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Giant Spiders 'The Size Of A Hand' Invading Homes Across UK

Giant Spiders 'The Size Of A Hand' Invading Homes Across UK

We could very well see these spiders in our homes over the next few weeks.

Joanna Freedman

Joanna Freedman

Giant spiders the 'size of a hand' are soon to be crawling around UK homes, as their mating season begins.

Yep, people have been warned that male house spiders - which can grow to have a huge 10cm leg-span - are going to be out in force over the next few months.

This is because August and September is officially their mating season, and they'll be on the hunt for females to impregnate.

The house spider is heading to UK homes (
Shutterstock)

As it turns from Summer to Autumn, we can expect to see the spiders cropping up in warm, dark places - like your house, shed or cupboards.

Dr Chris Terrell-Nield, an ecology lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, told Nottinghamshire Live: "The spider that is coming into houses at the moment is the house spider and it is one of Britain's biggest spiders.

"The males are up to 10cm across the leg span and can be the size of your hand - that is the top range, but it can be two thirds of that size. The size is down to how much they have eaten."

On whether we should be wary of the insect, Dr Terrel-Nield added: "They are not dangerous but they can give you a nip. They have biting fangs. These things have been breeding and started their life span in the spring.

The insect will be arriving in your house (
Public Domain Pictures)

"This time of the year, August and September, the male spiders have the urge to mate and start wandering and looking for females."

Right, well we're now going to be permanently on edge in case one of these pops up...

The lecturer explained that once the spiders find a woman and mate, they usually die, while she lives on and lays her eggs in the area they've been residing.

It's not just the house spider making itself at home at this time of year, as there's also the daddy long leg spider, and the cross spider - often found in gardens.

The creepy crawly is looking for a mate (
PA)

Of course, the spiders are completely harmless and "way more scared of us than we are of them".

But - let's be real - that doesn't change how loud we'll scream if one scuttles towards us.

Stay safe out there, folks!

Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Topics: Life News, Life