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Spider season: Why you're likely seeing more spiders around the house

Have you seen a few more spiders around the house recently? You're not alone. It's that time of t...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

21.38 2 Sep 2021


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Spider season: Why you're like...

Spider season: Why you're likely seeing more spiders around the house

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

21.38 2 Sep 2021


Share this article


Have you seen a few more spiders around the house recently? You're not alone.

It's that time of the year when you could well spot more creepy crawlies than usual.

There is a reason why early autumn is house spider season: it's also spider mating season.

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Wildlife expert Éanna Ní Lamhna explained all on The Hard Shoulder.

Spider season: Why you're likely seeing more spiders around the house

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She said: “There are not more spiders about… but the spiders that are around now aren’t hiding away and skulking.

“They’re out looking for women! That’s why we see more of them - they’re out on the pull, looking for action. That’s why we see them at this time of year.

“This is spider mating season. You'll see the males - they have skinny bodies, not as wide as the females.”

She said spiders are "cannibals" - a key reason why you're never likely to see two spiders in the same place.

Éanna observed: “It’s only ever one spider in a web - they eat anything, including each other.

"But that won’t keep the show on the road, so yer man has to come looking for a mate.”

To prevent an untimely death, the male spider brings a “gift” - such as a wrapped-up fly - to tempt and distract a potential mate.

After mating, the female spider will often lay around 100 eggs.

Éanna said: “Quite often she dies after that, because of the amount of energy that goes into making the eggs and a nest.

“A spider’s nest is kind of like a big ball of web with little spiderlings inside in that.

“Once they move, the web bursts and they get carried off.”

While many people hate the sight of a spider in the bathtub, thankfully most Irish spiders pose very little threat to humans.

There are only one or two species in Ireland - including the false widow - with fangs strong enough to bite a human.

Even then, a bite is unlikely to do much damage.

Éanna said: “It’s not any worse than getting a bee sting, unless you’re allergic to them."

So there you have it: a reassuring message you can pass on next time a family member or housemate screams when they spot a spider scuttling about the house! Or perhaps it's some reassurance for yourself...

Main image: File photo. Picture by: MCT/SIPA USA/PA Images

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