UK homes to be invaded by 150 million spiders this autumn

Breeding season has officially begun

Sarah Jones
Monday 02 October 2017 13:11 BST
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How to keep spiders out of your house

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An invasion of giant spiders is set to hit UK homes this autumn as breeding season officially starts.

Giant House Spiders commonly enter our dwellings from late September through to mid-October, and this year experts are warning there will be more than ever.

In fact, due to the warm summer which has produced more flies for them to feed on, around 150 million of them are set to spawn on British shores.

The spider species Eratigena Artrica is usually a dark orange-brown colour and can grow up to a whopping 7.5cm in size. Commonly known as the Giant House Spider, the breed also get their name due to their tendency to take root in human habitations.

So, what can you do to keep the creepy crawlies away from your home?

“Spiders don't specifically want to enter your home, in fact, they'd rather stay away as there's less food and it's too dry and clean,” Simon Garrett, Bristol Zoological Society's Head of Conservation Learning, told The Sun.

“It is the need to mate that changes their behaviour.”

As such, the logical thing to do would be to keep your house tidy and maintain cleanliness to reduce the changes of the eight-legged freaks invading.

However, experts also advise taking precautions by making it more difficult for them to get inside in the first place.

“Some will move into a house if there is an entry point for them,” confirmed Garrett.

You can do this by sealing up cracks in doors and windows and limiting the number of flies in your home by not having plants near the exterior.

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