A PLAGUE of Britain’s most venomous spiders could be crawling into Cheshire homes over the next few months, warn experts.

It could be a prolific season for the false widow due to this year’s mild weather which is expected to continue throughout September and beyond.

The species, which resembles the deadly black widow spider, boasts a bite as painful as a bee sting.

Clive Boase, pest management consultant, said: “We’ve had a reasonably warm year with very few cold snaps and no particularly extended periods of dry or wet weather.

“That has led to more invertebrates, such as flies, to feed on and means false widows, as well as many other species of spiders, have been able to continue their development throughout the summer.

“Sightings of spiders often peak from September as males of many species reach adulthood and venture into homes in search of a mate, but we could be seeing a lot more of them than normal over the next month or two.”

The species which colonised southern counties has now become increasingly common in other areas of the country with a major factor being attributed to climate change and warmer conditions.

“People don’t realise just how common they have become.” Clive said. “There are half-a-dozen different species of the false widow and they can survive both indoors and outdoors.

“They love conservatories and toilet blocks, window frames, porches, lofts and garages and they like to live beneath kitchen appliances and cupboards.”

Clive added that although the bite can be painful there are few reported incidents and they occur when the spiders become trapped or roughly handled.

Rob Simpson, manager of pest controllers register BASIS PROMPT, urged that a tidy home would reduce the likelihood of false widows.

Rob said: “Spiders will have fewer places to hide if you keep clutter to a minimum, so I would say keep your house tidy and vacuum regularly.”

He also warned dealing with infestations should be left to the professionals who are kept up to date with the latest products, techniques and legislation.

By Jacob Metcalf