Country diary: strewn corpses point to an eight-legged killer

Langstone, Hampshire: Spider season is in full swing, and no woodlouse is safe from the fast and powerful hunter in the downstairs cloakroomSpider season is upon us. Cross spiders have strung sticky spirals of silken thread between shrubs and across the garden path, while missing-sector orb weaver webs bedeck my garage eaves. Noble false widows are lurking in every window and door frame, a gigantic house spider has taken up residence inside the hedgehog-feeding station beside my back door, and a trio of cellar spiders have crept inside the kitchen. Related: Country diary: a living jewel and her handiwork adorn the kitchen window Continue reading...