Top UK Cities Where Spiders Are Taking Over

Love them or hate them, spiders are all around us. Most of the time we rarely cross paths, but when we do, you can be certain the whole house (and street!) will know about it…

Spiders are most active during the autumn, so it’s likely you will see more during the months of September, October and November – especially in the home where spiders seek out warm and dry places to hide.

In the build-up to Halloween, the team at SellHouseFast sought to find out which spiders (and their allies) are most likely to invade our homes, and which areas of the UK are most likely to come into contact with the eight-legged creatures.

To do this, we utilised the ‘Explore Your Area’ tool on NBN Atlas to find out how many species of spiders (and allies) were recorded in 67 cities in the UK (within a 10km radius of the city centre).

The Cities Most Likely to be Invaded by Spiders:

1. Leicester

Homes in the city of Leicester are most in danger of being invaded
by spiders according to our research, with 228 different species of spiders and
allies recorded.

Pisaura Mirabilis, more commonly referred to as the Nursery Web Spider, is the most common spider species found in the
city, with 284 spiders recorded. The
Nursery Web Spider are easy to spot
as they have a long body with long legs and can be identified by the brown and
black stripes running the length of its body.

Araneus Diadematus, also known as the Garden Spider, is also commonly found in Leicester, with the species recorded 269 times by the All Taxa Records for Leicestershire and Rutland. Although extremely rare, the spider has been known to occasionally bite when aggravated – causing inflammation and itching for a few days.

2. Bangor

Coming in second place is Bangor, in Wales, with 223 different species of spiders and allies recorded.

The most common spider species found in the city is the Antistea Elegans, with 43 recorded.

The Argyroneta Aquatica, better known as the Water Spider, were also found to reside in Bangor, with three being recorded by the Welsh Invertebrate Database. They are the only known spider to live almost entirely under water, however when out of water, their colour ranges from mid to dark brown. This species is only known to bite when mishandled, with the bite often being compared to a bee sting!

3. St Davids

The second city most in danger of spider invasion is St Davids in Wales, with 209 different species reported. 

The Antistea Elegans are the most common
spider species found in the city, with 54 recorded.

Another spider species found in the city is
Agelena Labyrinthica, also known as the Labyrinth Spider, and has
been recorded three times by the Welsh Invertebrate Database. Usually
found in long rough grass, the Labyrinth
Spider can be spotted by its central pale brown stripe. Although uncommon,
these critters can bite if aggravated.

4. Swansea

Third on the list is Swansea, with 196 different species of spiders
and allies found in the Welsh city.

Dolomedes Plantarius, known as the Great
Raft Spider, is the most common spider species found in the city, with 163 recorded.

Although only one species of the Labyrinth Spider has been recorded by the Welsh Invertebrate Database, be vigilant
as even though they are unlikely to bite and on rare occasions they can cause
allergic reactions.

5. Westminster

Fourth on the list is the city of Westminster,
with 183 recorded species. 

The Chthonius
Ischnocheles species is the most common spider in Westminster, with almost
100 recorded (97).

According to the data resource Invertebrate Site Register – England, there have been two recorded species of the Garden Spider in the city. Garden Spiders grey-brown in colour with a white cross on their back. They are known for the spiral webs they create, which they will sit in to wait for prey, before wrapping them tightly and finishing them off with a venomous bite.

Wasp Spider | Photo credit: Sandra Standbridge / Shutterstock

6. City of London

In fifth place, we have the city of London, with
178 different species recorded. 

Similarly to
Westminster, the Chthonius Ischnocheles
species was also the most common in the city of London, with 124 recorded.

According to the data resource IRecord Surveys, there is currently one recorded species of the Argiope Bruennichi – better known as the Wasp Spider due to the wasp-like yellow stripes found across their bodies. Although these creatures are capable of biting, but they are not a serious risk to humans.

7. Norwich

In sixth place is Norwich, with 168 different species of spiders
and allies recorded.

The most common spider species in Norwich is the Bathyphantes Gracilis, with 192
recorded.

According to the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Invertebrate Data, two
species of the Labyrinth Spider have been recorded in the city.
Residents can easily pinpoint this spider by its
central pale brown stripe.

8. Canterbury

Canterbury comes in seventh place, with 162 recorded species – one
of which is the infamous Wasp Spider, recorded by IRecord Surveys.

Just like
Norwich, the Bathyphantes Gracilis is also the most common spider
in the city of Canterbury, with 27 of the eight-legged creatures recorded.

9. St Asaph

In eighth place is St Asaph in Wales, with 142
recorded species.

The Ixodes Vespertilionis are the most common species in St Asaph with 18 recorded.

Similarly to Bangor, St Asaph is also found to be home to the Argyroneta Aquatica (Water Spider). These critters have been known to bite when aggravated. Out of the water, these spiders range in colours from mid to dark brown and tend to have a velvet-like appearance.

10. Chester

In ninth place is Chester, with 118 species of spiders and allies
recorded.

The most common spider species found in Chester is the big bodied Antistea Elegans, with 22 recorded in the UK city.

Like Leicester and Westminster, the Garden Spider is also
among one of Chester’s spider species, as recorded by the Welsh Invertebrate
Database.

Garden Spider | Photo credit: Novama / Shutterstock

The Cities Least Likely to be Invaded by Spiders:

1. Hereford – 3 recorded species
2. Dundee – 4 recorded species
3. Preston – 9 recorded species
4. Birmingham – 12 recorded species
5. Derry and Lancaster – 13 recorded species
6. Leeds – 16 recorded species
7. Aberdeen – 17 recorded species
8. Chichester and Salford – 18 recorded species
9. Manchester – 20 recorded species
10. Lincoln, Liverpool and Coventry – 21 recorded species

The 10 Most Common Spiders found in UK Homes:

1. Giant House Spider

• Up to 12cm wide
• Typically dark orange, brown or beige in colour
• Commonly found in sheds and gardens

2. Zebra Jumping Spider

• Up to 8mm
• Distinctive white and black markings
• Found on external walls, but can also be found indoors by entering through open doors or windows

3. Cupboard Spider

• Up to 10mm
• Colour varies from dark purple, to brown, to black
• Often found in cupboards in houses and out-buildings

4. Daddy Long Legs 

• Size varies, but they can reach up to 45mm
• Bodies are round or oval in shape and they possess thin long legs
• They live in many places, including forests, meadows, caves and wetlands

5. Money Spider

• No bigger than 5mm – the smallest spider in the UK
• Typically they have grey or black bodies, but some do have distinctive markings
• Often found on low growing vegetation and among piles of leaves

Money Spider | Photo credit: thatmacroguy / Shutterstock

6. Lace Web Spider

• Up to 12mm
• Brown with yellow markings on the abdomen
• Commonly found on outdoor walls and fences

7. Missing Sector Orb

• Up to 7mm
• Their abdomen is silver-grey with a brown pattern on the back
• Typically found on windowsills

8. False Widow Spider

• Around 20mm in size
• Dark brown is a bulbous abdomen
• Commonly found in porches, garages and lofts – they are sometimes found underneath kitchen appliances and cupboards too

9. Cardinal Spider

• Up to 14cm – the largest spider in the UK
• Typically reddish brown in colour, but young Cardinal spiders can be much lighter
• Typically found in buildings or on walls

10. Tube Web Spiders 

• Up to 23mm
• It has six eyes arranged in three groups of two, with an iridescent green jaw
• Commonly found under stones or logs, and in holes on walls, trees and fences

Do you want to get out of a spider area?

Understandably you might want to move away fast from a spider zone – in which case you can get in touch at any time for a free valuation and no obligation cash offer from SellHouseFast.UK as we buy any house and under any circumstances.

You might also like: Britain’s Top 10 Most Haunted Houses

Special thanks and
acknowledgments to NBN Atlas and the Data Resources:

* Please note: All data was collected between September 29th to 30th, 2020.