Forget Halloween or Boxing Day with your family, the scariest time of the year is already here: spider season. But what may be a petrifying period for us is actually a blast for the arachnids as they're out looking for love.
"The ones we see scuttling around in the house - they're usually the male house spiders," entomologist, author and self-proclaimed 'bugman' Richard Jones tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. "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.
"They're more mobile than the other sedentary females. And that's why we see them at this time of year."
'They do not invade our houses'
House spiders are descended from species that come from the Mediterranean or North Africa, which is why they like living in our warm, dry homes and won't be found building webs in the garden. Those ones have no interest in coming indoors. "The garden spiders are looking very big and obvious at the moment - but they remain outdoor creatures, and they do not invade our houses," says Richard.
Although he does say it's "highly likely" that if a house spider or daddy-long-legs does come crawling in through your window, it's because one of your neighbours has chucked it out of theirs. READ MORE
