I'd guess that lax human enforcement of building constraints during high June temperatures, plus the reduced density of insect population reported by nature agencies, has induced many to extend their catchment areas to improve food security.

The wet has brought out the insects which gives the spiders a bonanza

The frogs have done well out of it too

We've got our own air conditioning this summer, the jet stream has very kindly decided to visit Spain

Great for us, but it's sucking up the Sahara desert and blowing it all over Southern Europe

**LINK**

Mike, perhaps flies are rare in your workshop because the spiders are eating them all?

Jim

I have a web inside by my front door. It was made by one of those very small spiders with legs much longer than their body. I leave it alone because of the amount of dead woodlice on the carpet (cleaned up by me, I might add). Rather a web than woodlice.

I just hope my (human) visitors tomorrow see the point.

The ones that are more leggy than Barbie but have tiny bodies, do prey on other species of spider.

There is a species whose culinary speciality is woodlice, indeed it is called the Woodlouse Spider – a fairly small, portly animal with distinctive beige and red / maroon colouring. It is the only British spider capable of biting through the woodlouse's armour, so other spiders presumably manage to bite the animal's belly. It can give quite a sharp nip as I found once when I picked one up indoors to put it safely outside – ungrateful thing!

If you've many woodlice in the home, more than the occasional stray, I'd look for what's attracting them. They need a cool, slightly damp abode, and their main diet is damp, decaying wood, though they also eat other vegetable matter. I have even seen them tucking into a dead sea-gull. Woodlice love fresh fruit, judging by my strawberries: they eat a sort of burrow and snooze there, surrounded by food. Isopod heaven… till I gently shake them off and carefully wash what they have graciously left for me.

Spiders can climb walls and traverse ceilings because usually those are sufficiently rough for the creatures to grip – having 8-feet drive helps. They fall into baths and sinks but cannot climb back out simply because the surface is too smooth, and I have seen them struggle on walls painted with matte or eggshell-gloss emulsion.

There's a big spider in a rather inaccessible corner of my workshop. A very shy one though. The slightest hint of threat and it vanishes behind the paint tins in an instant, so I have not seen it as more than a dark shape in the gloom.

Just make sure your spiders don't make a home on your body as here Link

The white version may be worse !!!

The start of this thread is an example of where it helps comprehension if you have indicated your location.
On an American forum I use a map of the UK filled in with the union flag. Makes it fairly clear so people can understand any slant in my postings.

In Africa we had a variety of spider that was quite wide but very flat so liked to hide in the gap you get underneath a hard back book standing in a bookcase. I guess it now has to sneak under laptops.

Down in the south east of France we mainly get jumping spiders and the occasional long legged type, but the Praying Mantis in the garden seem to take care of them along with any woodlice and such.

I occasionally find some wispy webs like the OP's in the upper corners of the rooms, if i have been away a while but on a much smaller scale.

I wish they wold sort out the wasps but they dont seem to catch those.

Our biggest problem is with the lizards, they are supposed to eat the ground crawing bugs but dont want to tangle with the Ants, even the small ones. I can understand with some of the big army ants, as they are around an inch long and i am wary of them.

Our selection of spiders.

Symptoms may be: Extreme soreness around the bite wound, Swelling and redness, Nausea and abdominal pain, Difficulty breathing, General muscle numbness and muscle spasms, Profuse sweating, Heavy coughing. Disorientation and confusion leading to unconsciousness

Would not like to get bitten. Fortunately if you get medical help, no one has died recently because of the development of anti-venom.

Huntsmen are the common spiders that we get in our homes in Sydney but they are harmless and eat small insects.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 20/07/2023 13:06:00

Well, my daughter had collected a few conkers whilst on holiday, and we had them on top of the gas fire in the living room. Didn't see a spider for months. She then moved them out of the room and the very next day, I spotted a spider in there. Coincidence? Maybe, but it convinced me.

Rob

(just realised, now I have my glasses on, that this is not a spider…)