Visa Tracker Book a Consultation UK News & Life in Britain Giant House Spiders Are Back — Why You’re Seeing Them in Your UK Home Right Now It’s not an invasion — it’s mating season. Here’s what’s actually going on, and how to keep them out If you’ve spotted a large, fast-moving spider ... Giant House Spiders Are Back in UK
It's not an invasion — it's mating season. Here's what's actually going on, and how to keep them out
If you've spotted a large, fast-moving spider dashing across your living room floor in the last few weeks, you're not imagining it — and you're definitely not alone. This is completely normal for this time of year in the UK, and once you understand why it happens, it's a lot less unsettling.
This is what's known as "spider season" in the UK, and it happens every year between late August and mid-October or November. The giant house spider — scientific name Eratigena atrica — is the one most people are spotting, and there's a simple reason for it: the males are out looking for a mate.
Female giant house spiders live year-round in the darker, quieter corners of homes, sheds, and garages. The males, on the other hand, spend most of the year outside and only venture indoors once they reach adulthood in autumn, actively searching for a female to pair with. That's why you're far more likely to see one sprinting across your floor in the evening than sitting still in a web.
Giant house spiders are dark brown to black, with a distinctive herringbone pattern on their abdomen and long, hairy legs that can span up to 7.5cm. They're among the largest spiders found in the UK, and also one of the fastest — capable of running up to half a metre per second, which is part of why an encounter can feel so startling even though they mean no harm.
This is the single most effective step. Spiders most commonly get in through cracks and holes in walls, gaps under doors, and around window and pipe frames — check both inside and outside the house, and fill anything you find with sealant or draught excluders. This also helps with energy bills as a bonus.
Spiders seek out dark, damp, undisturbed spaces — piles of boxes, behind furniture, garages, and sheds. Regular vacuuming and dusting removes both spiders and the egg sacs they leave behind. Store belongings in sealed plastic boxes rather than cardboard, which spiders can chew through and nest in.
Ivy, moss, leaf litter, and woodpiles stacked against exterior walls give spiders a direct route indoors. Keeping a clear gap between planting and your walls makes your home noticeably less appealing to them.
Spiders prefer dark spaces, so keeping curtains and blinds open during the day — especially in rooms you don't use often — makes those spots less attractive to them.
Spiders "smell" through sensors on their legs, so strong scents can discourage them from crossing a threshold. Peppermint, citrus, tea tree, and eucalyptus essential oils are the most commonly used — mix 15–20 drops in a spray bottle of water and apply to windowsills, skirting boards, and door frames, topping up every week or two.
Spiders often get trapped in baths and sinks because the smooth sides make it hard for them to climb out — this is usually why you find one stuck there in the morning, not because it followed you. Placing a folded towel or a length of loo roll over the edge gives them an escape route.
Gently trap it under a glass, slide a piece of card underneath, and release it outside. Avoid hoovering spiders up — it doesn't reliably kill them, and they can survive and crawl back out, or leave egg sacs inside the vacuum.
No. They are harmless to humans, don't bite people, and pose no health risk. They're simply large and fast-moving, which can make them startling to encounter.
Male giant house spiders reach adulthood in late summer and spend autumn actively searching for a mate, which is when they're most likely to wander indoors and be spotted moving around.
Not more spiders exactly — but warm, dry conditions mean people keep doors and windows open longer, and spiders have more time to roam before wet weather sends them into hiding, so sightings can increase.
Typically from late August through to mid-October or November, tapering off once the males have found a mate or the weather turns consistently colder and wetter.
Gently trap it under a glass, slide a piece of card underneath, and release it outside. This is safer for you and the spider than trying to kill or swat it.
