Why you should expect to see more spiders in your French home in September

The conspicuous sight of spiders creeping around your home in autumn can be alarming. However they are not intruders - they were in your house the whole time.

France is home to more than 1,700 spider species, many of which live comfortably in houses year-round.

In September, larger species such as the common house spider (Eratigena atrica) and the so-called 'Nosferatu spider' (Zoropsis spinimana) are more frequently seen in kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms.

One reason is that males reach adulthood at this time and abandon their hiding places in search of females.

That means they leave the dark corners, cracks and undersides of furniture where they usually remain unnoticed. They are also bigger than in spring or summer, making encounters harder to ignore.

Spiders are nocturnal hunters, and the shorter days of autumn increase the chance of crossing paths with them.

As dusk falls earlier, they emerge while people are still active, rather than in the middle of the night. At the same time, insect prey becomes scarcer, forcing some species that hunt by sight to search wider areas.

This explains why they are more likely to be seen roaming across walls or floors.

Warmer years with abundant insect populations can also boost survival rates, leading to more visible specimens the following autumn.

The species you are most likely to notice

The tégénaire (Eratigena atrica) is among the most widespread. It builds sheet-like webs in corners and can sprint across a floor when disturbed.

Its long legs and size - up to 10cm in leg span - make it one of the most intimidating to encounter, though it is harmless.

The ‘Nosferatu spider’ (Zoropsis spinimana), first reported in France in the 2000s, has spread rapidly across the Mediterranean and into southern regions.

Unlike web-builders, it hunts by sight, scuttling across walls and ceilings in pursuit of prey. Its patterning and tendency to wander openly in homes account for its sinister nickname, but experts say its bite is not medically significant.

Another frequent lodger is the pholque (Holocnemus pluchei), sometimes called the daddy-long-legs spider.

It makes loose webs high in corners, shaking them violently when disturbed. It is a specialist in catching other spiders, including species larger than itself.

The Chiracanthe doux (Cheiracanthium mildei) prefers skirting boards and darker corners, while the Ségestrie florentine (Segestria florentina) builds tubular webs deep in wall cracks, waiting to ambush passing insects.

The latter, with iridescent green chelicerae, is one of the most striking spiders to be found inside a French home.

Not a threat to humans

While spiders draw attention due to their sometimes alarming appearance, they are fundamentally not interested in humans.

Bites rarely pierce the skin and generally only occur after direct handling. Even then, effects are usually mild.

One spider that has caused alarm in recent years is Loxosceles rufescens - the violin spider.

Despite several reports of deaths related to bites, arachnologist Dr Christine Rollard told The Connexion that the danger was “fake news”.

Dr Rollard added that the only serious danger from any native French spider was from secondary infections and poorly treated necrosis.

Nonetheless, alarm over their presence in the home is common, with up to half of people in France reporting some degree of arachnophobia,

However, spiders are in truth beneficial lodgers: They feed on flies, mosquitoes and other pests that thrive in late summer.

Removing them gently to a garage or garden is an option, but crushing them deprives the household of an effective natural pest controller.