The RSPB recently reported an increase in the UK’s largest breed of spiders — the fen raft spider — which can grow to the size of a rat and hunts fish. The species — which generally lives around peatlands and bog areas — were rescued from near extinction but thanks to conservation efforts they are on the increase. But it is only homes on mainland Britain who may catch a glimpse of them.
While the population here can breathe a sigh of relief, there is still the common house spider which we will be seeing a lot more of in the coming weeks as “spider season” looms. Paul Moore is a semi-retired Entomologist who now works as a consultant for pest control companies. He pointed out that there are over 660 different species of spiders found in Northern Ireland and most of them, he adds, are “completely harmless”.
“The most common spider we see here is the common house spider which is relatively large but completely harmless,” he told Belfast Telegraph. “They are about three or four inches in length with the body itself measuring about an inch or an inch and a half so sometimes when people spot them, they can sometimes hear them running across the floor or mistake them for a mouse! “They are quite fast too and some can travel up to 15km an hour,” he added. “But what people don’t know is that these spiders can actually live in our homes for years so we may be seeing the same one year after year.
“Some can live up to five or six years and then get sligh.