Why do conkers deter spiders

They are particularly helpful with flies, which often come into the home after milling around rubbish or dog poo. Wiltshire: HUGE spider emerges from hole in the wall. How to spot false widow spiders: What to do if the spider bites you Will conkers get rid of spiders in your home? Do conkers get rid of spiders? One belief held by many people is that spiders are afraid of conkers.

They conducted a study which outright confirmed spiders were undisturbed by conkers. However, some people may want to consider keeping them around. This autumn has seen a bumper crop of spiders entering British homes and spinning webs in gardens. Experts say the relatively sunny June and September has boosted numbers.

Horse chestnut trees, in contrast, are having miserable time and are producing tiny yields of conkers. The poor crop is being blamed on the horse chestnut leaf miner moth which attacks trees and turns their leaves brown and shrivelled over the summer.

Although infestation with the moth's caterpillar does not kill trees, it can weaken them and lead to a smaller than normal conker harvest. Garden spiders grow to huge sizes before they lay their eggs, while bundles of tiny spiders begin to hatch. There are around species of spider in the UK.

Not only do they get rid of flies in the home, they provide a crucial source of food for birds such as the wren. The RSC has also launched a new service called ChemSpider, which has nothing to do with eight-legged beasties.

ChemSpider is a free publicly available database providing access to 22million chemical structure. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Argos AO. Privacy Policy Feedback. Creepy crawly: Do conkers on the windowsill really keep spiders away? Experts will be consulted to find out whether conkers repel spiders. Share or comment on this article: Do conkers drive spiders bonkers? Royal Society of Chemistry tests the old wives' tale. Comments 85 Share what you think.

Not all or even many of the spiders tested would occur in a house. So if the question is whether horse chestnuts keep spiders out of your house, it might be useful to find spiders that would be in your house. Here are some notes about some misconceptions people might have about spiders in BC. Harassing the spiders may not be a suitable test of their substrate preferences.

Horse chestnuts are inedible, which may support the idea that they contain some chemicals noxious to spiders. Oxford professor says he will put the old wives tale to the test and find out if arachnids are scared of the seeds Conkers are believed by many to be a repellent of invading spiders There is, as of yet, no scientific evidence to back this bizarre theory up One leading academic is setting out to tackle the urban myth to find the truth Professor Fritz Vollrath says it is unlikely the seeds have any effect on the animals but it is worth finding out for sure By Richard White and Joe Pinkstone For Mailonline Published: GMT, 2 September Updated: GMT, 2 September e-mail 80 shares.

Scroll down for video. Share this article Share. Oxford professor puts the old wives tale to the test e-mail Comments Share what you think.

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