IT’S not a good month for arachnophobes.

A warm but damp summer created the perfect breeding climate for house spiders and daddy long legs. And now both are invading Oxfordshire’s homes.

Three-inch diameter hairy spiders are running through homes at the breakneck speed of nearly two feet per second in pursuit of mates.

And entomologists warn that outside daddy long legs (or crane flies) are hatching in bumper numbers in lawns and heading indoors for warmth, shelter and a mate.

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Oxford Mail readers have been taking to Twitter to post pictures of the spiders they have found invading their homes.

Curator at Oxford University’s Natural History Museum, James Hogan, said this time of year produces the biggest spiders.

He said: “After the summer they are more obvious. They are fully grown and people will most probably see them in their gardens.”

John Greenwood, of Meadow Close, Oakley, was the nominated spider-remover in his household when a giant black one appeared on the kitchen table.

The sales director took a great picture of the hairy beast before getting rid of it over the garden fence.

He said: “Someone said it might be a false widow spider but I didn’t hang around to find out. I have heard there’s been a bit of an invasion in the because of the weather.”

The father-of-two added: “I trapped it under a glass but I half expected it to escape, and see it cooking dinner when I came back into the room – it was that big. I wasn’t frightened but I’m not sure about my wife and two boys.”

Clinical psychologist Mareike Suesse conducted an arachnophobia study with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust which concluded this summer.

She said there are three reasons people are scared of spiders, but that the phobia can be cured.

She said: “I met a lot of people who were scared of spiders and most of them seemed to have had an unpleasant experience from their childhood. Also, it may be because your parents were scared of spiders, as the way that we learn what is safe in the world and what is not is often from our parents.”

The other reason is an evolutionary response humans have to not liking creepy-crawlies.

She said that for many people seeing a spider triggers a ‘fight or flight’ response – quickening heartbeat, sweaty palms and tunnel vision – even though they know they are not dangerous.

Therapy is available for free by the NHS, those interested can call 01865 901222.

Ways to keep spiders out of your home include placing conkers around windows and doors and they are said to dislike peppermint.

  • In the meantime, if you’ve taken any pictures of giant spiders, email them to ckeown@nqo.com