The overlooked mistake that could be giving spiders an easy way into your home

Image by Warren Matthews from Pixabay

As spider sightings increase across UK homes in September, a heating expert says one of the places homeowners rarely think to check is around their radiators and pipework.

September marks one of the busiest periods for spider sightings in British homes, as male house spiders become more active while searching for a mate.

But while homeowners might be checking windows and doors, there are other less obvious areas of the home that are easily overlooked as temperatures begin to fall.

According to Rob Nezard, heating expert at UK Radiators, the start of autumn is a good opportunity to check behind radiators, around pipework and in other rarely disturbed areas, particularly as households prepare to switch their heating back on, and it isn’t just spiders homeowners may notice more of. As conditions become colder and wetter, mice, slugs and insects can also find their way into homes through gaps or seek out sheltered areas.

Rob explains the autumn home mistakes worth checking now.

Not checking the gaps around your radiator pipes

One of the least obvious places to inspect is where heating pipes disappear through floors or walls.

Small gaps can sometimes be left around pipework, particularly in older properties or where flooring and skirting have been changed.

Rob said: “People automatically check their windows and doors when they think about gaps into the home, but I’d also look at where pipes pass through walls and floors.

“You don’t need to start pulling your heating system apart. Simply look around the visible pipework and check whether there are obvious gaps around the point where it enters the wall or floor.

“If you’re unsure what you’re looking at, or the gap is associated with heating equipment you’re not confident working around, leave it alone and get professional advice.”

Never cleaning behind the radiator

Behind a radiator is one of those areas many of us rarely see, let alone clean.

Dust, cobwebs and debris can build up behind and underneath radiators, while the area can remain relatively undisturbed for long periods.

Rob said that homeowners should add it to their pre-winter clean. “Before you start using your heating regularly again, carefully vacuum around and underneath accessible radiators and remove any obvious cobwebs.

“It’s useful from a heating point of view too. Radiators need good airflow around them, so autumn is a sensible time to clear the area and make sure furniture, boxes or piles of clothes aren’t crowding them.”

Pushing boxes and furniture against radiators

Autumn often means summer items, fans and seasonal belongings are packed away, but avoid creating piles of storage around radiators.

Not only can clutter create quiet, undisturbed spaces, it can also interfere with heat circulating around the room.

“Try to keep the area immediately around your radiator reasonably clear,” Rob said. “Putting boxes, clothes or large pieces of furniture directly against it isn’t ideal for distributing heat around the room, and you’re also creating areas that are harder to clean and inspect.”

Sealing every vent because you’re worried about draughts

As energy bills rise and temperatures fall, homeowners naturally start looking for ways to stop heat escaping.

But Rob warns there is an important difference between dealing with an unwanted draught and blocking ventilation designed into the property.

“Definitely look for obvious unwanted gaps around doors, windows, skirting and pipe penetrations, but don’t automatically cover vents or air bricks because you think they’re letting cold air in.

“Purpose-built ventilation is there for a reason. Blocking it can contribute to condensation and moisture problems.

“The rule I’d use is: deal with unwanted gaps, but don’t block intentional ventilation without understanding what it does.”

Turning the heating up instead of dealing with damp

A cold, damp-feeling room can make people instinctively reach for the thermostat.

However, repeatedly increasing the temperature isn’t a substitute for working out why a room has excessive condensation or damp.

Moisture can also make parts of the home more hospitable to some insects and slugs, potentially creating another reason for spiders to stick around if prey is available.

Rob said: “If you’re constantly getting condensation, damp patches or excessive moisture, don’t assume turning the heating higher is the whole solution.

“Heating and ventilation need to work together. Persistent damp or mould should be investigated rather than simply trying to dry the room out by turning the radiator up.”

Overheating the house and then opening the windows

Another surprisingly common autumn habit is turning the heating up, becoming too warm and then opening a window to compensate.

During spider season, open windows and doors can provide another route into the property.

Rob said: “If you’ve got the heating running but regularly need to open the windows because the room feels uncomfortably hot, your heating controls are worth looking at.

“You’re effectively paying to heat the room and then letting that heat straight outside. Try lowering the thermostat or adjusting the radiator rather than overheating the space in the first place.”

Assuming your warm radiator is attracting spiders

Finally, seeing a spider beside a radiator doesn’t necessarily mean it has been attracted there by the heat.

Spider activity naturally becomes more noticeable at this time of year, particularly as males move around searching for females.

Rob said: “I wouldn’t panic because you’ve found a spider behind a radiator and assume your heating is attracting them.

“Radiators tend to sit against external walls, underneath windows and close to pipework, so they’re simply useful areas to inspect when you’re doing your autumn home checks.

“Use switching the heating back on as your reminder. Clean behind the radiators, clear clutter, look for obvious gaps around visible pipework and check for signs of excessive moisture. 

They’re sensible jobs to do at this time of year regardless of whether you’ve spotted a spider.”