Ask HN: Why are there so many spiders in Europe?

[maticzav]

I live in southern Europe, and lately (last four months), I have caught and noticed more spiders indoors than in the previous ten years combined.

Most noticeably, they are larger and thicker (about 3x4cm) and usually brown.

Is it just me, or have other people noticed it as well?

Does anyone know if there’s a reason why this is happening now?

[jagaerglad]

For me it's grasshoppers, although I've heard people complaining about unusually big spiders this year. Nevertheless, I've caught the first two grasshoppers in my room ever in my life this past week, both of them trying to crawl up on me. Perhaps this, and the spiders, has to do with the heatwave this summer?

[yosito]

Do you have any reason to believe that your anecdote might be generalizable to Europe? No abnormal incidence of spiders currently in Hungary.