Woman’s terror as she finds spider the ‘dimension of canine’ creeping round home

A woman was left alarmed after she found a giant house spider in her loft that was so big, it was compared to a fully grown dog, and people are now getting nervous for spider season

Arachnophobes look away, because it’s spider season, and it seems as though this year they’re back and bigger than ever! People may be trying all the at-home remedies like sealing up entry points, removing food sources, and using strong natural scents they dislike to try and keep them away; however, it seems as though they’re still managing to find a way into homes across the UK – but some are reported to be the size of spiders you’d usually see in Australia.

One woman was left floored when she ventured into her loft and stumbled upon a spider so large that some compared it to a fully grown dog, while others likened it to Aragog from the Harry Potter series – a colossal spider that thankfully only exists in fiction.

In a spider identification group on Facebook, the bewildered woman posted photos of her unexpected “pet,” and she prompted a flurry of similar responses.

“That’s a cocker spaniel,” one man quipped, while another suggested the spider had “eaten the cocker spaniel,” explaining its enormous size.

Another commenter declared: “That’s the eviction notice, it’s his house now,” while a third identified it as “Aragog” and pointed out “the pincers” that it had, which were grossing people out.

As the woman sought to identify the spider, one joker suggested it was a “lesser known BFS genus, also known as a big f****** spider”.

Others cautioned: “I’d be checking it didn’t have a nursery in the loft,” while one person declared they’d be “cementing the loft shut” regardless.

However, not all the advice was light-hearted. One woman offered a more practical perspective, stating: “A big black spider, eating unwanted pests in your house!

“Leave her be or gently place her back outside. Spiders are scared of us and won’t harm us, unless trapped in clothing or threatened/provoked. Be kind, always”.

A bloke echoed this sentiment, saying: “Common house spider. You’re fine. An elegant hunter. These won’t bite unless excessively provoked. They will eat other spiders and anything that crosses their path”.

However, some questioned just “how common” it was given the size, which had them quite frightened, while a Facebook user quipped: “I noticed you said anything that crosses their path… yeah, I see that thing is big enough to eat a sleeping human, no problem”.

Why do we see more spiders suddenly at this time of year?

Spiders seem to “suddenly” invade our homes in September, largely because late summer into early autumn is when many common UK house spiders are most active as adults, and the males start roaming to find mates.

This roaming behaviour makes them far more noticeable: they wander across floors, get spotted in baths and sinks and appear in corners where you didn’t notice them earlier in the year.

Homes also become more appealing at this time because the weather outside is starting to turn cooler and damper. Indoors tends to be drier and more temperature-stable, which suits spiders and can help their prey stay active too.

On top of that, houses often have plenty of insects around lights, windows and kitchens, so spiders can follow the food rather than “choosing” to move in for warmth in the way people often imagine.