Are there more spiders in your home in France right now?

If you have the feeling that there are more spiders than usual in your home in France at the moment, you are not suffering from Halloween-induced arachnophobia. 

The number of spiders in your home may not be technically increasing – it is a myth that spiders enter homes in autumn and winter as they are warmer and find a spot to hibernate – but the spiders already there are becoming more noticeable.

Arachnids are bigger in autumn, reaching their largest size in this period, and come out of their usual hiding spots more often in search for prey, which is scarcer in the cooler months. 

It is also, for some species such as the common house spider, mating season, leading males to abandon their usual spots in search of a female. 

Spiders easier to spot

It is perhaps not so reassuring for those with a fear of spiders (up to half of the population in France suffer from such a fear according to the Ligue de protection des oiseaux) to hear that spiders are constantly in homes throughout the year. 

However, the old adage that spiders ‘are just as scared of us as we are of them’ is partially true, and they tend to avoid us for much of the year, sticking to hiding spots in walls, behind furniture, and hard to reach, dark places, where they are out of sight.

Spiders are still trying to avoid us in autumn, but have a more difficult time doing so, and are more prone to being spotted by us. 

Many spiders are nocturnal hunters, coming out at night to search for food. As dusk falls quicker, spiders come out earlier – often when we are still awake – meaning we see them when we would otherwise be asleep. 

Prey becomes scarcer too, with fewer insects around for spiders to eat, forcing them to search farther away from their usual hiding spots for a meal, making them scurry across our walls and floors. 

This is particularly the case for spiders that hunt by sight, who need to scour more areas to find food, as opposed to lying in wait near a web.

Read more: Which are the most dangerous animals in France and where are they?

Spiders not out to harm us 

Despite the fear seeing a spider can strike into us, it is paramount to remind ourselves the spider is not out searching for us, and would rather not come across us if possible. 

“In short, spiders don't calculate [for our presence],” said Christine Rollard, researcher at the French Natural History Museum, to Actu. 

“We're not potential prey, and they're not our predators,” due to the immense size difference between us. 

“What does make them react, however, is a change of environment. If something fairly massive is felt by their sensory bristles, it will make them react - and generally flee,” she added. 

This is where we may be concerned – a spider suddenly bolting away (or towards) us can cause panic, but the spider is not attempting an attack. 

Are spiders in France dangerous? 

There has been a flurry of media reports in recent years claiming people in France and Italy have died after being bitten by a tiny ‘violin’ spider, present along the Mediterranean coast.

However, experts have cast doubt on these claims.

Read more: Expert casts doubt on claims bites from French 'violin' spider killed two

No native species of spider in France are reported to be deadly to humans, however an untreated bite can cause damage to surrounding body parts, including necrosis (the death of cells), and cause pain. 

Spider bites are rare in France, unless you come into direct contact with a spider, and are essentially unheard of in a home, where you can avoid the animals (even if they are crawling along your wall or ceiling).

Other recent media reports of a spider that ‘laid eggs in a British tourist’s toe’ have also been doubted. 

Read more: Are there really spiders in France that lay eggs under your skin?