Residents of the United Kingdom are being urgently advised to keep their windows closed—day and night—as the country’s most venomous spider, the False Widow, enters its peak mating season. While experts stress the importance of staying calm, they also emphasize caution, explaining that awareness and preventative measures are the best tools in minimizing encounters with this increasingly common household intruder.
Dr. Tom Elwood, a leading arachnologist who has studied the False Widow (Steatoda nobilis) for over a decade, explains that from late August through early September, the species is at its most active. “This is the time when male spiders begin to roam,” Dr. Elwood says. “They’re on the hunt for mates, and they’ll travel through any open windows, cracks in walls, air vents, and even bathroom drains to find females.”
