To be horrified there was a large spider on my babies head?!

[lavenderpekins]

Baby is 10 months, ds8 was playing with her in the living room then brought her through to me in the kitchen. He's holding her and there's a giant black hunting spider on her white blond hair (so extremely obvious)!!!! I brush it off, scream, it falls to the floor and I hoover it up.

My son didn't realise..
I don't think I handled it well.

But why do we have so many spiders at the moment?! My dh found its 'brother' the other evening. It was speeding around the carpet, I assumed it was a bit of fluff from a draft.

My house is fairly clean but we only moved in last Christmas when it was a total wreck but since we've put new floorboards down, plastered everywhere, new wiring/plumbing etc.

Aibu that I'm feeling quite shaken up and disgusted by them? Do I have a problem?

Anyone know a natural deterrent?!

And what was the thing doing in the living room at 8am in the morning?!

Advice please.

These spiders are in your house all year round, you just see them at this time of year because they're out looking for mates. Please don't kill them! I've never understood people who kill something completely harmless, just because they don't like the look of them If you have a genuine phobia, then get someone else to remove the poor little thing, or get one of those long reach spider catchers, and then put it in the shed (or similar) so it has a chance to survive.

I used to have one of those humane spider catcher things and it was good; unfortunately it broke but I'm going to get another one. In fact, I'm going online immediately to order one.

I do wish people on social media wouldn't keep posting their pics of massive spider horrors that they've found in their houses at this time of year. It makes the back of my neck go sweaty. I've had to unfollow two people on Twitter...

Don't show your children your panic but nurture feelings of spider love in them, then train them to catch them and take them outside for you. Far better than harming the spiders.

The big house spiders you see at this time of year haven't come inside to mate, they live in your house all year round! They can't survive outside, so putting them out is likely to kill them.

Clean or not they will come in

Putting them outside is the best thing for them, houses are too dry for them. They don't specifically aim to come inside to look for lady friends, just more likely to end up wandering in when they're roaming.

(Spent this Saturday doing London zoo's spider phobia programme - now full of spider trivia and would highly recommend it)

I woke up at 5.15 this morning to get ready for work and plodded downstairs to get my DD's school bag ready and there was a humongous mofo on the wall by the dining table. As it was 5.15 I didn't wake DH up to deal with it and just didn't go back into that room. Anyway by 6am DH was dispatched to get rid of it and the bastard had moved and was no where to be found. I'm going to have to move aren't I?

We have these really spindly useless looking spiders... look like daddylonglegs but with tiny round body and obvs no wings. I used to hoover them up before I realised they CATCH and EAT the terrifyingly big hunting house spiders! The spangly spanglies are now my friends and I let a few strategically placed ones stay. They never seem to move from their tiny webs. You need some of them.

Jesus!! I've lived here for a few months and never seen any big awful house spiders, just spindly little ones I'm happy to move. I saw and replied to this thread today and then went for a lie down. Came back in the lounge an hour ago to see a MASSIVE spider sat on the floor. Didn't realise my phobia was still so bad. Felt rooted to the floor. Couldn't advance towards it to put a jug over it. All neighbours out. Stood there for ages trying to get the strength up to move towards it and just couldn't. In the end the DHL man showed up for a neighbour's package so I ran outside asked if he could help and he came up and caught and took it outside for me. What an absolute hero!

Kity see this is your mistake; you got all smug and complacent. Don't worry I did the same thing, even laughing a photos on FB and thinking "well we didn't have any of those last year, so I''m sure they won't be bothering me again this year". Then woke up to fuck off great thing that has since gone on the run.

I remember as a kid having a bubble bath..lying down, relaxing, all good..

For some reason, I looked up and saw a giant fucking massive bastard spider zooming down a web rope..I had overdone the bubbles and it was really slippery.Before I could get out he landed with a splat on my stomach

Cue much screaming, splashing.I only shower to this day

Intothenestofvipers I know 😭 I can't believe I let my guard down. I must say it's been really pleasant the past few years not worrying much about spiders and just living my life. I know after an exposure like this that my nightmares about them and night terrors waking up thinking they're on my pillow will resurface, as well as being paranoid and shaking every item of clothing I pick up and scanning the floor for spiders when I enter a room :( it's so awful to have a phobia of something you can't prevent yourself from coming across in day to day life inside your own home. It really gets me down.

Kity thats how I get - they paralyses me, there is no way i can get near enough to put jugs or glasses over and def not that spider catcher thing, def not that.

the best is a spray from a distance...or a book or sock but be careful, I have thrown books and the air has made the spider FLY FLY FLY in the air,

For some reason, I looked up and saw a giant fucking massive bastard spider zooming down a web rope

dear dear lord and yet we are told they dont like humans, yet every one that runs I have been in the vicinity of - has run at me

KityGlitr It gets me down too. Seriously thinking of saving up for some therapy for it. I'm not scared of any other bugs, only spiders. A massive beetle or a huge caterpillar, all fine. Wasps? Not a problem. Harmless house spider? Actual hyperventilating fear. :(

I hate killing things too so the last thing I want to do is flatten the poor things.

Amused at people on this thread who have no clue what a phobia is like.

www.zsl.org/experiences/friendly-spider-programme - safe link with no spider photos!

Look into this, overwhelmingly positive reactions all over online, and it was amazing to see the difference 4 hours made to our reactions. I went this weekend, and almost feel sad I've not found any in my house yet to 'test it out' hehe!

I love them!

They kill moths and flies and moths. And did I mention that they kill moths.

I love spiders, they do an important job in the house keeping flies at bay. But yes they are out at this time of year seeking a mate.

I love them but still wasn't impressed when I opened my eyes during the night and found one zooming down from the ceiling towards my face. Ugh.

We have a couple in the house at the moment. We name them rather than hoover them, but I like spiders.

*happypoo 😂😂😂😂

We moved to this house just over a month ago and its filled with spiders. I don't know why I'm afraid, but I just am. It's gotten so bad that if I need to move a box thats yet to be unpacked, my DH has to stand with me and be ready to catch any spiders that may be lying in wait.

Get rid of the husband and get a cat. My cat is fairly useless and loud (at 4am) but she does chase and eat spiders 🕷

My cats are bloody useless, they will go crazy for that one moth that is on the other side of the window, but happily co-exist with whatever other creatures are inside the house!

I also detest slugs (not British native ones though) so I got chickens (our last garden was full of them, even had a family move into our bathroom one winter).

The chickens however would not touch them!

So what I mean is I can't risk getting a cat.. then I'd have no dh a son a back up!