Spider with ‘massive’ fangs found in home
By Mary Dennehy
IT’S THAT time of the year when our homes make nice warm hideouts for long-legged spiders, whose numbers are reportedly on the increase.
In recent years, there has been reports both locally and in national media of larger than normal venomous spiders invading homes – with images of giant arachnids creeping all over social media.
Spider found in Arena apartment complex (Pic: Laura Walsh)
The Echo was contacted by a resident of the Arena apartment complex in Tallaght, who claims that the spider that showed up in her bathroom “needs to be seen to be believed”.
“It took a while to catch him, he was easily three or four inches long with massive fangs,” resident Laura Walsh said.
“There are loads of stories at the moment about giant spiders and this is living proof!”
The Echo previously spoke with Tallaght’s Collie Ennis who, a spider enthusiast, expert and researcher, explained that these long-legged spiders are just looking for love.
“This is the European giant house spider and why everybody is seeing them at this time of the year is because the males are going off looking for romance,” he said.
“Another reason is that when chilly, spiders go into human dwellings to get warm but generally males are out looking for females.”
He added: “They are not getting any bigger, even though we’re hearing reports of giant spiders attacking people.
“They are definitely not dangerous and pose no threat to you, your pets or your kids, they’re just doing what they do.”
WATCH:
(video: Laura Walsh)
He also stressed that the warmer summer months means more bugs, and more bugs means more spiders.
“Spiders are predators and they take down all of the other micro-fauna that we don’t like, such as flies and stuff that will eat your furniture, like wood lice”, he said.
“Spiders clean-up for you, they’re cheaper than Rentokil.”
