ARACHNOPHOBES beware!

It’s that time of year when spiders like to head indoors to escape the drop in temperature and wetter weather.

Some people welcome the eight-legged critters, believing they help get rid of unwelcome flies.

But for many, the thought of spiders scuttling around the home are the stuff of nightmares, especially when spiders up to 7cm in size have been reported in the UK.

And even if you are not particularly arachnid-averse, there is still the irritation of having to dust away the webs spun around ceiling lights.

So, here are some tried and tested natural ways or ridding your house of those dreaded arachnids.

Use vinegar. Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Apply it to any area in which spiders gather and spray it directly on any spider you see.

Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is thought to burn and kill spiders upon contact.

You can also place small dishes of vinegar in dark corners to ward away spiders.

Use peppermint oil. Fill a spray bottle with water and mix in 15 to 20 drops of peppermint oil. Spray down all the cracks and corners of your house.

The idea is that spiders cannot tolerate the smell of peppermint oil and will run away in the opposite direction when they detect it. As a result, it is most effective when applied to possible entrances to the home.

For a more potent effect, you can dab undiluted peppermint oil onto a cotton ball and stuff the cotton ball into cracks or other possible hiding places.

Eucalyptus oil or tea tree oil are said to have the same effect.

Go nutty. Place a few horse chestnuts – or walnuts - in each corner of the house and in any area of the house where you frequently run across spiders.

Little is known about why this treatment repels spiders, and there is no scientific evidence or explanation backing the solution.

Some speculate that horse chestnuts have some form of noxious chemical that repels spiders based on scent, so it might be worth poking holes in the chestnut or splitting it in half to release the odour.