The recent story of a Huntsman spider hitching a ride from Australia to the UK in a shipping container is enough to give any arachnid hater a reason to shudder. Even though you are only moving from one state to another in Australia, you are definitely not keen on taking any spiders with you. Now that you are at the stage of packing up your belongings for collection by the removals company, use these three tips to make sure all spiders are left behind.
Carefully clean outdoor equipment
Spiders like to hide in dark, secluded places, so you often find them on the bottom of children's outdoor play equipment. When breaking down playground toys for transportation, give them a good clean with a garden hose. If there are any uncapped tubes where spiders may have ventured, you can flush them out by putting your garden hose into one end of the pipe and turning it on full. Once you are confident that no spiders remain, put a piece of packing tape over each end of the pipe so spiders can't scurry back in.
Fully seal all boxes
Since you are not moving too far, you may think that tucking over the flaps of the boxes to close them is enough to keep your belongings in place. It is, but it won't be enough to keep the spiders out who are looking for somewhere dark to hide.
After you have tucked in the box flaps to create the base, use thick, wide packing tape to create a "T" shape along the flap seams. Then, tape each side of the box base until a square is formed using the tape. Repeat this at the top of the box one you are ready to seal it. Only tape can give the tight seal you want to keep the spiders out.
Use peppermint oil
Spiders hate the smell of peppermint oil, so you can use this to your advantage while you are packing boxes. Soak two cotton wool balls in peppermint oil—you can purchase this oil at both your supermarket and your local chemist. Place one wool ball at the bottom of each box before you fill it, and one on the top when you are ready to tape it up. Not only will the peppermint oil deter spiders from coming into the box, but your belongings will also have a fresh, minty smell to them when they arrive at your new home.
With a little careful forethought, you can make sure there's no reason to be afraid when you unpack at the other end of your moving journey.
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