LARGE spiders are on the hunt for love in homes across the county.

According to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, larger spiders wandering around houses and gardens are typical for this time of year.

For many species the autumn season is the time of year when they’re mature and also when the females are full of eggs, making some spiders much larger.

Giant house spiders, daddy long legs, cellar spiders, zebra spiders and Orb-weaver spider are the most common types of spiders that you might come across in your homes over the next few months.

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust said: “More people will be seeing spiders in their homes this time of year for one really simple reason - they’re out and about looking for a mate. 

"Male spiders are particularly active during early autumn when they’ll be covering a lot more ground than usual while looking for a female. 
 
"Spiders live in our homes all year round, so it’s not necessarily that there are more spiders around, just that they’re more visible.

"Most of these will be house spiders, the ones you’ll see running across your bedroom floor in the evening. 

"They have long, gangly legs with the males tending to have smaller bodies than females, with something called pedipalps at the front of their bodies which they use for mating. 
 
"We know that for many people, the sight of these eight-legged critters inspires fright, but they’re an essential part of our ecosystem.

"They’re fantastic predators and keep a range of other creatures under control, which actually helps improve biodiversity.”