False widow spider season ‘early’ as they invade UK homes

Experts say the spike in sightings are due to the recent heatwave that has accelerated breeding in outdoor habitats.

When the temperature suddenly drops, booming spider populations invade their way indoors, squeezing through gaps around window frames, door seals and air bricks in search of warmth.

Luke Newnes, a garden expert at Hillarys, said: “A sustained hot spell is good news for false widows – warm conditions speed up breeding and push population numbers higher than normal.

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“The cool-down afterwards is what sends them inside.

“They are not aggressive and they are not hunting people out, but they will move through any gap they can find in a door threshold or window seal.

“The entry points are the thing to focus on, and most UK homes have not had those checked in years.”

Oxford University ecologist Clive Hambler, who has described the noble false widow as “the most dangerous spider currently breeding in Britain”, warned: “The days when you could just treat spiders as benign in Britain are over.”

Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust previously said: “Spiders live alongside us all year round and this is something to celebrate, not fear.

“These amazing animals are a vital part of our ecosystems, feeding on an astounding number of insects.

“Some spiders have found their perfect home in our houses, hiding away behind furniture and hunting the other invertebrates that find their way inside, from house flies to wasps and mosquitoes.

“They tend to keep themselves to themselves, preferring dark corners where they can live in peace.

“But in late summer and early autumn, some spiders become more active as males reach maturity and seek out a female to woo.”