Spiders

[chocolatemuffin75]

How do you capture them and take them outside when you’re terrified of them and live alone? I’ve just had two enormous ones in my house I screamed, luckily my neighbours always have their back door open they came running out wondering what was wrong, and got them for me.

Escape back up where??? Up the handle towards your hand?

I’m checking the back of my sofa now 😂my son used to get them for me but he’s moved out now.

Didn’t like the home decor choices 😂
I’m the same if I can’t see them it’s fine

@chocolatemuffin75 we found a live one in the fridge!!!!

it must have been freezing 😂

@chocolatemuffin75 it was surprisingly fast 😂😂 my son put it outside but it ran over the piece of paper twice 😂😂

I also had one of the pyramid spider catchers, which worked pretty well. 50% of the time it smushed them (by accident) with all my shaking.

Then I got a cat, I say her name in a panicked tone and point and she comes running straight away, job sorted.

Not useful for your current situation, but I really really recommend London Zoo’s Friendly Spider course. Takes an afternoon, costs about £200 and totally cured me of my spider phobia (genuinely). Good luck!

Think I might have too I’m laying in bed to scared to go sleep I may leave the lamp on tonight.

😂

How does the spider catcher thing actually work? It doesn’t look very secure - yes also worried about them running up the arm towards me!

Oh I so want to do this, so it really works? How are you with spiders now, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm intellectually ok with them but still struggle with the immediate panic, my body reacts before my conscious brain, and I'd really like to get over that.

I've got a 2l plastic jug called 'the spider jug' and I drop that on them, then I slide a plastic chopping board underneath (its a thin cheap one) then I take it outside and throw the whole thing as hard as I can and run indoors. We once had one so big I had to herd it out using a rug while DS held the door open, and we both screamed.
I've tried desensitisation. Its worked enough to let me use the jug but I still scream if they startle me.

I couldn’t feel for you more @chocolatemuffin75 I bloody hate spiders, I scan for them constantly at this time of year. When I was young and my husband was working at night I’ve resorted to begging a neighbour for help. Those spider catcher things which have been suggested seem to be the only solution but I’d struggle with them too. X

I used to be frightened of catching and releasing spiders, but we moved to a house that has provided me many opportunities to work on this. We keep a plastic tub (old pasta sauce container) and pice of card on the landing. There are a couple a year that I think I can't catch, and those do meet an unhappy end (and the guilt lives on in my mind), but for the most part it was in the doing of it that's got me over the fear. I can now enjoy getting a chance to look at them up close once I've got them in the tub. I will say that the huntsmen (quick, big, don't do webs) do come into the house following a pheromone trail in looking for a mate, and after having two in the bedroom in so many days, I then looked around, and sure enough there was one in the closet. It got removed, and so far so good.

Also, as mentioned upthread, I leave the cellar spiders alone to do the good work.

But this year, oh my gawd, we have so, so many spiders in the house!

I used to put cotton buds with clove oil or lemon eucalyptus around the entrance points at this time of year and it kept them out; this year I tried lemon oil and its failed miserably.

WTAF, in the fridge?!!

@Whataloadoffuss it was in the egg bit on the fridge door....one of those skinny ones. Some people call them disco spiders (love the name). I call them leggers as they have one very long leg....

If you stare at a spider and don't look away, it freezes and won't move. Dh, or I look at it intensely while the other goes to grab the catcher. I cannot bear the thought of it scurrying away and it running out later 😱

OMG, I would have got the shock of my life, of all the places!

The skinny ones (that look like the aliens out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind) are cellar spiders and they eat other spiders.

I used to have one with the sliding door which was great - until you get it the wrong way up in the panic and it opens again, letting the spider out! I do prefer the one with bristles, it works very well.

I used to do this.
The fuckers come back in. (I can swear to this)
so now I’m afraid I catch them in the same way then they all go for a swim.

Sorry, not sorry.

(I am actually terrified of them after several very unpleasant encounters, so I’m afraid I have no hesitation in this.)

£200?
Aye, right.
Someone can pay me £200 and I’ll go and drink a vineyard full of wine before I go anywhere near those fuckers.

They invoke a completely visceral, irrational reaction in me and if you’re anywhere near me, you’re likely to get punched as I flail around.

(I can actually catch the horrible fuckers that frequent my home - as I have had no choice when I lived on my own- but as for the big furry-legged ones, that’s a hard NOPE.)

Me and my spider hating dd start preparing at the end of August every year. We have -

1. Amazon spider spray
2. Spray bottle with water and peppermint oil
3. Spray bottle with water and citrus oil

Spray liberally with all 3 and reapply every week or so. We’ve been generally ok so far (other than a huge fucker that got into my work bag).