'Spider season' comes early thanks to wet August weather

The wet August weather has caused Britain's 'spider season' to start early, with the creatures being tricked into premature mating, according to experts.

House spiders are seeking shelter inside weeks earlier than they normally do in later September.

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Some of the spiders invading homes are venomous false widows. Richard Cousins from Cambridgeshire told MailOnline he had an encounter with one in his shower earlier this month. He was about to pick it up but decided to put it in the sink when he thought it looked dodgy.

Pest management consultant Clive Boase said: "We've had a reasonably warm year with very few cold snaps and that has led to more invertebrates, such as flies, to feed on.

"It means false widows, as well as many other species of spiders, can continue their development throughout the summer."

David Cross, head of the technical training academy at Rentokil Pest Control, told Press Association: "Due to the poor weather conditions we had in August... the rain has tricked spiders into thinking autumn has arrived and they should be mating."

Meanwhile, Colin Campbell, an insect infestation specialist at Pest Professionals, said there are up to six species of house spiders which invade homes from September, most of which are harmless.