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Your web-based guide to spider season in Seattle

Don’t worry — they won’t bite.

Daddy long-legs spotted on a window above a building casting the shadow of the Space Needle roof

Gah, they’re attacking the Space Needle — oh, wait.

In case you couldn’t tell by all the eight-legged creepy crawlies around the neighborhood, we’re smack dab in the middle of Seattle spider season — a grand addition to our wacko local calendar.

Early fall is typically when we see certain Western Washington arachnids more prominently, but there are a few misconceptions around our web-slinging friends. So let’s untangle some of the spin.

Spidey senses tingling

Spiders didn’t just arrive now. They’ve been here in similar quantities throughout the whole year, if that makes you feel better (or worse, oops).

Around this time, two local species reach maturity: the European orb weaver and the giant house spider. Both sound a little scary, but don’t freak out — neither are harmful to humans. They’re more visible these days because the male members of both species are at the end of their lifespan and doing everything they can to go out and find a mate. Awwww. Do you feel bad about washing them down the drain now?

More local spider facts:

How to deal

Experts say that the best thing to do is just leave indoor spiders alone. But if you feel you absolutely must get rid of them, don’t just carry the little critters outside in a cup — that’s actually harmful to them.

Instead, you can relocate house spiders to a garage, shed, or crawl space. That way, they can be away from your couch but still snack on tasty pests like flies or mosquitoes — and you can all sleep in peace. Win-win.

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