Britain Braced For Huge Spider Invasion

[gmb45]

There is bad news for arachnophobes this autumn with conservationists predicting an increase in spiders in our homes and gardens.


The zebra jumping spider is common in Britain (picture: Backslash - Wikipedia)


The charity buglife said breeding conditions are perfect this year for British spiders like the daddy longlegs (or cranefly) and house spider.
Nature-lovers may be pleased with the news but it is likely to send spider-haters running.
Autumn is typically the season when arachnids turn up in houses and garages, often causing dramatic reactions in home-owners.
Arachnophobe Gemma Christian, 24, told Sky News Online she is worried already.
"I'm going to have to spend more time at my boyfriend's house where there will be a house full of men to deal with them," she said.
"I'm also considering having hypnotherapy otherwise I won't be able to sleep at night."
Chief executive of Buglife, Matt Shardlow, explained to Sky News Online the cause of the spider invasion: "A warm, long summer with no long periods of cold or wet weather means there are plenty of bugs for them to feed on."
There is also plenty of decaying material around for the critters to feed on after last year's wet autumn.
Mr Shardlow hopes it will slow the recent decline in spider species in the UK.
He said the eight-legged critters play a "critically important role in ecosystems" and added that he is "hopeful there will be a boost for populations of other invertebrates."
It could also be a bumper season for animals that feed on the creepy-crawlies, including birds and small mammals.

Spiders shouldn't be killed

But Mr Shardlow is urging home-owners not to kill spiders - but to pick them up and put them outside.
He told Sky: "They are almost all harmless and do good work in your house eating flies and other pests."
"Buglife would like people to tolerate spiders and even grow to love them if they can," he added hopefully.
The charity is also asking householders to poke around in their sheds and in dark corners in their homes to see if they can spot 10 species over this weekend or the first weekend in October.
The idea is part of its annual spiderhunt where they hope to gain information on the health of the invertebrates and how many of them are around at the moment.

[davieboy.rfc]

my missus is petrified of spiders & by goin by the size of the spider in my room the other nite i beleive what they r sayin as the spider looked a if it had been 2 the gym for a good work out, so i will not be tellin my missus about this report or she will hav me spider huntin ..

[DJSimo]

Heard about this on Radio yesterday, & apparantely it is only the bigger spiders that will venture indoors, usually the males looking for Females.

So Females look out LMAO

[maca]

dont mind spiders really, there a good household pet. no need to feed them or clean up after them, they go for walkies on there own and scare the living shit out of mrs maca ..

[bvilleuk]

[QUOTE=gmb45;290859]

There is bad news for arachnophobes this autumn with conservationists predicting an increase in spiders in our homes and gardens.


The zebra jumping spider is common in Britain (picture: Backslash - Wikipedia)

Don't leave any matches around -- these buggers can pole vault........

We shouldn't complain -- the spiders thay have in Australlia can kill you with one bite...........

[gmb45]

it must be true, ive seen some really big ~~~~ers in my place,

[ulsterfisher]

MOST of our spiders are not dangerous, so which are, if you do not know the species then YOU pick it up and put outside. Have you seen the size of some of these ~~~~ers.

[DJSimo]

MOST of our spiders are not dangerous, so which are, if you do not know the species then YOU pick it up and put outside. Have you seen the size of some of these ~~~~ers.

Just hope you dont see any of these as they are in the UK >>>



Full story here >>Warning over rise in UK's most dangerous spider due to warmer winters | Mail Online

[chroma]

I got bit on the nose whilst i was sleeping, i awoke to it crawling on my face.

The bedsheets almost needed changing
My dog ate it though when he heard me screaming like Ned Flanders and burst into the room to investigate.

My nose developed a second nose on it, i looked like gonzo
Im not normaly scared of spiders either but theyre HUGE this year.

not fun.