Not suitable for arachnophobics

As the wet weather sends our 8 legged friends indoors, now's your chance to take part in the Society of Biology's House Spider Survey. 

There are about 650 different species of spider in the UK, and most of them will never come inside. Each autumn, however, male house spiders come indoors in search of a mate.

The large, hairy house spiders commonly seen in the UK belong to the Tegenaria genus.

House spiders in your bath are normally males who are trapped having fallen off the walls while looking for a female to mate with. Females usually stay in their webs, which are often found under the shed, and await a suitor. After a male has found a female's web he will stay with her for a number of weeks, mating with her repeatedly. It is easy to tell the difference between females (above) and males.

The female then overwinters with stored sperm, and the next spring she can produce 10 egg sacs, each containing around 40 to 60 eggs.

Like most spiders, Tegenaria species subdue their prey with venom. The house spider provides a service for home owners, eating flies and other unwanted insects. They are also ecologically important as food for birds and other animals.

Tegenaria house spiders are not the only species found indoors, and other common species include the daddy-long-legs spider, Pholcus phalangioides (which is not to be confused with the daddy long legs or crane fly, a completely harmless type of fly). Check out the site for lots of facts about the spiders you encounter.

This year the Society are going to record house spiders as they move indoors, and they need sightings from around the UK. A free house spider recording app 'Spider in da house' is available through the Android and Apple app stores.

The app, developed by the Society and built by TouchApp, allows people to report their sightings of Tegenaria spiders and helps identify other spider species. Alternatively, you can record sightings online.

If you're feeling creative, you can take part in the house spider video competition.

Society of Biology.org