While you may not have planned to host many guests this fall, there are still some unexpected visitors that could wander through your living space: spiders.
Autumn is when leaves start to fall and the temperatures begin to drop. However, it's also when most spiders begin a mate. Even though spiders will be present in your home all year, it is more common to see them in autumn as they are likely looking for partners.
Jason Dunlop, a Berlin researcher at the Museum fr Naturkunde, said that spiders usually mature in the spring and summer. As it nears fall, mature males leave their webs to search for a female.
The pheromone is a type of perfume that females emit. Males sense it with their special hairs on the legs. Dunlop explained to USA TODAY that wandering males are essentially looking for mature females.
Rod Crawford, curator of arachnids, at The Burke Museum, University of Washington, says that another reason males roam around is because females keep their webs intact and save the energy required to lay eggs.
After the males develop functional sex organs they no longer look for prey but instead search for a partner.
Crawford stated that Crawford will continue doing this for the rest of his life.
As a spider dangles from its web, it is silhouetted in front of a patio light in Overland Park.
Female spiders can be found anywhere. If you find one in your home, it is most likely a male looking for a female.
It's a misguided belief that spiders suddenly appear larger than they used to be. But, it's not true. According to Anne Danielson Francois, an associate professor of biological sciences and the University of Michigan-Dearborn, they are just more visible because the males move around.
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Crawford stated that there is no set date for spiders appearing, but some of the arachnids have already started the mating process in Seattle. They will be most noticeable between September and October.
Danielson-Francois states that people mistakenly believe it has something to do with Halloween.
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Danielson-Francois advised people not to panic and call the pest control agency. They don't want to set up shop in your home.
Crawford stated that almost all house spiders can be ignored.
Experts advise against killing these spiders even if they are not able to stand them. Dunlop noted that spiders are able to take care of many insects including mosquitoes.
Dunlop stated that the worst thing a spider could do is to give you a surprise. Crawford, however, said that spider bites are very rare in the daily life of an individual.
Danielson-Francois stated that spiders can be handled if they are not in your control.
I believe in people getting to know them and becoming less fearful of them. However, I realized it was a stretch. She said.
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This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Are spiders living in your home? Fall is mating season. But don't panic!
