Homeowners should brace themselves for the annual invasion of spiders this autumn, experts have warned.
The arachnids have been thriving in the September warmth, with the mild temperatures coupled with easier access to food making them bigger.
The researchers added that when the nights become colder the creatures will move indoors.
Autumn is also the time they spend looking for a mate, while as it gets colder, they will dash to find new places to live.
What spiders are you likely to find in the house?
According to the British Arachnological Society (BAS), the most common arachnids to be found in the house include the familiar house spider, the spitting spider, the Daddy Long Legs spider, the house mouse spider, and the jumping spider.
What to do if you find one?
The BAS's advice is to not panic - killing them is almost pointless as they are soon replaced by a new colony, which finds its way through windows, doors and drain pipes. During the autumn, many also come in via the 'ballooning' process, that is, flying in through strands of silk.
The advice is to:
Carefully sweep up the spider and put it outside, or better still put in an outside shed, garage or similar place as the 'outside' is not their habitat and it is a bit cruel.
If one gets trapped in the bath or sink put a towel on the edge of the bath or sink so the spider can climb out. They do not come up through the drain hole that is a 'P-trap' with a water seal in the elbow.What happens is that they are out and about hunting at night and either slip into the bath or are attracted to a drop of water in it and slide down. The poor spider cannot then climb up the slippery sides of the bath and so are trapped.
It is a good idea to leave a towel over the edge of the bath at night even if a spider is not in it just in case one should fall in.
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