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Enjoyed the summer? You're not alone: Experts have warned that homes may be set for an invasion of larger than normal spiders who have feasted on an abundance of prey in the last few months.

That's because this year the warm summer has allowed certain spiders to eat more than usual and grow to their upper limits.

And it could mean we'll see more and more large spiders in our homes in the coming months.

Your new lodger: Experts say larger-than-usual house spiders (stock image shown) will head into UK homes soon. Professor Hart of the University of Gloucestershire said that the mild summer meant that more prey was available than usual. This means more spiders could grow to a larger size

The mild summer has meant the eight-legged creatures have had plenty to eat and very few have perished.

With temperatures set to fall, experts from Sydney University have said the larger-than-usual house spiders will be heading indoors in the coming weeks to find a mate.

Professor Adam Hart of the University of Gloucestershire agreed with their predication and said: 'This year has been seemingly a good one for the invertebrates which spiders feed on, and it's quite mild out there.'

Both sexes stay in their webs until the autumn when the males become nomadic and search for females.

Mr Lawrence Bee of the British Arachnological Society tells MailOnline that people often notice larger spiders this year as the cold weather drives them inside, with males hunting for females.

But he agrees that the particularly mild summer we've had, not too hot and not too cold, will have given spiders access to more prey.

'So they are appearing a little bigger than average perhaps,' he says.

He explains that there is a maximum size that most spiders reach, and its unlikely spiders in the UK will surpass this.

However it may be that there are a larger quantity of large spiders, rather than a select few spiders being abnormally large.

'I think it's more a situation where they are active this time of year,' he continues.

A mild summer has given spiders more prey than usual (pictured is an Araneae spider spinning a web). Spiders often head inside at this time of year as males hunt for females. But Professor Hart says there is nothing to fear because they are a 'free pest control service'

'People are seeing them when they are obvious, and there might be more of them because last winter was quite mild.

'The conditions have been better so there may be more around, and it's just the fact people are seeing them more and being aware of them more. This is particularly the case for house spiders. '

He adds, though, that this growth is unlikely to continue year on year, and even more large spiders will not necessarily invade homes next year.

But Professor Hart said people have nothing to fear from big creepy crawlies because spiders are the a free pest control service.

'They often feed on the most common species, preventing a few species from becoming dominant,' he said.

'We want to encourage people to respect and learn more about their little house guests.'