Huge spiders and disturbing creatures found in Lurgan, Craigavon and Portadown

And they all appear to be searching for a mate in your home, according to the professionals.

Lurgan journalist Carmel Robinson discovered an enormous creature crawling from one of her boots a few weeks ago.

“It was unlike anything I had ever seen and I have no idea what the creature actually is,” she said.

“It was almost like a cross between a huge bumble bee and a spider. I used fly spray and it took an awful long time to kill it. It was very scary,” she said.

Experts have warned that this year there could be a record number of the eight-legged beasts - which can measure up to 12cm in length - due to the fact that the summer has been wetter than usual, and mild.

Stuart Hine, a spider specialist from the Natural History museum said: “This is mating season. The males when they are mature will leave their webs in search of a female spider, so off they go on their little trek to find love.

“In doing so they stop feeding so they don’t actually live that long as an adult and they’re just sort of roaming around.

“They can give you a nip if you pick them up, but they are not harmful to humans.”

The spiders enter homes through open doors and windows.

Mr Hine said: “When we get this type of weather we see a lot more of them but it doesn’t necessarily mean there are a lot more of them. That said, they do well in years when there is plenty of food.”

He said despite the name house spiders more commonly live in garages, sheds and under shrubs in the garden.

“They can give you a bit of a nip if you pick them up by the leg, saying ‘please let go of me’ in the politest way they know,” he added.

“They can even draw a bit of blood, but they don’t have venom that can have any effect on us.”

We’re in search of the biggest house spider in the Lurgan, Craigavon and Portadown areas.

Send your pictures of your resident house spiders to [email protected] or share via www.facebook.com/lurganmail or @lurganmailnews and we’ll publish the biggest and baddest.

The Best Way To Catch A Spider

Many people are frightened of spiders but don’t panic - there are many ways to get rid of the eight-legged crawlers without killing them.

Trap the spider under a glass or jar and slide a piece of cardboard underneath before releasing it outside

Stuck in the bath? Drape a towel over the edge so the spider can crawl out and then shake it off outside

Gently sweep into a dustpan and lightly tap the pan to stop the spider from moving while you take it outside

Coax the spider onto a long stick or ruler and take outside. Vacuum up old webs