Why Do Conkers Keep Spiders Away?

There are many myths about why do conkers keep spiders away. One is that they emit a chemical that deters spiders. While this may be true, there is no scientific proof.

Another claim is that they are mildly poisonous to certain animals. This is not the case.

The scientific community has weighed in on the conker-repelling claims, but the consensus is that the best explanation is an old wives’ tale.

Using conkers to deter spiders is not the best of ideas. A much more useful trick is to make sure that they don’t get into your house in the first place. If you can’t prevent them from coming, there are plenty of other ways to keep them at bay.

Getting rid of them by removing their webs is the best method, though it can take a few weeks. Other methods include hoovering them, sprinkling them with a little detergent, and throwing them out with the trash.

Some people swear by the use of horse chestnuts to repel spiders. These small round stones are inedible but if you leave them around your house they can provide a natural, albeit somewhat irritating, moth repellent.

Conkers can also be used as an alternative to regular laundry detergent. If you haven’t had luck with that, you could try using the aescin, an anti-inflammatory compound found in conkers. A similar trick involves placing a conker in a drawstring bag next to your knitwear.

If you’re in the mood to test out the conkers-repelling hypothesis, why not give the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) a ring? They are offering up a PS300 prize to anyone who can prove that their conker-repelling idea is the real deal.

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