SPIDER WARS: British beasts eating each other ALIVE and YOUR HOME is the front line

MILLIONS of giant house spiders causing panic across Britain are being EATEN ALIVE by other vicious arachnids.

By Stuart Winter

 

 

 

Millions of giant spiders have invaded homes in Britain looking for mates before the cold winter

Brutal showdowns are now taking place up and down the UK between monster spiders and equally frightening daddy long legs.

The two creepy crawlies have been waging a campaign of terror on arachnophobes as the balmy weather which followed a warm and wet August created the perfect conditions for an outbreak of both gangly beasts.

Millions of THREE-INCH giant house spiders invaded homes looking for mates.

Britain was then told to brace itself for 175 BILLION daddy long legs to swarm across every corner of Britain.

Now, in the darkest recesses of thousands of bedrooms, bathrooms and cellars, a battle royal is taking place as the heavyweight giant house spiders meet their match.

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Unseasonably warm weather has extended the mating season for the common house spider

As spiders go, daddy long leg spiders look like they have not got a leg to stand on - but the three-inch spindly-legged invertebrates have deadly tactics and pack a killer bite.

Homes the length and breadth of Britain are witnessing the ultimate invertebrate death matches as the daddy long leg or cellar spiders - Pholcus phalangioides, to use their scientific names – get ready for mealtime.

Their master stroke comes down to the way they can play home or away when hunting, either trapping unsuspecting victims or raiding other spiders’ webs to catch prey.

Vanessa Amaral-Rogers, of invertebrate charity Buglife, explained just how deadly the daddy long legs spiders are as they lurk in the background.

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Spiders are an essential part of the eco-system, and help to keep homes insect-free

She said: “This fragile-looking little spider is the natural enemy of the giant house spider seen running around your home.

Cannibalism can be common in the natural world

Vanessa Amaral-Rogers, Buglife

“Having long legs is useful for this spider, it throws silk at its sometimes significantly larger prey, staying safely out of harm’s way and covering it in sticky web until the prey is immobilised.

“Other times, it can be seen lurking in the corners of households in its messy webs. Unusually for a spider, the web isn’t sticky at all. The complicated structure traps its prey, making escape difficult and allowing the spider to quickly cover its dinner in silk and then delivering the fatal bite to the victim.”

If giant house spiders do not come their way, the daddy long legs are more than happy to go on the hunt – and will even turn on their own kind if food is in short supply.

Ms Amaral-Rogers added: “Not just content with waiting for food to land in its own web, the Pholcid spider will visit the webs of other spiders and eat the occupants. It’s pretty sneaky about it, too. It will vibrate on the web, pretending to be a helpless insect tangled in the silk until the unsuspecting spider leaps out expecting an easy meal, but ending up as dinner itself.

 

Fortunately for humans, the venom from these killer spiders is not toxic to us

“And it’s not a fussy eater, the Pholcid spider will also feed on flies, bees, wasps and even other Pholcids when food is scarce. Cannibalism can be common in the natural world.”

Luckily for Britons, the venom from these killer spiders are not toxic to humans.

Ms Amaral-Rogers stressed spiders were essential for keeping homes pest-free.