Spider season 😭

[Hardknocks]

I need all your foolproof tips. DH and I both scared of spiders, it’s pathetic. I just found a giant house spider in the bathroom and we both spent half an hour working out how to trap it, it involved a broom because both of us were too scared to go in the room and a very big tub!

I hate them so much, I can handle the smaller ones but the giant ones make me want to cry.

What's really helped me is giving them a girl's name - you just can't be (quite as) terrified of a spider named 'Daisy' or 'Genevieve' or 'Molly', you know? I talk to them reassuringly as I catch them too - 'It's OK Grace my lovely, I won't hurt you, I'm just going to pop you outside. I'm afraid it is raining but I'll find you a nice bush for shelter, ok?' The kinder and more caring your are to them the less scary they seem.

I’m sorry I don’t have any tips but much sympathy as I’m terrified too. There have been two huge ones in my bedroom just this week and I’ve not been sleeping well because of them.

Usually I don’t start panicking until October time so I’m jumpy that it’s still August and it’s starting already.

I don’t even like typing the word as the emoji helpfully appears on my phone and I hate even looking at that. 😞

I have an old handheld Dyson vac which serves double duty as the kitchen crumb collector and household spider catcher. When the little beast is safely sucked up, I take it straight outside and shake it empty - at arms length - into the bin.

My husband can barely stay in the same room as a spider, so I'm afraid it's all up to me!

DH is very brave thank goodness and takes them outside (if I had my way they would be squished). It's definitely time to close the windows as we've had a couple of big ones already and I hate them!

These are harmless living creatures, you all need to tucking grow up!

This spider catcher is the best thing we bought. The spiders don't notice it coming towards them because it's clear so don't run and you just twist and the door closes and that's it. All at arms length works Everytime

I invite cellar spiders to live in my home. They hang around waiting for the bigger ones to come along so they can have a feast.
Watching one of those tiny bodied, spindly legged ones take on a wolf spider is a sight to behold. Wolfie doesn't stand a chance.

You need a cat OP. I found a dead one squished at the bottom of the stairs earlier this week that my old lady had dealt with for me.

It was the biggest one I’ve ever seen. Autumn’s definitely coming early this year

All doors and windows closed and in bed by 9.30 with the lights off so I can’t see them. We have cardinal spiders living in the hanging tiles that clad this house and they are the UK’s biggest spider. I hate this time of year.

I don't mind spiders, but I'm wondering if this would work with my fear of wasps * OK Emily, I'm just opening the window, out you pop. No Emily, out the window, OUT. OUT! EMILY, NOOOOOOO PLEASE DONT HURT ME!!"

You can swear on here. We are all grown up afterall.

Can you link to a good spider catcher? I think it's time I got one, but it needs to have a very long handle!

Vacuum spider catcher from
Lakeland is your friend here op

These are good tips, thank you! I can just about manage regular sized ones but Jesus the giant ones are like baby rats.

Just googled that. Think I'd have to move house 😱

I get huge cardinal ones in my house. My Husband usually deals with them for me (takes him an age to get to me though 😐) but he always has a conference for a week in early September and you can guarantee I get at least one a day - I’m totally on edge the whole time he’s away.

last year the first night - got my water glass from side of bathroom sink in the night for a drink, filled it with water to rinse it out and basically emptied the biggest spider in the world into the basin - it was sat in the fucking glass aggghhhhhhh

The spider catchers don’t seem to have long enough handles 😐

any long handled ones anyone?

Next year go to London zoo and do the friendly spider programme. It changed my life.

Phobias aren't rational. It's not childish to have a phobia.

This is the spider catcher I have (I have 2 actually, a shorter handled version of this because sometimes it's difficult to get at a spider with the longer handled one).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000X26IRE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Right now we have renovations and it's all too easy for a spider to just come in under the door!! Once we have new doors it'll be a far better seal. I miss our old cat who used to eat them. The new cat thinks they are for playing with and may let them go which isn't ideal!

I don't worry too much if one is on a bathroom wall, for some reason they always end up in the bath, trapped. Then I can get them out with the catcher. But yes, spider season, anxiety season!

4 cats. That's how I deal with them. Very rare to see one in our house. I also hoover edges and corners every week and ask my cleaner to do the same, avoid clutter and I spray a solution of peppermint essential oil in water along all doors, windows, edges, corners from august to end of season. I really hate them and I'm afraid if it's me versus "the thing we're talking about that I can't even write the name of" then it's the hoover. I'd love to humanely trap but my phobia is too bad I'm afraid.

I recommend this spider catcher - the handle is longer and it's more solid (also fits mice). I also recommend DGirlCat who is an outstanding spider and moth catcher (but has been known to bring mice in to show me). DBoyCat only catches elastic bands and parcel tape.

Can I ask those who say they are closing doors and windows - I thought they were already in the house and just came out at this time of year, is that not right?

I had to rescue a little wolf spider from one of the large cellars in the bathroom night. Too many at the moment, our natives don't stand a chance!

I spray indorex everywhere in Aug and again in March. I never see one anymore despite living at the edge of the countryside and used to get loads before using indorex.