They are bigger than ever and are expected to be invading this autumn. But a Willerby business has invented a new way of banishing spiders from the home.
Spider Spray, a blend of citrus and peppermint oils, has been developed by air freshener firm Zeph-Air to repel the eight-legged creatures.
Spiders apparently dislike the smell of both citrus and peppermint, so stay away from areas treated with the spray.
Sales manager Vicki Jackson said: "Because spiders sense through their feet, the minute they touch that peppermint, they do one. Once they smell it, they're off.
"The spray is made of four essential oils and it creates a barrier to deter spiders."
Sightings of larger-than-normal spiders are on the rise in East Yorkshire, with experts saying high temperatures during the summer have led to the arachnids growing bigger than ever.
"I have definitely seen a difference this year," Hull entomologist Barry Warrington said. "The spiders are much larger and part of the reason for that is because of the good weather we have been having lately.
"Now, as the nights are drawing in, people will start to notice more spiders in their homes. The males, which are larger, will roam about looking for a female and this is when they are often encountered indoors, as well as looking for warmer places to hide."
Ms Jackson has spotted more of the creatures around her own house but says trials of the new product have proved effective.
She said: "If you spray areas in your property where spiders can come in every time you clean, it can make a difference. Just do it round the perimeter and they run the other way, but it doesn't hurt them.
"Where I live, we back on to fields and it's spider heaven. They're big this year."
In addition to traditional spider turn-offs citrus and peppermint, the spray also uses neem oil from the bark of Indian trees. It is a base commonly put into cosmetics but Ms Jackson believes the product also combats arachnids.
"I've been using it on my house and I've not had any spiders running across my floor," she said. "We're always doing different things with essential oils and this just seemed right for the time of year. All the essential oils we use are non-harmful."
According to Mr Warrington, the two most common types of spiders to be found in people's homes are the garden spider and the house spider.
"The garden spider is the much larger one and they are out in force this year," he said. "But it's the house spider that people will see most often in their bedrooms and bathrooms."
He said the good weather has also led to a greater variety of spiders and other insects. "I've noticed there are several species of spiders and bugs that are appearing in greater numbers in this area," he added.• Visit zephair.co.uk to buy the Spider Spray.
• Five folk tips for getting rid of spiders
