re keen to keep some light going you could opt for timer control or motion sensor lights that only illuminate when needed, helping to reduce insect accumulation - and, in turn, spiders.
In its online advice on deterring spiders, Contego Response, national experts in pest control, said: “Limit Outdoor Lighting. Insects are attracted to light, and spiders are attracted to insects.
“By reducing excessive outdoor lighting or using yellow citronella candles as an alternative, you can decrease the number of insects - and consequently spiders.”
