Spider season

by Kirsty McCabe, FRMetS

Leaves changing colour, a chill in the air and foggy mornings — all signs of autumn. Oh and don’t forget the spiders. If you are an arachnophobe, it’s probably best to stop reading now. 

Apparently wetter than normal conditions (aka the Great British Summer) are great for spider numbers and at this time of year (August to October) the common house spider is on the lookout for a dry place to mate. 

Despite the name, house spiders actually prefer to live in sheds, garages and under shrubs in the garden. But as the seasons change, house spiders spend more time indoors and our cosy, warm homes are just too inviting. Thankfully other species of spider are happy to remain outside all year.

The spider most likely to surprise you in your home is the mature male house spider, as it moves around searching for a mate. The females, on the other hand, rarely leave their nests and can lay hundreds of eggs, with up to 60 spiderlings in each egg sac. Try not to think about the numbers. Typical nest locations are between boxes in cellars, behind cupboards, in attics, near window openings and other places that they're likely to remain undisturbed. If you do disturb them, house spiders can bite but they are not venomous.

And apparently spiders are good news, however intimidating they look — the giant house spider (a relative of the domestic house spider) can grow up to 12 cm long! Spiders play an important role, eating pests such as clothes moths, flies and mosquitoes, and that can help curtail the spread of disease.

Personally, I’m not a massive fan of eight-legged housemates, so when I find some conkers I will be testing the theory that they keep spiders away!