Spiders 'the size of your hand' are set to invade homes over the next few weeks
26 August 2020, 08:09 | Updated: 26 August 2020, 08:16
Brits might notice more creepy crawlies in their houses in September.
If you’re scared of spiders, it might be a good time to look away as hundreds of them are set to invade UK homes over the next few weeks.
This means thousands of house spiders will be making their way inside to find somewhere warm, with many of these creepy crawlies growing to have a leg span of a whopping 10cm.
The reason you might come across more spiders than usual is because August and September is their ‘mating season’, where males will be searching for females to mate with.
In a bid to find a dry spot, Brits can expect to see more of eight-legged creatures hiding under beds, in cupboards and in their bathtubs.
Leading ecologist Dr Chris Terrell-Nield of Nottingham Trent University has warned that house spiders are not dangerous, but ‘can give you a nip’.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: "The spider that is coming into houses at the moment is the house spider and it is one of Britain's biggest spiders.
"The males are up to 10cm across the leg span and can be the size of your hand - that is the top range but it can be two thirds of that size. The size is down to how much they have eaten.
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"They are not dangerous but they can give you a nip. They have biting fangs. These things have been breeding and started their life span in the spring.
"This time of the year, August and September, the male spiders have the urge to mate and start wandering and looking for females.
"When they find them they mate and she lays eggs and the male usually dies."
Dr Chris went on to say that the creepy crawlies are nothing to be feared and ‘do an incredible service for us’, as they eat a lot of flies.
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He added: "But we are far more dangerous to them than they are to us. They come inside because it is warm and dry in houses so it is attractive to them."
Luckily, for those who are terrified of spiders, the impending invasion won’t last long and mating season will end around the start of October.
While it’s very hard to avoid the creatures, the best way to keep spiders at bay is to close windows and doors, as well as using essential oils such as lavender and peppermint.
Now Read: You can buy a spider catcher that removes insects without hurting them
