Those of us scared of spiders are in for an uncomfortable few weeks as thousands of sex-crazed spiders are set to invade our homes.
The arrival of autumn marks the start of spider mating season and the eight-legged creepy crawlies will leave their webs to seek refuge indoors in search of a mate.
What is spider mating season?
Spiders usually start to come out in early September, with their presence noticeable in homes until around mid-October. After this, they tend to be spotted indoors less often.
Female spiders are known to stay in one place for all of their lives, but males are always on the move.
Money, cellar and lace web spiders will likely be seen more frequently over the coming weeks, as well as house spiders, which is one of the UK’s biggest spiders.
The males of this species can grow up to a terrifying 10cm across the leg span, although this is the top end of the scale, with their size depending on how much they have eaten.
After mating, the female will lay eggs and the male will usually die!
We asked our readers to send photos of spiders they have spotted in their homes.
Jovaria, from Peterborough, sent us these creepy photos of spiders she has found in her home in the last two weeks.
"This I believe is the common tube web spider. I have also got a lot of orb weaver spiders in my garden and a lot of red ants too!
"I believe is a money spider. There’s some intriguing facts about them online like they could bring you good luck if found in your hair."
Send your creepy spider photos to: debbie.davies@newsquest.co.uk.
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