THE early autumn months are not exactly a great time for those scared of spiders, as mating season for the critters commences.

September and October will see thousands of spiders seek refuge and venture inside our homes to find a mate.

As a result many people will be looking for methods to keep the spiders out, and herbs might just be the answer.

Garden Buildings Direct have compiled a list of such items that can be implemented to keep the bugs at bay.

When does spider mating season start?

Spiders usually start to come out in early September, with their presence noticeable in homes until around mid-October. After this, they tend to be spotted indoors less often.

Female spiders are known to stay in one place for all of their lives, but males are always on the move.

During spider mating season, the males will go searching for females and often find them inside homes, which is why you may notice more of them over the next couple of months.

In the UK, there are around 650 different species of spider.

Thankfully only around 12 of those can actually cause any sort of harm to humans.

Money, cellar and lace web spiders will likely be seen more frequently over the coming weeks, as well as house spiders, which is one of the UK’s biggest spiders.

The males of this species can grow up to a terrifying 10cm across the leg span, although this is the top end of the scale, with their size depending on how much they have eaten.

After mating, the female will lay eggs and the male will usually die.

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What herbs can be used to keep spiders at bay?

Basil and mint will provide a good defence against the spiders preparing to venture indoors.

A spokesman for GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk said: “The start of September sees the beginning of the spider mating season, so people will find more spiders in their home than usual.

“It is usually the male species that they see out and about looking for partners to mate with.

 “There are some useful household items such as herbs which are traditionally used for cooking which also repel spiders, so people may already have these at home and available to begin to defend their home from these unwanted creepy-crawlies.”

Six herbs can be useful here, and are listed below.

Basil

A popular herb that you might already have in your kitchen. Keeping a pot of this around will help as spiders at bay as they don’t like it, along with other insects such as ants and mosquitos.

Mint

Another herb that is common in a household, with its scent deterring bugs like spiders and keeping your home smelling fresh.

Cinnamon

A spice with a strong aroma, which is not pleasing for spiders. Whether you use cinnamon spice or cinnamon oil it should to the trick.

Lavender

Again the theme of certain scents deterring spiders is prevalent here as a lavender plant should work in that regard. Even a lavender candle can help you best prepare for the next month.

Chrysanthemum

The flowers of the Chrysanthemum are off-putting to spiders, so either growing some yourself or buying them will help.

Onion

Again the strong scent onions give off is key here to keeping spiders away