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Original poster

Do spiders die if vacuumed up?

83 replies

PastelMonkey · 25/02/2024 20:02

I have an increasing number of those spindly spiders appearing in my house. I've been happy to leave them alone until I had one crawling on my back 😱
I'm thinking I can vacuum them all and then put the bag out to the bin but I don't want them all crawling out whilst I'm doing it!
I don't want them dead but also don't want them on me.

Anyone tested this and know if the vacuuming kills them or not?

OP posts:
SweetPetrichor · 25/02/2024 21:03

Baircasolly · 25/02/2024 20:49

I can't tell if everyone's taking the piss. It's inhumane to hoover up a spider, but it's perfectly kind to put it outside WHERE IT WILL DIE?!! House spiders live in HOUSES, clue's in the name.

It seems the only reasonable thing to do is to buy a mosquito net to sleep under.

They survive fine outside. They find little microclimate zones where it is sheltered. We have one living in our gas box, and one who lives behind the waste pipe out the house. Plenty living in the decking.
I have exotic tarantulas living at UK room temperature…spiders are not temperature sensitive in the way mammals are.

Elephantsareace · 25/02/2024 21:23

House spiders must have lived somewhere before there were houses...

Baircasolly · 25/02/2024 21:32

Elephantsareace · 25/02/2024 21:23

House spiders must have lived somewhere before there were houses...

Apparently house spiders are not native to the UK at all, and got shipped into the country at some point. I've never seen either a house spider or a cellar spider living outdoors in the UK.

British spiders.org says "outside is not their habitat, and it's a bit cruel". It does suggest a shed or a garage as a compromise.

britishspiders.org.uk/spiders-in-the-house

PattySpringsteen · 25/02/2024 21:35

Use Indorex they don’t stay once you Indorex your house. I hate spiders and use it twice a year, I haven’t seen one in years except in the garden.

Healingfrommothernarc · 25/02/2024 21:36

My dad used to call it the spider outsider! Brilliantly named for kids arachnophobia like me, luckily I grew out of it in my twenties.

Borborygmus · 25/02/2024 22:10

A quick squirt of insecticide up the hose will polish them off.

RicePuddingWithCinnamon · 25/02/2024 22:13

NO.
I hoovered a big bastard up (he was a good metre wide only slightly exaggerating ) I went to empty the hoover the next day and he was IN THE HOOVER looking at me. Needless to say I screamed and some sick came up in my mouth.

CrunchyCarrot · 25/02/2024 23:16

Elephantsareace · 25/02/2024 21:23

House spiders must have lived somewhere before there were houses...

Yes they were called Hut spiders or Hovel spiders or even Lean To spiders. 😎

blackcatsyeah · 25/02/2024 23:22

They can’t hurt you and it’s selfish, cruel, immature and barbaric to hurt them.

blackcatsyeah · 25/02/2024 23:23

RicePuddingWithCinnamon · 25/02/2024 22:13

NO.
I hoovered a big bastard up (he was a good metre wide only slightly exaggerating ) I went to empty the hoover the next day and he was IN THE HOOVER looking at me. Needless to say I screamed and some sick came up in my mouth.

Then you need to work on your anxiety and stop being so unkind to living creatures.

WildBear · 25/02/2024 23:26

RicePuddingWithCinnamon · 25/02/2024 22:13

NO.
I hoovered a big bastard up (he was a good metre wide only slightly exaggerating ) I went to empty the hoover the next day and he was IN THE HOOVER looking at me. Needless to say I screamed and some sick came up in my mouth.

I went to empty the hoover the next day and he was IN OPERATING THE HOOVER looking at me.

Twiggylet · 25/02/2024 23:27

Why would you tolerate them, kill them!

Twiggylet · 25/02/2024 23:27

blackcatsyeah · 25/02/2024 23:23

Then you need to work on your anxiety and stop being so unkind to living creatures.

Show quote history

Get an ever loving grip

Crinkle77 · 25/02/2024 23:28

Spudlover · 25/02/2024 20:13

The spindly cellar spiders eat the big house spiders. Learn to live in harmony if you can.

And yes, they’ll die.

Yes love the cellar spiders and this is why I let them stay in my bedroom. I'm terrified of them big fuckers and was made up when one got caught on the spindly ones we. I was like go the cellar spider!

blackcatsyeah · 25/02/2024 23:32

Twiggylet · 25/02/2024 23:27

Get an ever loving grip

Show quote history

I’m not the one who needs a grip here.

lifeisawillow3 · 25/02/2024 23:53

I've not seen a spider for nearly 2 years we've been living in our house. It's not brand new it's just a terraced private rented house but I've never seen a spider here or webs. We have 2 cats, do you think they get them before I see them? I was telling DH about this the other day 🥲

Treehuggingmutherfunkin · 26/02/2024 00:51

SomersetTart · 25/02/2024 20:49

Put a clean, empty glass over them, then gently ease a piece of thin card under the glass, take the whole thing into the garden and lay it down somewhere sheltered. The spider will wander off and you can collect the glass later.

You'll feel like you've done some good for nature and the spider will live to spider another day.

This

I used to be terrifies of spiders but I live alone so learnt to just take then out. I feel terrible killing them
Happy to kill a fly or wasp tho lol

DifficultBloodyWoman · 26/02/2024 01:37

Insecticide.

🕷️

Rarewaxwing · 26/02/2024 02:22

You need this, OP -

Katcha® Bug Buster Spider Vacuum Blue! - Vac's/Sucks up live bugs!! Easily remove spiders from your home without touching them! - UK's Number 1 Spider Catcher Vacuum amzn.eu/d/2AiaYtC

I'm really scared of spiders, but even I can pick them up with this gadget (well, provided they're not huge). It's like a hoover, but it doesn't hurt the spider. You just suck it up, then drop it somewhere outside.

(I also have the spider catcher with the brush shown upthread, but I find that one too nerve-wracking to use).

HollyJollyHolidays · 26/02/2024 02:24

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 25/02/2024 20:12

In my experience, vacuuming kills the spindly ones but not necessarily the ones that are a bit more substantial.

We have a clear plastic vacuum cleaner so you can see what you've sucked up. The big thick-legged spiders don't always die instantly. They usually do if you keep vacuuming for a while though.

This is psychopath level of cruel.

HollyJollyHolidays · 26/02/2024 02:33

Spiders do only good, can’t believe there are people stupid enough to willingly kill them.

My children knew this age 2.

Anyway, the kindest thing to do is to make it difficult for spiders to enter your home by sealing gaps, using natural deterrents etc. Put any you do find in the shed.

NoOrdinaryMorning · 26/02/2024 03:13

After vacuuming them, vacuum some ant powder! Kills them instantly

MariaVT65 · 26/02/2024 03:35

I’ve never thought to hoover them up!

I mostly try and put them outside rather than killing them, but now i’m reading that’s also wrong. I’m not willingly leaving one in my house though.

I did kill one last year when it woke me up at night by crawling on my face.

DcatAnnie · 26/02/2024 03:58

Just a question if anyone knows - the spindly spiders are all up around the top of my ceiling. They are fine. Sometimes they have lots of babies. However the house spiders I see are usually running (fast!) across the floor, so how are they eaten by the spindly ones?

Bobsledgirl · 26/02/2024 03:59

I just ignore them. Spiders are harmless.