HOUSEHOLDERS are being warned to keep an eye out for spiders like the one pictured who are out looking for a mate.

Most arachnids in this country are harmless but this one, known as a false widow, could leave you with a nasty bite.

This male spider was spotted twice in the bathroom at the Seaford home of The Argus assistant news editor Arron Hendy.

Expert say this is the time of year when you will see more spiders as they emerge from nooks and crannies in sheds and gardens.

Most of them tend to be male out looking for a female and will often make their way into people’s homes.

However Jess Price, a conservation officer from the Sussex Wildlife Trust, says there is nothing to worry about as long as people are careful.

She said: “This particular spider is known as a steatoda grossa and is native to this country.

“It can give you a bite, which will feel like a wasp or a bee sting and there may be some people who may react badly to that.

“If you spot one outside then you can simply leave it alone and it will do no harm and will actually do good by eating insects.

“Obviously if they come into the house, people may not want them there. We would suggest not trying to pick them up but you can remove them using a paper and cup or glass.”

Miss Price said the spiders were not aggressive and would only bite as a defence mechanism if they were accidentally caught up in something like a cloth that someone had picked up.

She said: “Spiders are around most of the time but they are normally hidden away in dark places and corners so you don’t see you don’t always see them.

“The females will normally remain on the webs but the males will be more out and about. This is the peak time for spotting them.”

Steatoda grossa can also be known as the cupboard spider and the dark comb-footed spider as well as the false widow.

It gets its name because it superficially resembles, and is frequently confused for, the black widow and other venomous spiders.