INVASION GI OF THE ANT SPIDERS
As 150 million scuttle into our homes, STEPHEN MOSS says we should cherish the blighters
THe leaves are turning, the central heating is being switched on and (arachnophobes look away now) experts are warning of a 150 million- strong invasion of large spiders. This is a result of a warm summer — which produced more flies for them to feed on — allied to the unusually early onset of wet weather in the past month, which has driven them into our homes. The rain also makes the spiders’ prey stick to their webs, which in turn leads to more spiders.
Some householders in the north have reported seeing spiders up to 7.5cm long crawling into their homes — which is enough to send chills down plenty of spines.
These weather conditions have sparked headlines such as ‘Sex-starved spiders so big they can set off your burglar alarm are invading our homes’. What that refers to is male house spiders — from the genus — coming inside in search of warmth, shelter and the lure of love.
Of course, most of the 670 different kinds of spider in Britain don’t usually venture into our domestic space. The vast majority live in wild habitats such as hedgerows, woodlands and, in the case of the fen raft spider, underwater.
But if you spot one in your house, don’t panic. Although these hairy creatures may look scary, they are far more fascinating than fearsome.
But try telling that to my wife, or any of the millions of people who suffer from an irrational fear of spiders, known as arachnophobia.
The phobia is often passed from parent to child. Although youngsters will naturally pick up spiders and bring them to a parent for approval, if the immediate response from the adult is a terrified scream, they are unlikely ever to pick one up again.
It has also been suggested that people are scared of spiders because when early humans evolved, it made sense to be suspicious of any unfamiliar creature.
However, as spider expert Helen Smith points out, many cultures revere, rather than revile spiders — even when they live among deadly and venomous species.
Anotherreason we find spiders frightening is the speed at which they travel. In truth, they move at only about 1mph. But in terms of relative size, if a house spider were the size of a human being, it would give Usain Bolt a run for his money!
The fact is that evolution has led spiders to be fast and unpredictable so as to avoid predators such as cats and birds. rather than panicking at the sight of one, we should marvel at their amazing lives.
One thing you can do is learn to identify which sex they are.
Helen Smith says: ‘ Learning to identify females (which are bigger) is the start to finding out more about their remarkable life stories — and helps to turn fear into fascination.’
Generally, the female’s body is up to two-thirds of an inch long, with each leg extending a further inch or so — making it a total of about 3 in. Males are smaller, with longer legs.
Another way to tell the difference is to look for the male’s ‘palps’: two small projections from the head that are used to feel objects.
These are vital for sex. Before the male seeks a female, he squeezes out a droplet of sperm and draws it into each palp. It’s not very romantic, perhaps, but certainly practical.
Females live the longest — two years or more — but are normally hidden in their webs, often in dark corners of garages or sheds, but also within your home.
As well as house spiders, you might encounter daddy-long-legs spiders, named after its resemblance to the daddy-long-legs or crane fly, another common autumnal sight.
Although they are said to have the most lethal venom of any British creature, fortunately its mouthparts are too small to pierce human skin. Like so many other so-called spider ‘facts’, this idea of them being a threat to humans is an urban myth. True, this frail-looking spider kills much larger prey ( including house spiders) by using venom, but there’s nothing for us to be worried about. Daddy-longlegs spiders arrived in Britain from europe in the early 20th century, and have spread to northern england, Wales and Scotland, mostly by hitching a lift on furniture in removal vans.
In the post-World War II years, spider expert Bill Bristowe studied the species by travelling the country checking B&B rooms to see how widespread it was.
You can see if they have made your house home by looking in ceiling corners, especially in cool rooms such as the lavatory. If you see a thin, wispy web with a spider inside, poke it gently with a pencil — the spider will vibrate its body rapidly, a technique to avoid predators and confuse prey.
This spider may look weedy, but those long legs enable it to throw sticky strands of silk to grab any passing victims. It then injects digestive enzymes into the body of its prey. These turn the insides into a liquid, which the spider can suck out. Pretty gruesome — but, you have to admit, absolutely fascinating.
Other domestic spiders may include the false widow, which bears a slight resemblance to the deadly black widow. A non-native species, it originated on the Atlantic island of Madeira and was brought to Britain on ships during Victorian times.
It’s now common in southern england and can inflict a nasty bite — rather like a bee sting — though, as with most creepy- crawlies, it is not aggressive and you have to provoke it to make it attack you.
But this is the worst they can do. reports of an influx of deadly spiders attacking anyone who crosses their path are, fortunately, nonsense.
Which is why I think advice about how to get rid of spiders is misguided and even downright harmful.
Spiders should be encouraged: they are beautiful and useful in eradicating pests, and have been with us longer than you might think.
As Matt Shardlow, of conservation charity Buglife, points out: ‘ House spiders and humans have lived together for tens of thousands of years. In all that time, the only harm they’ve caused us has been a few sharp nips. In return, they have caught millions of houseflies, cockroaches and woodworm beetles. Perhaps its time we gave them some credit for all that hard work!’
I share his opinion. But don’t tell my wife that I’m welcoming spiders into our home, or I’ll be in trouble.