What to Expect this Fall in the UK

After a wet Spring and a moderately warm Summer, this Fall residents in the UK may see an influx of a certain unwanted house guest. No, I’m not talking about your in-laws, I am talking about mouse-sized, horny house spiders.

Yes, you read that correctly: Mouse-sized, Horny Spiders.

(spider found in UK House)

According to Dr. Claire Rind, “The males are on the hunt for females. And after a wet spring and lovely summer there are more insects around, which provide food for the Giant House Spiders, which have grown quicker and bigger. Some could have leg spans the size of a tiny mouse, though their bodies are actually quite small – I’ve some big spiders the size of a rat and their bodies are huge by comparison. But I think the fact that they are very leggy is what people don’t like.”

I think people don’t like the idea of ANY spider, let alone a “leggy” one, looking for warmth and spider-loving in their home, but what do I know? If you are worried about the presence of giant, horny spider in your home, Dr. Rind has some advice for you: “Males sometimes sample the silk that females leave behind, tasting it to see if it is from the same species, and if it is following them – so it’s a good reason to dust.”

Dr. Rind also says there is nothing to fear from house spiders in the UK: “There’s only one species of spider in the UK with a toxin in their venom that would do any real harm to anyone and their fangs are probably not strong enough to pierce anyone’s skin. A fear of spiders is not a rational fear – though the idea of them crawling across your face when you’re asleep, even I don’t like that and I don’t mind spiders.”

The post What to Expect this Fall in the UK appeared first on I Heart Intelligence.