It’s probable that you don’t like having spiders visiting your home, maybe you are one of those who can’t even think about them, but today it’s time to see this situation in a different way. Some people feel fear or rejection toward these arachnids, but spiders aren’t as bad as they seem. So, understanding why they show up can help you deal with this time of the year in a better way. Now, let’s learn more about these arachnids, shall we?
Why are there so many spiders now?
If you have noticed arachnids running around your floor or hanging from the ceiling in the last couple of weeks, it’s not a product of your imagination. September and October are known as the spiders season in a great part of North America and Europe.
During this time, many species reach adulthood, and the male spiders leave their hiding places to look for a mate. That’s why it feels like there are suddenly spiders everywhere. But experts say they have actually been around for months — you just didn’t see them before.
According to Koen Van Keer, a spider specialist with the Belgian Arachnological Association (Arabel), the number of arachnids inside homes peaks earlier in the year, when spider eggs hatch in May and June. At that time, there is an authentic explosion of small little spiders, but they are so small that almost nobody notices them. However, in autumn male spiders are already adults and start to move more, and this is why they become much easier to spot.
Why killing them is useless
For those who are afraid of spiders (arachnophobia), seeing them can be a nightmare. Van Keer even says that every September he receives messages from people who prefer to go to a hotel until the spider season is over.
You might be thinking that killing them or removing their webs could be the solution, but the expert doesn’t think the same: “Killing them or cleaning cobwebs is just treating the symptom,” he explained. “It won’t reduce their numbers.”
The only real way to have less arachnids at home is reducing insects that are food for spiders, because they enter houses to find food like flies, moths, or mosquitoes. So, if you limit their food supply, you’ll automatically see fewer spiders. That means:
- Keep windows closed or use screens so fewer insects get inside.
- Seal cracks and gaps in walls or doors where bugs can enter.
- Store food waste properly and keep the kitchen clean.
Older houses, especially those in rural areas, tend to have more spiders because they also have more insects. Small openings, wooden beams, and hidden corners make it easier for bugs — and therefore spiders — to get in.
They aren’t dangerous
Even though their appearance can cause rejection, house spiders aren’t dangerous. So, none of these species that are normally found in European or American houses represent a threat for people. In fact, they are natural allies because they eat mosquitoes, flies, and even silverfish (tiny, shiny insects that live in bathrooms and kitchens). That means spiders actually help you by keeping your home cleaner and more balanced.
When you see a spider in the bathtub or sink, it’s not because it lives there. Most of the time, a male spider accidentally falls in while roaming around and then can’t climb back out because the surfaces are too smooth. That’s why people often find spiders “trapped” in the morning.
These arachnids are part of the house ecosystem
According to Van Keer, these arachnids aren’t invaders, but a natural part of the interior of the house’s ecosystem. Inside a house, arachnids are the only hunters and their presence keeps control of smaller insects. The expert sums up all of this like this: “Inside the house, spiders are the only hunters. Without them, smaller pests would have free rein.”
That means that if you killed every spider in your house, flies, mosquitoes, and other insects would multiply without anything to keep them in check. In other words, spiders are a sign that your home’s ecosystem is working.
So…
Next time you see a spider crawling across your floor, instead of killing it, think of it as a tiny helper doing an important job — keeping your home’s insect population under control.
So, if you don’t want to see as many arachnids, focus on prevention, not destruction. Keep your house clean, reduce clutter, close gaps, and make sure lights and food don’t attract flying insects.