You probably thought Arachnophobia was just a cheesy Hollywood horror flick, didn't you? Turns out that's not the case - the 1990 cult classic is much more like a documentary than a work of fiction.
Sightings have been made around the country of huge arachnids that some have claimed are so big they could potentially set off burglar alarms. You don't have to believe us, either - there are plenty of terrifying pictures to back that claim up.
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According to a report in the Sun, the Taylor family of Heywood, Manchester, discovered an infestation of spiders when they set off the intruder alarm. Initially, father Andy thought someone had broken into the house - I'm not sure if it would be more or less terrifying to find out it was a spider.
The Taylors haven't been the only ones to have such a horrifying experience, either. Stacey Pearson from West Derby, Liverpool found two of the critters that were 'as big as a hand'. One was in the bedroom of her seven year old son, while the other emerged - in creepy, scary fashion - from a sink.
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"Honestly, I have no idea how it fitted [sic] through the plughole," she said.
There have been more spiders than usual this year. That's because, according to pest consultant Clive Boase, we've had "a relatively warm year with very few cold snaps" which has "led to more invertebrates, such as flies, to feed on."
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Don't fear too much. It's much less likely that these eight-legged fiends are going to attack you than just have their wicked way with each other.
He continued: ""Sightings of spiders often peak from September as males of many species reach adulthood and venture into homes in search of a mate, but we could be seeing a lot more than normal over the next month or two."
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Usually, it's around September time that the arachnids seek out shelter and warmth to start their search for sex, but the recent washout weather has forced some to do so earlier than usual. They'll be looking to lay about 100 eggs at a time - think about that for a second.
There are more than 35,000 different species of spiders around the world, 650 of which are found in the UK. Still, that's little comfort to anyone who's truly scared of them. Before you start sleeping with one eye open, though, just remember that all they want to do is a have good time - nudge nudge, wink wink - and start a family. You wouldn't begrudge them that, would you?
Words: Mischa Pearlman
Topics: Spiders