7.35pm is the creepiest time of day for arachnophobes

PEOPLE who get the shivers at the very thought of spiders should avoid wandering around the house at 7.35pm, because that is the time the creatures are most likely to be scuttling around, a study suggests.

Sightings of creepy crawlies are expected to rise sharply in the coming weeks as Britain hits peak spider mating season.

Prof Adam Hart, an entomologist at the University of Gloucestershire, found that peak sightings happen at 7.35pm in the evening. There was also a slight peak at 6–8 am.

“We think that while people are more likely to be sat down and able to view spider at 7.30pm, the pattern of sightings in rooms other than living rooms suggests that it is not just people driving the pattern – so we think it probably does reflect some spider ecology too,” said Prof Hart.

“UK spiders are basically totally harmless and are incredibly important predators, natural pest controllers and their predation encourages higher biodiversity.

“So, we should really celebrate spider season.”

For people who are still terrified of spiders, Prof Hart suggests a simple regime of keeping homes clean and doors and windows closed.

There are 650 different species of spiders in Britain but only 12 types have enough venom that can cause harm to a human.