INVASION OF THE GIANT 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 Tege- naria — 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.
ANOTHER reason 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 3in. 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.
IF THE thought of an invasion of giant spiders is making you run for the hills, fear not. Help is at hand with a wide variety of products to rid your home of the pesky critters. Here, JILL FOSTER tests a selection of spider-catching gadgets for spiders of all sizes . . .
TRIGGER HAPPY Spider Catcher £8.99 findmeagift.co.uk
THIS has a 21in-long handle to keep the spider at a fright-free distance as you attempt to corner it and 3in bristles which appear at the pull of the trigger, the idea being that it will get caught in the strands.
I tried it on a small spider on the wall, but it fell off and went down the back of the sofa. not a great start, but it worked well when I tried to pick up a spider from the floor.
The soft bristles are strong enough to hold the insect so you can release it unharmed outside. A humane winner. 5/5
THAT SUCKS Spider Catcher Vacuum Insect Catcher £12.99 Lakeland.co.uk
A 9v battery-operated vacuum tube, this is just about long enough to keep the spider at arm’s length, but I think the diameter of the tube is a little on the small side. I tried it out on a medium-sized spider which had crawled up the wall and hidden behind a picture frame. Although the suction is not particularly strong, if you place the tube on the surface, it sucks up the spider without harming it.
It’s a shame you can’t reverse the flow of air when it comes to releasing the spider — instead, you have to shake it out of the device, which is not a particularly quick job. 3/5
CAUGHT IN A TRAP Katcha Big Bug Catcher from £6.99, available from amazon.co.uk
THIS is the same principle as a glass cupped over a card, but with its 24in handle, the offending creepy crawly is kept beyond arm’s reach.
Trapping a spider on the floor is easy. simply place the clear plastic dome over it and slide the bottom door across underneath. The Perspex is thin enough not to hurt the spider’s legs as you close it. But be careful — the door is flimsy and sometimes doesn’t lock securely, so a spider could try to escape.
4/5
SAFELY DOES IT Rentokil Humane Spider/ Insect bug catcher £11.70, amazon.co.uk
A STURDY little device which can catch small to mediumsized creepy crawlies. It works well as long as the spider isn’t moving, otherwise you’re likely to chop off its legs or squash it. Once inside, the green plastic door slides up easily to trap the spider inside, and you can then release it safely.
I also like the fact that you get two devices — one to keep upstairs, the other for downstairs.
SMOKING GUN
Newcomdigi Insect and Bug Catcher from around £8 on ebay.com
SHAPED like an old fashioned musket, this also uses a suction method. It comes with a handy Led light so you can hunt and trap the little blighters in dark corners. It needs two AA batteries and while the suction isn’t particularly strong, it vacuumed up a medium-sized spider in my airing cupboard. There’s a stopper to prevent the insect escaping once it has been trapped inside. But as the tube has a diameter of only 1¼in, I fear a giant spider
would not fit. 2/5
LET US SPRAY
Spider Ex Aerosol Spray 300ml, £9.99 Lakeland.co.uk CONTAINING the insecticides permethrin and tetramethrin this will kill spiders — but also other insects, including bees. It can be used indoors and outdoors, leaving no marks, sticky residue or odours, but I’m not comfortable with killing a harmless spider. 1/5
TORN OFF A STRIP Spidatrap £20.95 from amazon.co.uk
INVENTED by a scottish arachnophobe called robin Watson. these non-toxic sticky traps are designed to stop spiders entering your home in the first place. The strips, which have a very sticky central panel, can be laid end to end to create a barrier at doorways, windows and any cracks in your walls.
The makers claim that when they tested out traps in a UK home over a period of 48 hours, they caught 18 spiders, two centipedes, an earwig and a moth.
But beware — they can also trap the sticky hands and paws of curious children and pets.
Once the insects are caught, the recommendation is to ‘squish’ the intruders. I’m sure it’s effective, but it’s not for me 2/5
STICKY SITUATION Rentokil Spider and Crawling Insect Trap £6.71 for four packs, from amazon.co.uk
CONTAINING three sticky-backed cardboard traps which are folded to make little triangular ‘houses’, these capture not only spiders but ants, woodlice, cockroaches, beetles and other crawling insects, too. The trap is non-toxic and safe to use around children and pets. having said that, mine didn’t catch a single insect over a weeklong period. 2/5
WHAT ABOUT THE OLD WIVES’ TALES?
SO WHAT about natural methods to rid your home of spiders? Leaving conkers on window ledges is said to stop them entering the house. Canny eBay sellers have cottoned onto this and are charging up to £20 per kg of conkers.
But scientists haven’t proved whether the saponin compound found in conkers is effective, and many say it is still ‘an old wives’ tale’.
some householders say peppermint oil is effective at repelling spiders. The oil has a high concentration of pulegone and methone, which are natural pesticides. drop 15-20 drops of pure peppermint oil into water and add to a spray.
similarly, eucalyptus oil or white wine vinegar mixed with water and then sprayed around the home are said to be good repellents.
... but if you can’t bear to share your sofa with an arachnid, here’s how to send them packing