When is UK spider season, why are there so many in my home and are any dangerous?
16 September 2019, 15:07 | Updated: 18 September 2019, 11:32
Britain is absolutely booming with spiders at the moment - we just can't keep them away!
Spider season is well and truly underway and Brits everywhere are cowering away from the critters, who seem to have made their way into every nook and cranny of our homes.
Here's everything you need to know about what we believe to be the worst time of year.
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When is spider season?
Thankfully, spider season isn't too long, which is excellent news for anyone who's afraid of the eight-legged creatures.
It kicks off at the start of September, usually in the first or second week, and lasts around a month.
The season typically dies down around the start of October.
Why is there such a thing as spider season?
There's a real reason behind spider season and why it occurs every year.
It's basically down to the weather, as spiders like to head indoors as soon as the summer weather dies down and it gets cool.
This is so they can mate together, and the male spiders are the one we most commonly spot, as they are on the hunt for female spiders.
The females can typically be found in garages or in their webs in windowsills.
Are any spiders dangerous?
There are a rare few that can be harmful to humans in Britain, but it's unlikely you'll come across them.
There's a whopping 650 different species of spiders here in the UK, and of those only 12 are are actually harmful.
The false widow spider is the most common of the harmful ones, and numbers are increasing as the milder winters have allowed them to survive and breed around Britain.
They're one of the few species that can bite humans and inject with venom.
After being bitten by one, the bite usually swells and goes red but it typically won't cause any lasting damage.
However, in some cases a severe allergic reaction can be triggered which could be lethal.
