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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To burn my house down and never look back?!

45 replies

Purplerain101 · 12/01/2018 09:52

The biggest spider I’ve ever seen in this country (UK) just ran out from under my bed. I thought they would all be dead by now with the cold weather! This one was so big and fast that when I saw the movement out of the corner of my eye I thought it was a mouse or something.
I know it’s not going to hurt me and it’s probably equally terrified and has gone to find another hiding place, but my god I feel physically sick with fear. Wish I wasn’t such a wuss

OP posts:

64BooLane · 12/01/2018 14:52

Oh God, I thought they were all meant to be dead at the mo

I'm going to need to restart my nightly check behind the bed.

Biscuits2or3 · 13/01/2018 21:32

I once stripped to my underwear at the side of a road, (this is after the driver of the car i was in made 2 emergency stops) because i was being stalked by spiders that had come off some plants in the car. I was ever so slightly hysterical that one decided my shoulder was the place to sit. I would do the exact same thing again!

My parents drove an hour away to my sisters house to rid her of spiders as she daren't enter (even to feed her much loved house rabbit/ baby) whilst her husbamd was away.

I once spent an evening perched atop the sofa back in a house we used to rent after being surrounded by massive spiders, i tried to exit the room to hide upstairs and there was one at all 3 exits to the room and another on the stairs. Was sat there for roughly 4 hours until midnight when my husband returned home. I remember he sucked one up the dyson and it ran round in the drum for about 2 weeks before it died, luckily this was pre children and dogs so not too much dust accumulated. I will never ever own another vacuum that you can see inside after that nightmare!

I'm feeling itchy just thinking about them shudder. Personally i couldnt get near enough to set 1 on fire but i could happily walk away never to return 😂

PoppyCherry · 13/01/2018 21:37

You want to get yourself some of those spindly not-running-about-ones that just sit in a web in a corner (people always know the name of them, but I keep forgetting it). They get rid of the big spiders!!! Best thing I learned on MN last year.

Cellar spiders.

I have loads of them in my house, they’re awesome!

mojito55 · 13/01/2018 21:43

Don't laugh at me, but I bought a "plug in pest repeller" off groupon years ago, and haven't seen a spider in my room since. I fully expected it to be BS but it really does work! When I buy a house there will be one in every room

brizzledrizzle · 13/01/2018 21:44

Spiders are alive and well and breeding here, I just saw a cute little baby spider on the bath.

LovingLola · 13/01/2018 21:46

I love spiders.

Reddlion · 13/01/2018 22:25

be careful spiders are petty

Chrys2017 · 13/01/2018 22:31

Why does this same hysterical discussion keep popping up here?

There is no reason to be afraid of spiders in the UK. None of them can do any serious harm to a human. But even if your irrational mind is making you fear them, is that a justification to kill them? Or is it okay because you think they are ugly too? What are you teaching your children by doing this? (Kill anything that you are afraid of, especially if you think it is ugly?)

If it weren't for spiders our planet would be overrun with insects.

Please get a grip, people.

Original poster

Purplerain101 · 13/01/2018 22:40

@chrys do you understand how phobias work? Im sure those of us who are scared of them would love to “get a grip” if it meant we didn’t have to fear them anymore. It can take months/years of intensive CBT to get over a phobia and it doesn’t work for everyone. I know the ones in this country can’t hurt me, and I know they do wonderful things and are fascinating creatures, but that doesn’t stop me from almost having a heart attack when I see one moving fast unexpectedly in my house

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Bluntness100 · 13/01/2018 22:44

I don't know what's going on with insects. We've clearly got a wasps nest someplace in or around the house, god knows where, and I was sitting in thr living room yesterday and a huge wasp flew over my head.

Genuinely nearly shit myself and couldn't beleive it, 12 JAN and there was a wasp flying round my living room. Utter madness,

Chrys2017 · 13/01/2018 22:47

Try desensitization/exposure therapy. My friend did this and was petting tarantulas after a day.

Chrys2017 · 13/01/2018 22:48

@Bluntness I recommend you get some pet spiders to sort out your insect problem.

PickettBowtruckles · 13/01/2018 22:48

Set fire to your house now. I am not ashamed to admit the time I called a taxi company and begged them to come to my house and catch the biggest nastiest spider I'd ever seen. I offered double what the fare to drive to my house would be. Horrible eight-legged bastards.

ChickenVindaloo2 · 13/01/2018 23:22

I dont want to be cured of my "phobia". Its there for a reason. Its primordial. Nothing with 8 legs is welcome in this house.

TheClaws · 14/01/2018 10:15

None of you would want to live at my house. Sometimes I don’t want to live at my house. The spiders are definitely venomous here and plentiful. They like to gather under outside chairs, and in sheds, bags, cupboards etc. You learn to check your shoes first before you pop them on, that’s for sure ...

Original poster

Purplerain101 · 14/01/2018 10:17

@claws that sounds awful! I once saw a photo of a friend’s shoe that had an absolutely huge spider inside it. Scared the living daylights out of me!
My house is quite bad for them as it’s old and there are lots of little gaps in the walls. I once lived in a tenement flat and the spiders there were horrific. The size of my palm running across the floorboards

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MepsiPax · 14/01/2018 17:18

OMG you thought it was a mouse?! It must have been humongous. I am terrified of the things (can't even bring myself to type the word) but fortunately I have a cat who is absolutely brilliant at catching them and disposing of them. (Not envy!)

MepsiPax · 14/01/2018 17:25

To the PP who said there is no need to be afraid of 'those things' in this country,as they can't hurt you,I'm afraid you are missing the point. It's nothing to do with being scared of them because we're worried about them hurting us! Its just that they are so damn creepy! It's the way they scuttle so bloody quickly that freaks me out. Take your eyes off it for a second and it's gone. Just thinking about them makes me feel all 'creepy'. I've been scared of them ever since I can remember,so was my DM,and her DM. So I know it's probably a learnt fear. But it isn't helped by people being derisive about it. We know it's irrational,but we can't help it!

Original poster

Purplerain101 · 14/01/2018 17:27

It’s the way they move that scares me. If a big one is still on my floor or wall I feel scared but I can just about cope. As soon as it moves I instantly run out the room and can’t control it

OP posts:

MepsiPax · 14/01/2018 17:29

Bluntness Your post reminded me that in the first week of December last year I saw a BUTTERFLY. Outdoors. The temperature must have been about 8 degrees. I thought WTAF?! It was just sitting on a hedge,and admittedly,it did look very dopey,so probably wasn't long for this world,poor thing.

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