No clues for guessing what made me squeal last night.
I was sat on my bed with my tablet doing a jigsaw puzzle when something moved. An immediate glance down to the right and there, scuttling quickly was one of our 'giant' British House Spiders. Now I say giant as there's been a lot of hype the past few years about the size of these things. They are indeed getting too huge.
giant British house spider in close up
There's been hype/tale of interbreeding with Tarantulas and all sorts, but the plain fact is, the climate here in the UK is warmer for longer, damper for longer and these 'little' blighters are enjoying every minute of it as these are ideal breeding conditions for the insects that spiders munch on.
INVASION: Super-size spiders so huge they are setting off burglar alarms in YOUR home
I'm not enamoured with them and the fact that they choose to share my home is not ok, but it is a fact of life. However, as long as I don't see one I'm kind of ok with it. It's the seeing that does it. Last night was no different. A squeak and 'OH SHIT!' followed by legs tucked up. Then, as I currently live alone, I decided I needed to deal with it. I most certainly was not sleeping with THAT in my room!
[Usual household spider trap]
(https://pxhere.com/en/photo/196672)
I got the customary glass and paper (I don't like them but that's no reason to kill them) and then gently moved the nightstand, where I knew it had taken sanctuary underneath. It sat there - MASSIVE. I could see it's antennae and it's eyes in the light. I could feel shivers running up and down my spine - as they are as I type this. I took one more step forward and this was obviously too much. The spider ran at the speed of light (not actually) and was under my bed before another heartbeat.
DAMN!
I moved the nightstand to other other side of the room. The room isn't large - about 11 feet across and 10 feet long. The bed is 6 feet 6 by 6 feet. There's two wardrobes, two night stands and two chests. I couldn't move the bed far enough in any direction to flush the little blighter out.
There was nothing for it. I packed my kit and moved to the guest room.
Now, I know that spiders can follow. I have experience of this when a big one (not as big as this) was in my son's room many years ago. We moved him to my daughter's unused room and within half an hour the flippin' thing was in there with him. We caught it under a glass and I placed it on the windowsill as it was very, very late at night, the windows were locked and I couldn't be bothered to find a key. My son went back to his room and we both retired again and slept.
The door was shut. My daughter no longer lived at home so there was no need to go in to her room except for the occasion clean up.
The spider was forgotten.
The spider died.
We swear it haunted us for that.
Anyway, that was then and this is now. The big, black Giant British House Spider is currently in residence in my bedroom. I will not be.
Some facts about UK house spiders...
Species information
*Common name
Giant House Spider
*Latin name
Tegenaria gigantea
*Category
Invertebrates
Spiders
*Statistics
Body length of female: up to 1.6cm Body length of male: 1.4cm Leg span: up to 7.5cm
*Conservation status - common
The Giant House Spider is the large cousin of the House Spider (Tegenaria domestica), and can be found living behind the fireplace, under the sofa or in the bath. Giant House Spiders are particularly prevalent in the autumn when the males are looking out for females. The males stay with their chosen females for some weeks, mating numerous times until eventually they die, at which point they are eaten by their female. Giant House Spiders spin sheet-like cobwebs in neglected corners of the room and wait close by for unsuspecting flies to get caught.
How to identify
The Giant House Spider is one of several very similar species of house spider. As a group, their long-legs, dark hairy bodies and preference for houses and buildings make them unmistakable.
