Every year around late August and into September, the same question turns up: why are there suddenly so many spiders around the house and garden? It isn't an infestation: it's mating season. Male house spiders (Tegenaria species) reach maturity in late summer and wander across floors, up walls and under doors searching for a mate. They're more noticeable than usual because the males that spent the summer tucked away in undisturbed corners are now on the move, not because there are more spiders than in July.
Females tend to stay put in their webs, behind bookcases or air vents, and wait to be found. The wandering eases off once the mating period ends.
The same autumn shift shows up outdoors. The garden cross spider (Araneus diadematus), the UK's most recognisable web-builder, is active from June to November, and its large orb webs strung across paths and between shrubs catch the low autumn light.
Common garden and house spiders
A UK garden can host as many as 100 different spider species, spread across lawns, flower beds, shrubs, ponds and compost heaps. Three types account for most of what gets noticed.
| Species | How it hunts | Typical habitat | Most active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden cross spider (Araneus diadematus) | Builds a spiral orb web and waits at the centre for vibrations | Grassland, hedgerows, gardens, woodland edges | June-November |
| House spider / giant house spider (Tegenaria species) | Spins sheet-like cobwebs in dark corners, then ambushes trapped prey | Sheds, garages, dark corners of houses, behind furniture | Most visible in late summer/early autumn when males roam |
| Wolf spider (Lycosidae) | Active ground hunter, chases and pounces on prey, no web | Grassland, gravel beds, garden borders | March-July |
The garden cross spider is grey-brown or reddish-brown with a large white cross of pale spots and streaks on its abdomen; females are twice the size of males. Giant house spiders have long legs and dark, hairy bodies, and are one of our fastest invertebrates, running up to half a metre per second, which is usually what makes an indoor sighting feel alarming. Wolf spiders don't build webs: they chase down prey and leap on it. The female carries her round egg sac under the back end of her body, and carries the young on her back for a few days after they hatch.
Not everything that looks like a spider is one
Two common creatures get mistaken for spiders. Both are called "daddy long-legs", which is where the myth that it is the world's most venomous spider comes from. Neither is dangerous.
| Creature | A true spider? | Venom / silk | Where found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvestman ("daddy long-legs") | No, a related but different arachnid, with a small round body and no waist | No venom, no silk, catches prey with hooks on its legs instead | Leaf litter, foliage, grass, gardens and houses; around 25 UK species |
| Cellar spider (also called "daddy long-legs") | Yes, a true spider, with an extremely long, thin, tubular body | Harmless to humans; builds loose, messy webs | Almost always indoors, in the corners of rooms |
The harvestman isn't a spider and has no venom at all. The cellar spider that shares its nickname is a harmless ordinary spider, and craneflies get called daddy long-legs too.
Should you worry about a bite?
No UK spider is considered dangerous to humans in any meaningful sense. Buglife says most British spiders couldn't bite you if they tried, because their fangs are too small or weak to penetrate human skin, and there are still no confirmed cases of serious injury resulting directly from the bite of a native spider in Britain.
The false widow is the species most often blamed for headline bite stories. Only the two larger species, the cupboard spider and the noble false widow, are likely to be able to bite through human skin, and they are defensive rather than aggressive, with confirmed bites extremely rare. The noble false widow's bite is more venomous than other British species and may cause localised pain and minor swelling, and in extreme cases nausea within a few hours. Its stronghold is southern England, and its range is expanding north. The two you're most likely to meet are milder still: the garden cross spider is completely harmless, and the giant house spider's speed across a carpet is the only alarming thing about it.
What spiders do in the garden
Spiders are predators, and in a garden that means insects. Web builders catch flying insects in silk that can reach 40cm wide, and wolf spiders hunt on foot. Between them they take aphids and flies that gardeners consider pests of food crops and garden plants. That's one part of a wider network of natural pest control alongside ladybirds, hoverfly larvae, lacewings, ground beetles and parasitoid wasps (wasps that lay their eggs inside other insects, killing them as the larvae develop). Spiders aren't a replacement for that network, but they're part of it. If midges are your main complaint, see gardening around the midge.
Encouraging spiders instead of clearing them out
Spiders are predators rather than pests, so encouraging them is mostly about leaving things alone.
Leave an undisturbed corner. Spiders thrive in "messy" gardens with seedheads, log piles, leaf litter and grasses, plus tall plants for web-spinning. Damp conditions behind peeling bark or in a log pile are inviting for spiders and beetles, which in turn feed hedgehogs, frogs and birds further up the chain.
Keep some bare or gravelled ground. In gravel gardens, open space between plants gives ground-hunting spiders room to catch prey, and piles of rocks or rubble tend to get colonised by spiders looking for shelter.
Cut back on pesticides. Synthetic pesticides are toxic to more than their target, so use them sparingly and as a last resort, which also protects other predatory invertebrates and everything further up the food chain that depends on them. They don't typically kill spiders directly but can disrupt their behaviour, their prey, their habitat, their lifespan and sometimes even web repair.
Go easy on outdoor lighting. Avoid artificial lighting in spring and summer, because it disrupts spider activity. Keeping outdoor lights off, or on a timer or motion sensor, is a small change that helps.
None of this needs special equipment. A log pile in a corner, a gravel bed left unmanicured and pesticide use kept to a minimum will do more for your spiders, and your pest control, than anything from a shop.
Common questions
I'd still rather not have one in the house — what's the safest way to move it?
Place a glass over the spider, slide thin paper or card gently underneath, and carry it outside to release it. Buglife also suggests leaving a towel draped over the side of the bath, since spiders dislike smooth surfaces and can climb out.
Are any spiders found in UK gardens dangerous?
No UK spider is considered dangerous to humans. Buglife says most British spiders’ fangs are too small or weak to penetrate human skin, and there are no confirmed cases of serious injury from a native spider’s bite in Britain. The noble false widow’s bite may cause localised pain and minor swelling.
What do garden spiders eat?
Garden spiders catch insects in their webs, wrapping and subduing prey with a bite before feeding. Spiders take pest insects such as aphids and flies, making them part of a garden’s natural pest control alongside ladybirds, hoverflies and ground beetles.
How can I encourage more spiders in my garden?
Leave an undisturbed corner with long grass, seedheads, log piles or leaf litter, keep a gravelled or bare-ground area for ground-hunting species, use pesticides only as a last resort, and avoid artificial lighting in spring and summer.
Is the "daddy long-legs" spider the most venomous spider in the world?
No, and it isn’t even one creature. "Daddy long-legs" is used for both the harvestman, which produces no venom at all, and the cellar spider, which is a harmless ordinary spider (craneflies get the name too). None is a danger to people.
Curious about other wildlife your garden might be overlooking? See earthworms, dragonflies and damselflies and lacewings.
Sources
Show the 12 sources
- The Wildlife Trusts: Garden spider: Garden cross spider appearance, diet, habitat, seasonal activity (June-November) and the statement that it is completely harmless to humans
- The Wildlife Trusts: Wolf spider: Wolf spider appearance, hunting method, habitat and seasonal activity (March-July)
- The Wildlife Trusts: Giant house spider: Giant house spider appearance, habitat, running speed up to half a metre per second, males seeking females in late summer and early autumn
- The Wildlife Trusts: False widow spider: Only the cupboard spider and noble false widow can bite through human skin, confirmed bites extremely rare, range expanding north from southern England
- The Wildlife Trusts: Common harvestman: Harvestman identification, no venom/no silk, diet and habitat, the ~25 UK species figure
- The Wildlife Trusts: Cellar spider: Cellar spider appearance, its almost-exclusively-indoor habitat, web-building behaviour, shared "daddy long-legs" name with the harvestman
- Buglife: Spider Bites: Most British spiders’ fangs too small or weak to penetrate human skin, no confirmed cases of serious injury from a native British spider’s bite, noble false widow bite may cause localised pain, minor swelling and rarely nausea
- Buglife: At Home with Spiders: Male house spiders (Tegenaria species) wandering indoors in autumn searching for mates, females staying in webs, capture with a glass and paper, towel in the bath
- Garden Organic: Support your garden spiders: Up to 100 species in a UK garden, webs up to 40cm wide catching flying insects, seedheads, log piles and leaf litter as habitat, avoiding artificial lighting in spring and summer, pesticides disrupt spiders’ behaviour, prey, habitat, lifespan and web repair
- RHS: Dead Wood and Compost Heap Habitats: Log piles and damp/decaying wood as spider habitat benefiting the wider food chain
- RHS: Stone and Coast Habitats: Ground-hunting spiders in gravel gardens and spiders colonising rock/rubble piles
- RHS: Ideas on attracting wildlife to your garden: Synthetic pesticides are toxic to more than the target organisms, so use them as a last resort