Arachnophobes - look away now, because “spider season” is well and truly upon us as homes across the nation are invaded by sex-crazed creepy-crawlies.

As mating season for our eight-legged friends gets underway, it has emerged they’re eager to get out of the cold weather, meaning they’re being driven into warm homes to seek a partner.

Freaked-out folk have been bombarding social media in recent weeks with jaw-dropping images of some spiders bigger than an adult hand.

READ MORE: 16 pictures of spiders found in Glasgow homes

Sorry to have to break it to you, but the phenomenon is expected to last through to November.

There are up to six species of house spiders which invade homes from September and cause distress among arachnophobes. But those native to the UK are mostly harmless.

The non-aggressive false widow spider – identified by its “bulbous abdomen” similar to the poisonous black widow – is venomous, but its bite amounts to little more than a bee sting.

READ MORE: Watch giant spider crawl out woman's ear after she complains to doctor about headache

Experts have reassured fearful individuals that they should “never be alarmed” as most other spiders found in homes are not aggressive and do not bite.

So, without further ado, here are our top three tips for spider-proofing your house to make sure you can get a peaceful night’s sleep:

1. Keep your home clean and tidy

Yes, apparently spiders love a dirty space, so keeping on top of the housework is a great place to start.

2. Get a pet

A sizeable investment just to keep spiders away, but perhaps you were thinking of getting a pet and this convinced you – apparently animals such as dogs and cats can scare the eight-legged creatures away.

3. Buy some mint or citrus fruits

Lastly, apparently mint or citrus might do the trick when it comes to keeping Incy Wincy Spider and his mates away.

Sounds like they’d hate Tic Tacs.

For more top tips, click here and here.