Why everyone’s talking about... Spiders

WHEN five-year-old Princess Charlotte asked Sir David Attenborough about his favourite creatures, she said: ‘I like spiders.’ He agreed, saying they are ‘wonderful’ – as well he might, given there’s a tiny Australian species named after him. But what if you find them creepy, especially at this time of year when they are seen more often in our houses? It’s often thought that autumn is when spiders seek out warm and dry places to survive, but actually 95 per cent of those we see indoors have always been there – only a tiny fraction come in from outside. They are just more visible as randy males become more active as they prowl for mates.

Can I keep them at bay?

Hardly. In one study, researchers found spiders in every single house they examined. Some people believe a bowl of conkers will keep the arachnids away, but there’s scant evidence it works. Other deterrents in folklore include orange peel, vinegar and peppermint. A cat will happily eat spiders, but not as voraciously as spiders eat their prey. Globally, they devour 800 million tons of food a year, twice the weight of all the meat and fish humans consume.

Wow!

Well, there are at least 45,000 species. Luckily, just 25 of them have venom with any effect on humans. According to the National Biodiversity Network, in the UK more types are found in Leicester – 228 – than anywhere else. And while there have been reports of giant house spiders ‘the size of your hand’ coming out of hiding in UK homes, they won’t match Camel spiders for speed. Found in Africa and nicknamed the ‘ Kalahari Ferrari’, they can hit 10mph. Some spiders also travel by ‘ballooning’ – sticking their backsides in the air, releasing silk and just taking off.

And the webs?

They’re five times stronger than steel, and sturdy enough to be passed down the generations. Ancient Greeks used webs as bandages, while spiders were once eaten alive as a cure for a fever. (Not recommended!)

So why did Charlotte’s mum, the Duchess of Cambridge, talk about ‘spider sandwiches’?

She said of Prince George’s homework: ‘He gets very upset because he just wants to do all of Charlotte’s projects. Spider sandwiches are far cooler than literacy work.’ And while fried spiders are a delicacy in Cambodia, this was a reference to the children’s picture book Spider Sandwiches, about a monster’s appetite for yucky food.

But if you’re an arachnophobe?

Then bad news: climate change is making spiders bigger. And US scientists have genetically engineered a ten-legged species. Sleep tight!