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Original poster

I’ve just lost sight of the biggest spider ever…

56 replies

daaaaaa · 30/08/2023 22:40

I moved a bag across the floor and saw it run diagonally across the room. I must’ve disturbed it. Only saw it from the corner of my eye but fairly positive it was a spider, given the whole street seems to be having a house spider issue at the moment from talking to my neighbours

It. Was. Huge. 😭 like easily the palm of my hand size. It ran behind the sideboard, which is also near the patio doors. DH looked everywhere and moved the sideboard out, but we can’t find it now anywhere. All he found was a dandelion clock which I’m hoping I could’ve mistaken it for, unlikely though! Please tell me it’ll find its way out the way it came in. I’m so worried about going into that room tomorrow now, we’ve had to leave it and come to bed but spiders honestly make me feel SICK especially when they’re so big and run so fast

I know logically they can’t hurt me but I have serious arachnophobia! It’s stupid but they really do frighten me and make me feel very sick 😂 is it inevitable that we’ll find it or might it just go back out again? Or do we just have to move house? Aghhh

OP posts:
Cinai · 31/08/2023 00:00

Does anyone know when spider season ends? If we manage to make it through September, will we be alright?

fabmaccawhackythumbsaloft · 31/08/2023 00:16

The males come out in march and sept to find a mate

The reaction to spiders is ridiculous here . I'm no huge fan but they will not hurt you and they hide generally. They also avoid humans , they won't seek to climb onto you because they are very sensitive to body heat and don't like it

I've got about 5 living quite happily with me currently and we have a truce , if they don't bother me I won't bother them . I've one doing a fine job of eating g the flies and crane flies that keep coming in , he lives right above the patio doors .

I've one in my bedroom that hasn't moved in weeks , I've grown quite accustomed to seeing him . He's also doing a great job with the moths (those little annoying ones any big ones I put out )

If you didn't actually see them making a break for it you wouldn't even know they're there .

DiscoBeat · 31/08/2023 00:23

Big spiders eat big flies :-)

XenoBitch · 31/08/2023 23:05

The big spiders often fall prey to small ones. I was told that the big ones are shit at fighting (and it is horny males out and about you will see now.. they want to make love, not war).

I was once absolutely mesmerised by the sight of the tiniest spider taking down a huge house spider. I was having a shit, and it was tons better than reading shampoo bottle labels.

Lucinda7 · 31/08/2023 23:22

Spiders can be as big as a hand. We had one living behind a free standing cupboard in a hallway. I used to practically run through that room. Trouble with the huge ones they are too large to hoover up and too disgusting to squash!

Annaishere · 31/08/2023 23:30

I attacked a tiny spider with a bin bag. It was balled up on the ground and trembling. I feel bad about it. But there’s lots of them on the wall outside my front door I don’t know what to do

Sugarcoatt · 31/08/2023 23:33

If you were tiny and there were loads of huge predators around, would you boldly launch yourself at them and attack? Or would you hide and scarper when you saw one? Honestly, spiders don’t want to be anywhere near you. If you see one it’s because it’s either in the process of running away from you, or it’s trapped and can’t run away. Just let them go and they will wander off and continue helpfully killing bugs.

Medlady · 31/08/2023 23:46

DahliaMacNamara · 31/08/2023 00:00

I have my own theory about the cause of death, perhaps slightly indelicate for this thread. Suffice it to say that a large human male had previously spent some time locked within the chamber.

Show quote history

Judging by these threads, he could make a good living renting his arse out

Rarewaxwing · 31/08/2023 23:53

NeverDropYourMooncup · 30/08/2023 23:02

You didn't say you were scared of rats, too.

It's not going to have been a spider the size of your hand.

Show quote history

Sadly, there really are house spiders that big (if you include the leg span). I know because I grew up in an old house that had huge spiders. They were generally undisturbed, so I think there were families of them, just growing to their full size.

Needless to say, I'm now phobic about spiders - but it's the UK house spiders that really scare me. (Please nobody show any pictures).

maltravers · 01/09/2023 00:03

Just to be helpful - Goliath Bird Eating Spiders grow to 5 inches, maybe it was one of those? According to Wikipedia they are edible, although only a certified maniac could have discovered this.

ImABox · 01/09/2023 09:21

Oioicaptain · 30/08/2023 23:02

Raid is your friend here OP. The red ant and cockroach killer one. Get 6 cans and have one on standby in every room. You can hit one 4 m away with a new can. If they touch the stuff they will die. You can spray it around and it will keep killing for 4 weeks. It's probably not very good for you, so just spray around gaps/behind furniture. Ventilate and then relax. It's been a life changer for me. I still dread them, but know that I could tackle one on my own with a can of spray. Before that I had no idea what the feck to do and was frozen to the spot. I spray the house twice a year just before going on holiday. I store things in plastic boxes as they like damp cardboard and fabric most. I have blinds not curtains and I paid a mastic man (a professional gap filler) to come around with his silicone gun and fill in every single gap that he could find. I also got window screens which seems to have helped.

This!
we have blinds not curtains and screens on the windows upstairs and DH sealed the gaps in the skirting board.

Will add sticky critter killer spider traps from Amazon in the corners under furniture. Scented so attracts them and stick and die. Put near front door or places they come in

ImABox · 01/09/2023 09:22

Annaishere · 31/08/2023 23:30

I attacked a tiny spider with a bin bag. It was balled up on the ground and trembling. I feel bad about it. But there’s lots of them on the wall outside my front door I don’t know what to do

Spray them so they don’t come inside. I do the outside of the windows sills once a month to keep the false windows from coming in and will spider bomb the garage

Disturbia81 · 01/09/2023 10:36

I wonder why some houses get loads and some none?
I hear of new builds getting lots.
But my house is oldish and in the countryside, and I've only seen 1 big one (could hear it tapping on the floor!) I have a big old loft and never seen one in there and spent hours in there.
I do have loads of cellar spiders though in the corners of ceilings, they eat the house spiders. They are your friend! They don't move and are very light looking so don't strike the same fear.

DyslexicPoster · 01/09/2023 10:57

I'm convinced the cellar spiders eat house spiders. I have a cellar spider in every room. I only hoover the webs if they are empty. They do like to wonder down occasionally but are incredibly slow.

Disturbia81 · 01/09/2023 16:41

DyslexicPoster · 01/09/2023 10:57

I'm convinced the cellar spiders eat house spiders. I have a cellar spider in every room. I only hoover the webs if they are empty. They do like to wonder down occasionally but are incredibly slow.

Yes isn't it funny how to rid yourself of spiders you need more spiders! But so true. I'd ask friends if they have a couple you can have, put them in corner of ceiling and they'll take care of the rest. Even though they are up high and usually we see house spiders low down, they seem to get them.

SlashBeef · 01/09/2023 16:44

If you can please seek some help for your phobia. I spent 30 years being so severely aracnophonic it really had an impact on my daily life. I fully empathise with how you're feeling but be reassured that you can change it and not feel so anxious about spiders. I wish I had dealt with it sooner!

amylou8 · 01/09/2023 16:53

We had one of these a couple of weeks ago, it was at least palm size, like something out of Harry Potter, just hanging out in my utility room. I'm usually all for humanely relocating them, but when DS got home from work and offered to squash it I didn't argue.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 01/09/2023 16:54

Make sure you shake your shoes. Once when I lived in a flat one escaped me in the bedroom and I had to sleep in there. Next day I put my toms on and felt something crispy 😬

lastminutewednesday · 01/09/2023 16:55

They are huge this year. And there are ALOT of them!

Medlady · 08/09/2023 13:54

Of the five monsters I have dealt with this year, four were wandering about in broad daylight. They weren’t disturbed in a pile of laundry or anything: they were just trotting around my floors/walls

this is new in my experience. And worrying. Before I assumed I would at least sleep though most of their peregrinations

idrinkandiknowthings · 08/09/2023 14:04

I actually don't mind spiders, my particular phobia is of the soft-bodied, legless, undulating kind. Like baby flies (I can't even bring myself to say the "m" word).

My teenager is terrified of spiders, so I do the spid-handling, and they handle the other stuff.

Original poster
daaaaaa · 08/09/2023 16:19

It reappeared when I was at work and scared DH shitless but he got it out the house 😂

OP posts:
DiddlyDonut · 08/09/2023 18:58

DyslexicPoster · 01/09/2023 10:57

I'm convinced the cellar spiders eat house spiders. I have a cellar spider in every room. I only hoover the webs if they are empty. They do like to wonder down occasionally but are incredibly slow.

They do!

There was a program once and they kill actual black widows too!

The skinny spindly spiders are the only ones I like, feel guilty if I ever accidentally kill/hoover one. Definitely would like more of them in my house.

Twentytwo22 · 08/09/2023 19:01

The spiders seem really bad this year judging by the number of posts I've seen about them and my own experience! Had two big ones this morning.

ColonelRhubarbBikini · 08/09/2023 19:38

Cellar spiders are bloody brilliant. I call them my spindly babes and I love them. I made DS stand with me and applaud one of them that had taken down a monster house spider the other day.

This time of year I don’t even do gentle maintenance of their endless webs. I just let them do their thing. I look at it as free Halloween decorations Grin.

I feel for you OP. I’m exactly the same. My rational brain says nothing to fear but my primeval lizard brain is screaming ‘RUN FOR YOUR LIFE’.

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