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The autumn invasion of spiders into our homes
Leeds spider expert Steven Dickie.
Autumn sees spiders invade our homes in ever greater numbers. But why are there so many at this time of year and how can we keep them out? Grant Woodward reports.
IF it’s autumn then it must be Spider Season, that time of year when we are most likely to catch sight of the eight-legged creatures scuttling along a skirting board or lingering in the corner of our living room.
This year Britain is braced for greater numbers than have been seen in previous autumns after a warm spring brought an influx of pollen, which in turn encouraged an influx of insects.
But what it is about the months of September and October that make them particularly popular with arachnids – and so deeply unsettling for arachnophobes?
Leeds spider expert Steven Dickie says it’s a combination of factors that’s making spiders such a common sight in our homes at the moment.
Cupboards
“Over the summer months spiders are growing and maturing but it’s not until the autumn that they fully become adults,” says Steven, head keeper at Tropical World in Roundhay.
Falling temperatures drive spiders indoors in search of warmth and once inside they immediately seek out the darkest corners they can find.
“The female house spiders will generally keep themselves tucked away somewhere nice and dark like cupboards, an attic, underneath the stairs or even under the floorboards,” says Steven.
“Then, once the males mature, they will start wandering around looking for females to mate with.
“They follow the female pheromone scent trails and if there’s an adult female house spider in your house then the males are going to start wandering all over your house trying to find her.”
There are a couple of house spiders that are extremely common in the UK. The domestic house spider is an average-sized spider but can still seem pretty large to those with an aversion to our eight-legged friends.
The giant house spider is, as the name suggests, quite a bit larger. Adult males can have a legspan from the tip of one toe to the tip of another across the body of just under five inches.
“When people find those running around their houses they tend to panic,” says Steven.
“They think they’ve got tarantulas in their house and often give us a call here at Tropical World.
“Generally we try to reassure them that it is just a house spider, but you do get individuals who say they have been around for quite a few years and have never seen one that big before in their life.
“No matter what you say they’re still a bit sceptical that it could be something a bit more sinister.
“You have to try your best to reassure them that it is just a house spider and it won’t harm you.”
So why do so many people get the heebie jeebies whenever an arachnid hoves into view?
Steven puts much of it down to their appearance.
“Some people are obviously not overly keen on spiders and try to avoid looking at them. Perhaps it’s the fact they have eight legs and scurry around. Spiders can move very quickly and some spiders jump, so some people start panicking because it is so alien to them.
“I think it’s mainly the unpredictability when you come into contact with a spider. When it suddenly runs across the floor of your living room while you’re sitting watching the telly people tend to panic and jump on top of the couch. They assume something bad’s going to happen.
“But arachnophobia is actually a very irrational fear. In the bigger picture most spiders can’t do you any harm whatsoever.”
House spiders do carry venom but because of the way their mouths work their bite is unable to pierce our skin to deliver it.
Whereas a tarantula’s fangs come down from above, a house spider’s come in from the side which means they struggle to break the relatively thick human skin.
Swelling
If a house spider does manage to pierce the skin it can cause a localised swelling and some reddening, while the risk of being bitten is slightly increased for an elderly person or a young baby because their skin is thinner.
However, in the vast majority of cases they pose no danger of any sort.
When a male spider successfully finds a female the pair will mate, with the female eating the male soon afterwards.
In some cases where the female is particularly aggressive she may eat the male before mating can even take place. It provides her with a nice nutritious meal to boost the chances of producing healthy and strong spiderlings – as baby spiders are known – in a few months time.
“If you catch a spider and put it outside that’s great,” says Steven. “But if you’ve got a female spider in your house then the chances are the males will come back and try to find their way in again.
“Unfortunately it’s often just something you have to live with at this time of year. In September and October you get lots of adult males looking for females, but by November male numbers do start dwindling quite significantly.
“By that time most of the males will have found females and the majority of them will have been eaten. Also, once the adult males have matured they’re not interested in eating so they end up starving because all they’re programmed to do is find females.
“They’re using up their energy doing that and gradually becoming weaker and weaker and then by November time they’re going to be extremely weak. If there are any still kicking around they will start dying off.”
But beware the old wives’ tales about ways to keep the spiders at bay. It is almost certain they won’t work.
“People have been known to use different smelling salts and herbal remedies to create smells in rooms to try to keep the spiders out but generally they won’t mind the smell and will still come in,” says Steven.
“Picking spiders up and taking them outside is the best way of disposing of them. But even then they often end up coming back again.”
Looks like the arachnophobes among us will just have to wait this one out.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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