Huge house spiders

[GingerRogers84]

I've just moved into a house in the countryside surrounded by fields of sheep. Lovely!
However I've been here a week and I've had to get my husband to evict four big hairy house spiders already.

1. Are they here because the house has been empty since December?
2. If so will they kindly stop their squatting due to human and small dog presence? Or at least hide better?
3. If not how can I send them back to Mordor through the evil portal they opened?

I know I'm being unreasonable and probably quite irrational seeing as I'm a big human and they are tiny demons sent from the tenth circle of Hell but I needed advice and have posted here for traffic.

Get Raid in the red can, spray all door frames and window frames plus anywhere else if you see lots of them in the same place.

We moved into an old house that wasn’t heated properly, we had loads of the buggers when we first moved in and the first autumn/winter. They’ve gradually appeared less and less and this year I used the raid and had barely any.

Our cat disposed of them thankfully, but in this case I suspect they are out and about due to the house being empty. They normally like dark corners and cellars as far as I understand and only come out to mate.

@MynameisJune thank you! I shall be trotting off tomorrow for a big old van of raid!

@BarbedBloom they must be using my house as a seedy love den with the amount I've seen!

I think it’s probably a mixture of the house having been empty and being in the country. I would try peppermint essential oil, apparently they don’t like it, and I feel like it helps but does make your house smell like a tube of toothpaste.

Try to get used to them, they keep other pests under control. I absolutely hate spiders, but try to leave them alone. The only exception is if I find one in the bedroom just before going to sleep, then they get put outside. I am trying to hide my fear from the DC as I don't want them to be afraid of them too.

I suffered with giant spiders in my old house and had much less when I sprayed everywhere with essential oils plus your house smells nice

Let the spindly legged ones stay. They eat the big ones apparently.

Yes the spindly ones are your friend! They eat the hairy big ones and don't stray far from their webs, scuttling across the floor...

My house had been empty for since 1988 when we moved in back in November. There were hundreds of them, everywhere and webs that were straight out of a horror film. I'm not usually an insect killer but I would have been there for weeks taking them all outside so they were Henry'd. Now the mice...they still come...

BarbedBloom one of many reasons why I miss our beloved insect-killing-machine cat!

I’d never harm a spider, but when the cat disposed of them, I justified it as all part of nature’s circle of life. 😂

Ahh yes the lovely spindly ones! We had them in almost every room of my old house and only ever saw one giant hairy one come galloping through our hallway. There must be something to it!

I also lost my cat just before the move! She was old but could ninja flies out of the air so she may have also contributed to the spider control!

You can buy spider spray (chestnut flavoured!), we also put a conker in the corner of the room. We have a lot less spiders than we used to - may be coincidence, but I keep doing it!

I'd rather herds of monster spiders galloping across the landing at night than the assorted creepy crawlies and flies we'd have in their absence.

If you're around sheep/livestock, there will be a lot of flies. A LOT. And bitey things. Nasty bitey things.

Be brave. Arm yourself with a glass and cardboard a bucket and lino tile and look forward to not being covered in huge, burning, itching lumps, bumps and boils all Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Put conkers in the corners of your room and it stops you having so many you'll still get one or two but not as many as before

This happened to us, we moved to a property full of spiders. I imagined that it was because the house had been unoccupied for some years.
I imagined that once the house had a good clean/dust and we were living in it they would go.
Although a suburban house we are well set off the road, surrounded by trees and back onto woodland and fields.
We have just learned to live with them and appreciate their "fly control" during the summer.
My sons partner who lives with us and was terrified of spiders says that she is now learning to cope with them.
Leave them be Op!

Using insecticides like Raid is part of the reason why insects populations are in decline. I think best to hoover and put them outside if you find them. They are harmless and need our protection not annihilation. Plus think of all the flies they eat!

I have one of those tube vacuum things. We moved to an old house and have loads now. Big hairy ones are sucked and re-homed in the garden. Small and spindly ones are left alone. I'm afraid I kill the bitey false widows. I think you will find your spider coping mechanisms.

Yes - I use conkers - no idea how they work or if 5beh work, but don't seem to have spiders.

Sorry - how do we know that the spindly spiders eat the big hairy ones? It doesn't seem possible!

Get a spider catcher and put them outside, gently. They get rid of flies and unwanted insects like clothes moths.

I only destroy clothes moths, carpet beetles and mosquitoes, anything else is put gently outside or in the garage if it is cold out.

I don't mind them if they'd just hide out of sight but they've been prancing around like they own the place and one HUGE one ran across my sons cot earlier! They make me shudder to the max!

I don't kill them but I get my husband to put them outside.
I'll go in gently with a peppermint spray once I've been to Holland & Barrat tomorrow.
Thank you for all of your advice. 😍

Re the spindly ones eating the big hairy ones, Wikipedia says it's true (and that's good enough for me )
"Pholcids are natural predators of the Tegenaria species and are known to attack and eat redback spiders, huntsman spiders and house spiders".

I thought I had solved our spider issue - guess Spring is in the air, because they are back!!

Walked into a room today and a MASSIVE hairy bodied, short legged monstrosity was staring at me!! Live alone with one small child, so haven't got the luxury of showing fear. I get rid of them with the old "cup and paper" trick - would never kill them.

Any natural deterrents besides peppermint oil? Really need to take some preventative steps here. Our house is a converted shed and very rural, so I can't be too surprised at the wildlife!