(WXYZ) — It seems like we're not just seeing leaves fall, but also an explosion of spider sightings this Autumn.
You may be seeing them in your house, garden and even on your car. Plenty of you sent us photos and videos of these eight-legged creepy crawlers near you.
So, what's causing this invasion? I spoke with experts to see what this trend is all about.
"Our house is full of them," said Katherine Loving. "I mean i have seen spiders I have never seen before."
" I have been spraying for all kinds of ants and bugs, but the spiders, they keep coming back," said Lynn Kerber.
From the common house spiders to the more elusive garden or grass varieties, many people seem to be noticing an uptick in the number they're seeing this year.
"We can leave and come back home. Go to the front door and there's spider webs all over," Katherine said.
"What is your biggest fear?" I asked Mike Mangino.
"My entire life it's been spiders," Mike said. "I think I would rather take a punch from Mike Tyson than get a bucket of spiders."
But Mike faces his fear of spiders head on. He started his own business called 'What's Bugging You?'/ I asked him why people might be seeing a lot more spiders than usual.
"It's breeding season right now, so they are very active," Mike said. "They have been active for a couple of months, so you'll see a bunch of baby spiders around."
He said spiders may also be trying to get in your home to get out of the cold.
I also had to ask another expert: former Michigan State University professor Howard Russell, AKA The Bug Man, on this question: why so many spiders?
"This time of year, we see spiders that try to find their way into our homes," Howard said. "Their webs are big. They are a lot more noticeable than they are, say, at the beginning of the growing season."
ANd Mike does say this about treating your home for spiders: if you're going to treat your home, you'll have to have have someone come out and treat it. If you're going to do it once a year, do it when they are active like this month or last month.
Lynn says that spiders are great for the environment, but like Mike, Katherine is still terrified of them.
"They do a good thing," Lynn said. "It's part of nature and you should not harm them."
"I killed one that was on our front door," Katherine said. "It was brown, black and red and it looked like he was carrying a leaf. Yea, I'm afraid of spiders."
