Question for Londoners about spiders...

[nightsaregettinglonger]

I'm wondering how common it is to see false wolf spiders (zoropsis spinimana) in your home in London please? They apparently have only been more prevalent in the past several years, so was wondering how often you see them in your home please in London? (where they are apparently more common than the rest of England).

I am considering moving to London from Scotland. After a lot of work, I am much better able to cope with your run-of-the-mill giant house spider but those false wolf spiders seem on a whole new level to me!

Please be honest! Thank you so much in advance

I have never seen one, and for that matter had never heard of them.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a spider tbh OP, I’d be more worried about the rats.

Same, never heard of them and I assume I probably don't want to google! We usually get a few big house/garden spiders a year, probably less than 5.

I think I've seen one but I can't be sure that's what it was. We haven't had many spiders this year.

I’ve lived in London for almost 3 years and have never even seen one.

I've actually NEVER seen a spider in the last few flats I've lived in so that's maybe for almost 8 years or so! I do wonder if it's because I've been 2nd floor or higher (so way above the level of a house)... and maybe they just don't bother coming up this high as they stop at the first flats!?? 🤔😂
When I was with an ex in a 1st floor flat I saw maybe 1 or 2 of those horrible spindley ones but it was also super rare

I’ve been here 65 years. Never seen one, never heard of it

I had to Google as never heard of them.
Never seen one thank goodness and lived in London for well over a decade.
we had a few of those giant house spiders last year but not this year.

I have never heard of them so googled because I did find a particularly large spider in my kitchen this morning and I think it may have been one. But the cat made short work of it.

I’ve been here for almost 9 years and never seen one of those. Usually just cellar spiders, the occasional regular house spider.

Nah I used to be 3rd floor and they occasionally got up to our level

I’ve never heard of them or seen one. Touch wood (yes, I’m also petrified) I’ve never had an issue with spiders and I’ve lived in London for most of my life (in my forties).

The most important thing is that they are harmless.

I have lived in London all my life and I've never seen one or even heard of them.

No mate. The rats eat them all!

SW London here and near Richmond Park. I've just installed fly screens on some windows to keep the big spiders out. We get the huge house spiders every year. I see between 1 and 4 per year. I am terrified by them.

I've had one false black widow spider inside as I left the ground floor door open.

I think it depends where you live. I'm near the park and the river so there's sure to be lots of spiders.

This is when you need the laugh emoji because it’s disgusting but so true!

I lived between zone 1-2 for 20yrs, admittedly in a flat on the 1st floor, but never saw a spider, let alone a wolf spider. Only moved out recently. Never heard of them. We had a roof terrace with alot of pots, soil and plants and don't recall ever seeing a spider up there either.

I want to move to London now. Where I am there’s more and more false widows each week. I absolutely hate them!

Zoropsis spinimana are spreading beyond London, but unless you’re into your spiders, I think most people wouldn’t recognise one! Spider Facebook groups are good for gauging the distribution. People keep their eye out for these spiders…I’m jealous, they’ve got a ways to go to reach Scotland but they’re beautiful. And as with every single other spider in the UK, they are utterly harmless.

I wouldn’t make your decision based on these spiders - or any spiders. Try exposure therapy. I was petrified of spiders many years ago, I couldn’t be in the room with one. Now I’m currently sitting in a room with 2 tarantulas, with more upstairs! I swapped fear for fascination.

I have a phobia and can spot spiders immediately I enter a space. I went to the London Zoo "Friendly Spider" course which includes hypnosis. It worked for some people as I saw them holding the spiders at the end of the day. Unfortunately not for me.

Never seen one in my life and I’ve lived in London for 35 out of 40 of those years. We do get giant house spiders, for about a month each year - but I also live in an older house with crevices and nooks and have my windows open all year around (and my much further north friends get them too!).

Thank you so much everybody for taking the time to reply, I really really appreciate it :)

I thought it best not to include any images or links in case anybody reading had a fear of them, but I do think posters who have mentioned that most people probably wouldn't recognise it necessarily and may just believe it is a (rather large?) common giant house spider are likely correct.

It seems so silly to be afraid of them when I don't feel the same about other species of spiders in the UK, I think it's just their better climbing ability etc seems scary and that they are supposed to be larger! And also that they have such good eyesight (which I know sounds so silly to feel afraid of 🤦😂) But I know logically they are completely harmless! Perhaps I should think of going for some more hypnotherapy sessions 😂

Thank you again for your help :)

Hate to break it to you OP but I woke up to one of those crawling on me in my bed a few weeks ago in Zone 2, I probably woke up the whole street with my scream when I realised 😱

I’ve never seen one, in fact I can’t remember the last time I even saw a spider in the house.

Zone 3 and not seen any…

This is scarier than any horror film I’ve ever seen or book I’ve ever read. Thanks for that image. Even scarier than Arachnophobia as at least I knew that wasn’t real!