Thousands of sex-crazed spiders set to invade Greater Manchester homes for mating season

Arachnophobes, I have some bleak news for you: In the coming month, houses across the UK are predicted to be hit with a swarm of ‘sex-crazed’ spiders.

Autumn is on the horizon and the temperature is gradually plummeting, so the dreaded eight-legged arachnids will be ditching their webs for the warmth and comfort of your homes as they search for a mate. 

Spiders usually begin their search in September, so will start cropping up in houses in October. While female spiders tend to stay put hidden in our houses all year round (sorry), males are constantly on the move and will only come into your home to find a mate (again, I’m very sorry).

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After mating, the female will lay her eggs while the male will die. 

Expert Richard Jones previously told the BBC: “The ones we see scuttling around in the house, they’re usually the male house spiders. The ones you see running across the carpet in front of you freaking you out, most often it’ll be a male out on some sort of amorous pursuit.

“I think even the cleanest, smallest house will have a good twenty to forty spiders. Old Victorian houses like mine – with lots of little cracks and crevices and places for things to get in – I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we’re well into four figures.”

But fear not! If you don’t fancy having an abundance of randy spiders mating and laying their eggs all over the joint, there are a few little tricks that could keep the creepy-crawlies out. For example…

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Allow your home to bask in natural light. Spiders absolutely love dark environments (hence why you often find them lurking in the shadows), so try and have your curtains and blinds open throughout the day. 

Another hack is to avoid a build up of clutter. Spiders thrive in damp, dark and cluttered spaces, so the less mess in your home, the less space there will be for creepy crawlies to set up shop. Make sure you vacuum and dust regularly, and store things away in plastic-lid boxes rather than cardboard to prevent spiders gaining access.

There’s also the option to lay essential oils – spiders ‘smell’ with their legs, so strong scents will deter them from leaving their nooks and crannies. Tea tree, rose, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus are good oils to try. Though make sure you spray corners, window sills and skirting boards and top up regularly.