Anyone else noticed fewer spiders this autumn?

[Collidascope]

I'm usually a nervous wreck September and October but haven't seen one in weeks, and trying to figure out if it's something about the weather this year or if it's just that we had the big vent in our loo sealed up so the bastards can't come through it anymore.

[CandidaAlbicans2]

There are loads in my slightly unkempt lawn, loads hunkered down in the edges of my conservatory windows, but hardly any indoors. I'm eagerly awaiting the first house spider of the season to do laps of my lounge 😁
There was a small black spider on my PJs the other day which I wasn't too pleased about. He had to be relocated under the bed and was told to stay there and behave.

Well at least we won't go hungry and at Christmas dinner there will be no arguments about who gets a leg- we all do.

😆

[JamMakingWannaBe]

One in the bath in the morning each day this week.

[wherethewavesarehighest]

Not had many spiders at all this year. We've had loads of slater bugs and daddy long legs and I haven't really noticed them much before.
I'm not a fan of spiders and seeing a big one running about makes me wonder how big the one it's visiting is

[TheCatsWhisker]

As an arachnologist I can confirm that spider numbers in the UK are down around 70% this year.

We've been expecting this for about the last 10 years because hormone levels in egg samples have been indicating a very very rare event called Mechacoagmentarius. The last time this happened in the UK was around 210-230 AD.

Basically all the spiders are still around, indeed more than in previous years, but they are busy spinning giant underground cocoons. Once inside the cocoons they will join together to make larger spiders (probably between the size of a dog and a horse) which we should start seeing around Christmas.

Exciting times in our lab, I can tell you.

^This actually made me lol, not something that happens easily. So thanks 🤣

[raddledoldmisanthropist]

my fella always warns me how credulous i can be and i brush it off. i genuinely googled this

Ouch :-)

If you go into settings you can check a box so that ironic posts get highlighted automatically, so you won't get caught again.

[raddledoldmisanthropist]

That's a bugger! I only like the breast.

Yep, given spiders don't have a proper thorax, I'm afraid you out of luck if you pop by the lab for Christmas dinner.

Still the large abdomen means plenty of rump steak if you fancy?

[RedDiamond]

@raddledoldmisanthropist

That's a bugger! I only like the breast.

Yep, given spiders don't have a proper thorax, I'm afraid you out of luck if you pop by the lab for Christmas dinner.

Still the large abdomen means plenty of rump steak if you fancy?

Only if it comes with Diane sauce. Shall I bring crackers?

[VenusClapTrap]

It’s been a bad year for me. We’ve had an infestation of cardinal spiders; the biggest spider species in the U.K. One fucker fell through the skylight as I was walking upstairs to bed, and landed on my face. ON MY FACE.

[Baxterbear]

Omg!! You should come over to my house , its like spider central! Some of the little buggers are the size of dinner plates (unfortunately I'm NOT exaggerating!). Whilst attempting to relocate them outside I also discovered that they can jump which was an unbelievably horrifying shock I can tell you! 🕷🕷🕷🕷

[Baxterbear]

@raddledoldmisanthropist

my fella always warns me how credulous i can be and i brush it off. i genuinely googled this

Ouch :-)

If you go into settings you can check a box so that ironic posts get highlighted automatically, so you won't get caught again.

You little minx!.......I genuinely spent 20 minutes trying to find the blood y settings haha 😂😂😂😂

[LadyCatStark]

@JamMakingWannaBe put the plug in the plug hole even when you’re not using it any you won’t get them in the bath anymore.

We’ve got more than usual 🙈

[raddledoldmisanthropist]

Only if it comes with Diane sauce. Shall I bring crackers?

Most welcome, although be warned: apparently toffeekiwi is locking us in. Not sure who she thinks will defeat the spiderzords if I'm not there.

You little minx! Tee hee.

[AriettyHomily]

Our house is FULL of them. One in the bath the other day was so big I could hear it's footsteps.

[ureterr1blemuriel]

Loads of bees this year, I planted lots of lavender and they’ve loved it (were still visiting until DH cut it back last week ☹️). Quite a few butterflies too. Lots of spiders but they been early this year.

[CyberPixie]

I live on the edge of the country and usually see at least 8 a day in my place. This year at the beginning of Sept I sprayed indorex flea spray under furniture, across door thresholds, along the edges of every room and so far it has worked, I've seen 3 in the past 4 weeks. 1 big one, two little ones. Indorex kills all sorts of things not just fleas. I was getting fed up of all the cobwebs everyday everywhere, it looked like Halloween decorations all year round 😂

[purrswhileheeats]

Oh oh can I post a spider pic please? I don't live in Australia but was very close to a banana plantation!

[DisappointedOfNorfolk]

We haven't seen many of the big ones that you can hear walking across the carpet yet this year, but we've removed four false widow spiders from the house so far in the past week...I hope they haven't eaten all our usual spiders...

I like spiders though, they eat flies and I strongly dislike flies, nasty, filthy dirty, buzzy little irritants eww.

[CoronaIsWatching]

Spider numbers reduced dramatically for us when we got rid of the ivy growing up the wall of the house.