September is here, and that can only mean one thing - spider mating season.

Homes across Ireland will notice an increase in the number of creepy crawlies this autumn, as males have reached sexual maturity and are in search of a partner.

It also signifies that the end is near for the males, meaning they can regularly be found moving around homes out in the open, with little else to lose.

On Moncrieff today, Dr Michel Dugon from the University of Galway used an analogy to explain the phenomenon.

“The best way I can describe it is, it’s 2am at the club and it’s the desperate moment where it’s going to be now or never,” he said.

“Those male spiders have a body that is profiled specifically for this; they have their sexual organs fully developed but also a smaller abdomen that allows them to move faster.

"They have longer legs so they can actually run and try and find that female faster as well.

"They are going to die any day now and this is their last chance to try and mate and have some babies.”

Females

Dr Dugon said females are less likely to be seen at this time of year.

“The females tend to have shorter legs, a bigger abdomen, and they tend to stay still on their web so they can wait for food to come and continue to build up energy to produce more babies once they’ve met a male,” he said.

“The female is actually the one you might disturb when you decide to clean under your sofa at home or check behind the furniture.

"Those tend to be females. They have their web; they live there and that’s it. They don’t disturb you. You don’t disturb them and everything’s fine.”

A European common house spider is seen in a kitchen sink. Picture by: Arterra Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo

He explained that spiders perform an important role in ecology and killing them is not advisable.

“They eat millions of tons of pests, such as mosquitoes and midges, every single year, so we do need them and they are harmless,” said Dr Dugon.

“I think the best thing we can do is just to relocate them.

"If a spider is crossing your carpet at home, try sliding a piece of paper underneath them, putting a glass on top and then putting it out the window.”

Insecticide

Dr Dugon said spiders shouldn’t be targeted with sprays and insecticides this autumn.

“It’s a very harmful way to deal with the problem because it indiscriminately kills all sorts of bugs, not just the ones you don’t want,” he said.

“Modern insecticides have a very short period of effectiveness; they start to break down into smaller molecules very quickly.

"That means after you spray your insecticide everywhere hoping to keep spiders away, it won’t work, and they’ll be able to come back a few hours later.”

Dr Dugon added that spiders are harmless, killing between two and ten people worldwide every year.

Main image: A spider on the carpet. Image: Frankie Angel / Stockimo / Alamy Stock Photo