These spiders have poor vision, distinguishing only dark and light. Their leg span, respectively, is about 45mm for females and between 30mm to 75mm for males. Still, females can reach up to 19mm in size, whereas male adults can get up to 25mm. Appearance: They are not the largest species of the genus.The web threads do not have adhesive properties. These spiders build messy-looking webs with a funnel at one end, where the spider would hang around and hide, waiting for its prey to get caught. The Giant house spider is one of the fastest and largest spiders that you can spot in Britain and across Europe.

Image by: Jean and Fred / License: CC BY 2.0 An accidental bite may cause a mild reaction and swell around the site. However, a human hand meddling with their web will be deemed threatening to them, so the spider will most likely flee and hide. Risk to health: The Common false widow spider will rarely bite.Habitat: They would settle in any outdoor building or inside your home, once the weather turns in.That's why you can call spiders nature's pest control. Feeding habits: These carnivorous insects will feed on roaches, woodlice, crickets and other spiders and bugs.Their round body is brown to dark-brown, with whitish patterns on the abdomen. Appearance: They can be between 8 and 14 mm in size (males are slightly smaller), with a glossy body and shiny 8 legs.There are many species of this arachnid family but in the UK, you may come across the Common false widow, the Noble false widow and the Cupboard spider, which we will talk about here in more detail. The belief that they have been around for over 130 years in the country (brought accidentally from overseas) can’t be confirmed, nor refuted. And you’ll learn about how they look, their eating habits and habitat, as well as find out if any of them can pose a danger to your health.Ĭommon false widow spider (Steatoda bipunctata)įalse widow spiders are not an uncommon sight in British homes and outbuildings. This post will explore the different types of spiders that can be seen in the UK. We all find spiders in our homes, regardless of what time of the year it is, we chase them away with the vacuum cleaner until we spot a new web in the corner sooner or later… Whether you have a phobia of these multi-legged creepy creatures or not, it’s not a bad idea to know a little bit about them, right?

House spider bits