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Original poster

A massive house spider crawled on me last night in bed!

89 replies

lillianandpip · 20/08/2025 12:36

DH was sleeping in the lounge as the baby keeps waking up. I laid there trying to nod off, pitch black, then I feel this tickle on my arm.. I panicked, sat up and it flew in my face. Then I shook my head and flung my arms about shrieking before turning the light on. I searched the bed for a couple of minutes, no sign, looked under the pillows, then I notice it on the side of the bed frame, fucking massive it was. I am sooooooo freaked out by this! Anyone else had similar?
how do I stop this happening again!?

OP posts:
BlakeCarrington · 21/08/2025 17:08

OMG @RavenT, that’s hideous!!

MidnightMeltdown · 21/08/2025 17:28

Tortielady · 21/08/2025 12:06

Big house spiders don't bother me. I'm quite happy to have them about the place, dealing with insect pests. The bigger they are, the better they can handle dangerous prey like wasps. Our house spiders seem to be happiest high up on the wall, which is fine as they are safe from the cats there - it's not fun to come across their poor, chewed up little bodies after the apex predators have finished with them.

I think I might have a different attitude if I saw false widow spiders. They don't look like much, but they have a nasty bite and some people react badly to it.

Oh god, I fear for the next person who moves into your house, where giant spiders have been allowed to breed unchallenged 😂

My cats don’t leave a chewed up corpse, they eat them! Cats see a spiders as a snack!

billandtedsexcellentadventure · 21/08/2025 17:39

I keep the cellar spiders in my house and that’s always seemed to work. However last night I found a massive one who was jumping all over the place. Threw him outside. But they get bigger and bigger

BigOldBlobsy · 21/08/2025 18:41

This thread is awful 😭

CalzoneOnLegs · 21/08/2025 18:45

Pathetic

Disturbia81 · 21/08/2025 20:09

RavenT · 21/08/2025 16:09

Two years ago. Was about to drink the remainder of my tea, luckily looked in mug, and saw this. 😱
Already seen 2 whoppers this week indoors. 😬

I don’t mind spiders but that is horrific.. why is it just sat there chilling while drowning 🤣

TheFateNdoftheWedge · 21/08/2025 21:41

@MozzarElla84 which country are you in

Momstermash94 · 21/08/2025 21:46

This has happened to me TWICE! 😭 the first time I felt it running up my arm in bed, I slapped it off my arm and ran to turn on the light and saw it running across the duvet and then I lost it in the bed when it went behind my pillow.. it was huge.

The second time I felt something tickling my face in the night, I thought it was my hair so went to move it off my face but when I went to pick up what I thought was a lock of hair on my forehead I realised it was a massive spider so threw it across the room and never found it again 🕷

MozzarElla84 · 22/08/2025 07:19

TheFateNdoftheWedge · 21/08/2025 21:41

@MozzarElla84 which country are you in

Netherlands, why?

Crinkle77 · 22/08/2025 08:30

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 20/08/2025 15:37

The best way to stop those giant bastards from wandering around scaring the shite out of you is to allow the tiny bodied, very long legged spiders to wander free (the ones that lurk in the corner of your ceilings). We call them cellar spiders (though that’s probably not their correct name).

If you never watched a cellar take down a Tegenaria Gigantica (know your enemy), the only way I can describe it is as if you were watching a lonely giraffe at a watering hole being taken down by a lion.

It’s magnificent.

I am an arachnophobe (even typing the name of the bastards has made all the hairs on my scalp tingle) but I let those thin legged angels wander free around the house.

To make things worse, we’re in Hertfordshire, where the giants are (allegedly) 30% larger than usual, so are known colloquially as Hertfordshire Horrors.

Along with the cellar spiders as guards, DH loves spiders and will pick them up in his bare hands. He caught one in DD’s room last night (nestled in to a jumper) which he, adult DD & her partner claim had a body length of 2 inches. Excluding leg length.

I know where my phobia is from; I was 18 & put my then boyfriend’s dressing gown on to have a shower, and thought he was tickling my arm. I’d forgotten he’d gone to put the kettle on. I have cat’s bum mouth at the memory (and not just at remembering the spider lol).

I have loads of cellar spiders in my room and won't clear them out as I know they eat the big ones. I hope they don't let me down 😬

indianrunnerduck · 22/08/2025 11:15

I would very much like to believe that cellar spiders eat the gigantic house spiders & I have allowed one to live in my bathroom, for this reason. However, it is up in the corner on the ceiling and all the ones I have ever seen have been up in a corner on a ceiling, whereas the big buggers are always bolting out from behind things at floor level. Therefore, I am less confident in putting my faith in the cellar spider because it would have to be very fast indeed to run down from the ceiling to the floor to catch the big ones. Or have I misunderstood something??

MightyGoldBear · 22/08/2025 11:34

I'm so sorry op it's traumatic.

We have cats now that eat spiders. But years ago I had one run across my face and sit in my hand whilst I was in bed. I barely slept for months after that.

Just this week we was sorting garden pots to be recycled. Left them in the car over the weekend and on Monday morning driving to work my husband had two humongous spiders crawl out from the sun visor in the car. How he didn't have an accident I don't know.

We aren't particularly scared by spiders on the whole but when they violate your personal space like this it's another issue 😬

ImGoneUnderground · 23/08/2025 22:48

Conkers on windowsills apparently deter spiders. (But this was just the one you knew about......) (sorry) And think of all the flies & other insects they keep away? xx 🌹

JustPinkFinch · 23/08/2025 22:55

@RavenT 🤢😱

I was once merrily walking down the street when a big hairy bastard leapt fell out of a hanging basket onto my shoulder. I very nearly ran into moving traffic from the shock, panic and general screaming/flailing.

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