Why your house is a magnet for spiders: Horrified Brits say their homes are crawling with eight-legged critters – here’s what’s behind the invasion

If you’ve spotted more spiders in your home over the past few weeks, you’re not alone.

As summer comes to an end and temperatures begin to fall, sightings of house spiders start to increase across the UK.

Horrified Brits have shared videos online showing eight-legged ‘monsters’ hiding in corners, lurking in the bathtub, racing across the carpet and dangling from the ceiling.

Despite the common belief that spiders suddenly move indoors to escape the cold, experts revealed that autumn is peak mating season for many of the UK’s most common house spiders.

During this time, males leave their usual hiding places in search of females.

And this increased movement, combined with doors and windows being left open during the final weeks of warmer weather, means homeowners are far more likely to notice them.

‘At this time of year, mature male spiders leave their webs and begin roaming in search of females,’ window experts at SolarFrame said.

‘A single female house spider can produce an egg sac containing around 70 young spiders. This means that the more male spiders that easily enter the home, the higher the chance that female spiders will produce egg sacs in living spaces.’

Horrified Brits have shared videos online showing eight-legged ‘monsters’ hiding in corners, lurking in the bathtub, racing across the carpet and dangling from the ceiling

Despite the widespread invasion, there are several simple steps homeowners can take to keep the eight-legged creatures out.

‘Closing your windows won’t completely stop spiders getting into your home, but it takes away one of the easiest routes in,’ Darren Coates, sales director at SolarFrame said.

‘At the minute, I’d be looking to close them by around 8pm, particularly if you’ve had them wide open all day.

‘That’s roughly when it starts getting dark across much of the country, so rather than leaving windows open well into the night, get into the habit of shutting them as the evening draws in.’ 

Experts from Fluid Glass have also shared ways to make your home less attractive to spiders this autumn.

‘One of the biggest misconceptions is that spiders are attracted to homes because they’re warm,’ they said.

‘In reality, they’re usually following a food source. Spiders are predators, so a house full of flies, moths and other insects is effectively an all-you-can-eat buffet.

‘If fruit is left uncovered, food waste is allowed to build up, or recycling isn’t emptied regularly, you’ll often end up attracting the insects that spiders feed on.’

As summer comes to an end and temperatures begin to fall, sightings of house spiders start to increase across the UK

Moving furniture away from the walls when you’re cleaning can help to disrupt existing webs, remove egg sacs and make it far less likely that spiders will settle there long term, they said.

Tackling clutter, especially in garages, lofts and utility rooms, can also help disrupt spiders from natural hiding spots.

Meanwhile, cutting back plants growing against your property can act as a deterrent.

‘Your garden could be making it much easier for spiders to find their way indoors,’ they said.

‘Climbing plants, overgrown shrubs and dense planting around doors and windows create natural pathways between the garden and your home. They also attract the insects that spiders feed on.

‘Trimming plants away from exterior walls, moving stored firewood away from the house and clearing away garden debris can create a useful barrier between outdoor habitats and your living space.’

Damp areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms often become spider hotspots, partly because they are humid and partly because they’re where other insects are most likely to gather.

‘Condensation around windows, poor ventilation and damp corners create the sort of environment that many household pests enjoy,’ the experts said. ‘Using extractor fans, opening windows after showering and dealing with leaks promptly can make these spaces much less inviting.’

Despite the common belief that spiders suddenly move indoors to escape the cold, experts revealed that autumn is peak mating season for many of the UK’s most common house spiders. Pictured: A house spider in Yorkshire

Finally, they urged Brits to ‘think twice about outdoor lighting’.

‘Bright lights by your front door or porch are a magnet for moths and other flying insects after dark, and where the insects gather, spiders soon follow,’ they explained.

‘If you’ve got a porch light or security light that’s on all evening, it’s worth switching to a warmer, dimmer bulb or fitting a motion sensor so it’s not left blazing all night.

‘Moving lights away from doors and windows, so the glow doesn’t spill directly onto them, can also help keep insects (and spiders) from congregating right at your entry points.’