Entomologist Dee Patel has said that this summer’s repeated heatwaves caused a surge in mosquitoes, moths and bluebottle flies, providing an abundant food source for web-spinning insects like giant house spiders, which have a leg span of up to 7.5cm. As a result, she warns there may be more spiders than usual in UK homes this autumn, and they could be ‘potentially bigger’.
‘Spider season’ starts earlier
Patel said it is ‘spider season’, when males leave their webs to find females to mate with. ‘Peak is usually October but we’ve noticed it’s started earlier,’ she said.
‘Their exothermic cycle is sped up, so you get more generations of spiders quicker than usual, which means more spiders in general and potentially bigger because of the food sources available.’
Experts told Metro in August that the UK was seeing a plague of houseflies because they thrive in warmer weather, so they eat and mate faster.
Expert urges caution on ‘unusually large’ claims
However, Adam Hart, a professor of science communication at the University of Gloucestershire, said he hasn’t seen evidence that spiders are any more numerous or larger than normal this year. ‘I’d be a little cautious about taking it as far as saying we’re going to see unusually large house spiders this autumn,’ he said.
‘Temperature and food availability can certainly affect the growth and condition of spiders while they’re developing. So, in principle, a warm summer with plenty of insect prey could produce favourable growing conditions and perhaps some particularly impressive individuals.’
To confirm spiders are getting larger, entomologists would need to measure these eight-legged creatures through the years, rather than relying on firsthand sightings. ‘I think “potentially favourable conditions for growth” is much easier to defend scientifically than “this autumn’s spiders will be far larger than normal”,’ Hart added.
What to do if you find a spider
If you see a spider in your house, preferably do nothing at all. Spiders are an important part of the ecosystem, helping control insect populations and being food for animals. There are no deadly spiders in the UK, and very few species found here bite.
The British Arachnological Society recommends that, if you do decide to take the spider out of your home, place it in an outside shed or garage. To keep spiders out, keeping your house clean, not letting clutter build up in cupboards, garages or lofts, keeping on top of dampness, moving furniture away from walls when cleaning, and cutting back plants growing against your house can all help.
For arachnophobes, Hart says to spare a thought for these insects. ‘From a spider’s point of view, an ordinary person is absolutely enormous. Imagine encountering an animal thousands of times your own mass, capable of killing you accidentally just by stepping on you. We’re not prey, and there’s no reason for a house spider to approach us aggressively.’
Even a giant house spider is only 1.25cm or so tall, meaning that, at 175.8cm, an average British man is nearly 140 times taller than the spider, nearly as tall proportionally as The Shard. Spiders sprint across floorboards because they are trying to flee, not because they are out to get you.
Anxiety UK tells Metro that phobias are an intense anxiety response that is disproportionate to the actual danger something poses. ‘Where a phobia is affecting someone’s daily life, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), including gradual and supported exposure, can help them build confidence and reduce fear in manageable steps,’ the charity says. ‘Helpful immediate measures can include stepping away, using slow breathing or grounding techniques, asking someone trusted for practical help and avoiding pressure to confront the fear before they feel ready.’
