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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Spider killer?

84 replies

ClaireAccessory · 16/06/2015 23:35

I know I should be kind to all of mother natures creatures and set a good example for dd but when there is a spider in my home it is going to get squished! How do you deal with them, do you gently put them outside or squash the feckers flat?

OP posts:
silverglitterpisser · 17/06/2015 11:42

Killing spiders is cruel n unnecessary . If the fear is so immense the glass n card isn't doable there r many types of humane spider catchers on the market from as little as a fiver so no excuse to kill them at all.

bluejeanswhiteshirt · 17/06/2015 11:53

I usually just leave them to it but the other night a spider appeared from behind the TV and it was so big I could hear it's feet pitter pattering along the wooden floor when it crawled. That one had to go.

slippermaiden · 17/06/2015 12:08

I loathe them but I gently out them outside. Not their fault I have a phobia. And they eat flies.

NotOneIota · 17/06/2015 12:11

I squish them without hesitation or guilt. When my DC were growing up,I usually had a capture and release policy,but now the DC are grown and I live alone it's a quick death for the hairy freaks. I don't have a phobia,I just hate the damn things. Come Judgement Day,I am expecting to have to run a gauntlet of ghosty murdered spiders.

chocolateyay · 17/06/2015 12:14

the other night a spider appeared from behind the TV and it was so big I could hear it's feet pitter pattering along the wooden floor when it crawled.

We used to get these. One huge one even knocked over a plug that was looped over a socket. It was like something out of Itsy and Bitsy.

Original poster
ClaireAccessory · 17/06/2015 12:15

Haha yeah flip flops are a great weapon of choice!

OP posts:
shadowfax07 · 17/06/2015 12:15

I leave dealing with spiders and flies to the dog, he loves a bit of extra protein!

Original poster
ClaireAccessory · 17/06/2015 12:16

Eugh how big eas it!? What did you do?

OP posts:
goldierocks · 17/06/2015 12:18

I live in a Victorian house and used to get a lot of spiders. I can't recall seeing a spider since I got my pet tarantulas.
Even before then, any spider visitors could roam as they wished.

Does anyone remember Itsy and Bitsy the spider puppets from a kids TV show called 'Paperplay'? My dad bought the puppets for me when I was about five and scared of spiders - it cured me and I've been a fan ever since (hence three pet tarantulas)......

Shaunababy63 · 17/06/2015 21:30

They get squished! I hate bugs, and any one found in the home is gettin flattened, spiders especially! Although moths and bluebottles also get the squishy treatment

bertsdinner · 17/06/2015 21:40

I catch them with a pint glass and bit of card, put them outside. I call it my "spider kit". I'm scared of them, but don't like killing them and they do no harm. I've caught some real whoppers.
I would still have a screaming fit if one ran up my arm but I have got desensitised since I started catching them. I have a real beast living in a corner of the kitchen, it lives in a crack in the skirting board, probably some some of ground hunter, I reckon it keeps flies/woodlice down so leave it alone.

NewFlipFlops · 17/06/2015 21:40

Please don't kill spiders. Sad. Please.

Lovepancakes · 17/06/2015 21:49

Can any normal spiders in the UK bite or cause problems in any way? Is there any reason to hate them?

I'm as gentle as it comes about killing things (except moths as they are eating our clothes) but do feel scared of spiders and move them outside.

There's a whopper in our garden shed that made me break into a sweat but lives there. It wouldn't fit in a normal glass even if I wanted to go near it!

Lovepancakes · 17/06/2015 21:49

I would be less anti-spider if someone can assure me they won't hurt any of us! Can they?

Gabilan · 17/06/2015 21:56

I like spiders, in a live and let live way. Small and medium ones are allowed to stay put and eat other things in my house that I like less. Large ones I catch and put outside.

I judge people by how they treat spiders and insects. I don't see why anyone should kill them if they don't have to. Though I admit that I don't like parasitic ones and will happily kill fleas, ticks and mozzies so perhaps I'm a big old hypocrite.

Doilooklikeatourist · 17/06/2015 21:57

As far as I'm concerned spiders can live anywhere but my property

Enter my property , be seen by me , get squashed and flushed down the loo by DH ( I do the dance and the pointing and the ooooh , DH kill it )

Only1scoop · 17/06/2015 21:58

It's awful to kill spiders.

I put a Pyrex bowl over until someone can move it.

Only1scoop · 17/06/2015 21:59

Stunned at the amount of spider killers on here

Awful Hmm

MidniteScribbler · 17/06/2015 22:02

most of the ones we get here are poisonous and they don't survive. I won't have them in my house or risk my son (my mother almost died from a spider bite, so I have a really strong fear of it). The daddy long legs get swept outside and are allowed to live as they can't kill you.

FirstWeTakeManhattan · 17/06/2015 22:03

I've had arachnophobia for 30 years and it's awful.. I've tried the Friendly Spider Programme, and it did help, but I was still pretty bad. I bloody hate being scared of something.

Then I had children and I'm determined that I won't pass on my phobia to them so it's forced me to 'deal' with it. I still hate seeing them, but they don't get squished. I try my best with a glass and card and never let my panic show.

I feel pretty proud of myself that my DD1 thinks I quite like them.

bluejeanswhiteshirt · 17/06/2015 22:04

I once put a pyrex jug over one in the living room and left it for my ex to put outside when he came home as it was huge. It slipped my mind that the jug had a gap where the liquid pours out so he/she's still happily living in my house somewhere.

bluejeanswhiteshirt · 17/06/2015 22:06

Where in the world are you Midnite ?

cariadlet · 17/06/2015 22:08

As a child I was so scared of spiders that I couldn't even look at a picture of one.
I forced myself to get over it when I started teaching as I didn't want to pass my fear on to the children. I used to say something on the lines of "Isn't it beautiful. Look at all its lovely little legs. Who thinks they could be very gentle and put it outside where it won't get accidentally squashed?" in my best Joyce Grenfell voice. Even with a class of 4 and 5 year olds there would always be someone willing to pick up the biggest, hairiest scary old spider.

Eventually, I found that by making myself look and sound calm around spiders, I started to feel calm around them. When I'm at home I can now pick up small ones in my hand and get rid of big ones with a glass and a piece of card - as long as they stay still. I still get creeped out if they suddenly scuttle across the room and I don't know where they are.

Just as well really that I'm getting better cos DP is bloody useless with them.

Lovepancakes · 17/06/2015 22:08

Ok I've used Google to answer my question whether UK spiders can pose any harm!
In case anyone else wondering a few can but if you don't like spiders the pictures made me feel a bit sick Smile
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/10-common-spiders-found-around-4200933

FlossieTreadlight · 17/06/2015 22:09

I am a gibbering arachnophobic but still couldn't kill one. In the scheme of animal fuckwittery they do excellent work and so I just have to leave whichever room(s) they are in.

Any other arachnaphobes have an issue with tomato stalks? They trigger my fight or flight impulse. Such fun...