People Are Using This Peppermint Teabag Hack To Banish Spiders From Their Homes

In case you hadn't noticed, summer is nearly over - *sob* - and while the rapidly declining weather is one rather obvious kick in the teeth, another, bigger issue is that autumn means one thing: SPIDERS.

But don't worry too much about the creepy crawleys in the coming months, as we've got an incredible hack which will keep them at bay.

Introducing the teabag trick, which hundreds of people claim has helped banish the eight legged insects from their homes for good.

All you need to do is brew yourself a peppermint tea and enjoy it as normal, then take the teabag out of the mug afterwards and place it where you expect spiders to be lurking.

Pxfuel)

Make sure to stick to the corners of rooms, door-frames, and places where spiders could scuttle in, and they can remain there for three or four days at a time, before being switched with new ones.

It's particularly important you use peppermint flavoured tea, as apparently spiders hate the smell, and it's a proven repellent.

The good news is that this trick is said not only to banish spiders but other insects too, and even rats.

You only have to scroll through social media to see that many people count this trick as a tried and tested method of pest control.

Wikimedia Commons)

"Peppermint tea bags. Keep the bags in those spots and in a few days your home should be free of the pests," one woman advised on her Facebook status earlier this month.

While another penned: "After you use a peppermint tea bag use it to discourage mice rats and spiders . Put it where they get in they hate the smell".

If you don't like the idea of leaving teabags around your house, there's an alternative too.

Many others reported success spritzing the peppermint tea around their homes directly from a spray bottle.

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"I had a spider "problem" once and brewed some peppermint tea and sprayed it a little bit around the house.... never had any issues since," another Facebook user wrote.

"Might have the straggler from time to time but I just scoop them up and put them back outside."

You can also use peppermint scented essential oil and spritz it around the home, or even fresh mint mixed with a little anti-bac spray.

While scientists still don't know exactly why spiders are repelled by mint, one theory is that they dislike strong odours because they taste with their legs, making the scent all the more overwhelming.

Another theory is that strong scented essential oils like peppermint are made up of monoterpenoid compounds, which are natural fumigants used against pests.

However it works, we're stocking up on peppermint tea, ASAP!

Topics: Life News, Life, Animals

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman