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It’s official, spider season has arrived. As temperatures cool and autumn arrives, our eight-legged friends tend to make the pilgrimage from the bottom of our gardens into our cosy homes. Why? Because they’re after a mate.
Professor Adam Hart, a biologist at the University of Gloucestershire and all-round bug expert, tells HuffPost UK a lot of the larger house spiders people are seeing currently are male. “They are seeking females,” he explains. “Their wanderings take them to the sorts of places females like to hang out – and that tends to include our houses.”
Spider season starts between late August and early September, he says, which explains why you might keep finding them in your house right now. Annoyingly, it’s still warm enough for us to have our windows and doors open – so it’s easy for them to sneak inside.
But you shouldn’t be worried, says Prof Hart, as it’s a totally natural part of the annual cycle and happens every year.
In short: there’s no stopping ’em – so here’s what to do if you find them.
How can I get rid of spiders?
If you’re nervous about the number of spiders coming indoors, try not to panic.
Invest in a “spider catcher” or use the old faithful: the cup/glass and card trick. “I prefer a cup that you can’t see through,” Prof Hart admits.
Simply place a cup or glass over where the spider is (be careful not to hurt its legs), then slowly slide a piece of cardboard underneath the spider so it’s trapped inside the glass. Then, take it outside and release it into the wild.
It might also be a good time to have a tidy up, Hart advises, as spiders gravitate towards piles of clothes on the floor or cluttered areas. “As boring as it sounds, tidying up can help to reduce the sudden scares these spiders can give people,” he says.
And remember: spiders have their uses. They’re natural pest controllers – feeding on common indoor pests such as earwigs, mosquitoes, flies and clothes moths – and play a key role in the wider ecosystem, so try to refrain from squashing them.
“The good news for arachnophobes is that spider season doesn’t last forever,” Prof Hart adds. “Sightings tail off almost to nothing by mid-October.”
Do spiders bite?
“Although they look fearsome, house spiders have no interest in us,” says Prof Hart. “Our houses just happen to provide them with a habitat to explore, and nooks and crannies in which to shelter.”
In the UK there are a few species of spider that can bite, but they rarely do. And if they do, it usually isn’t too serious, he says.
If you are bitten you’ll know it, as they tend to leave two little puncture marks on your skin. Check for signs of an allergic reaction – like finding it hard to breathe, or swelling to your lips, mouth or face – and if that happens, seek immediate medical help.