To Keep A Handy Spider in the House?

[SmidgenofaPigeon]

I have a lovely one, called Marigold.

I rescued him out of the bath when he was only little (after shouting at DH not to flush him down ) when he was only little. Pretended to put him out in the corridor of our flats but secretly let him back in. Didn’t see him for a few weeks but but yesterday I noticed he’d grown into a lovely big spider living in the corner of the bathroom. So he can stay up there and catch some flies, and everybody is happy.

Do you keep a handy spider around?

@cricketmum84, I'm the same. I like most spiders but I just can't warm to the cellar spiders at all. Because they're so fine it's easier to get into the position where they're right next to you before you notice them (way too close for comfort!), plus their spindly legs give me the shudders. Give me the big hairy house spiders any time. At least you can see (and sometimes hear!) them.

We have a very relaxed attitude to wildlife here. Several spiders, if they found their way in, they can find their way out!
60 pipistrelle bats in the roof.

Those garden spiders 😍

Oh my gosh I would love to have bats! Pipstrelles are so cute too.

What a great thread, it's like I've found my people

We live in an old stone cottage with its own complement of wildlife. We generally don't evict spiders (only the false widows) unless DM is coming.

I'm always a bit at the comments on here advocating the OP burns the house down because there's a spider in it. Sensible adult women usually....

There's a kill on sight policy in my house. The way I look at it, unless they start paying their way then they're not welcome.

Sort-of-related-but-not-really question: why is it anti-spider sprays need to have grotesque pictures of the bastards on the label? As someone who loathes the scumbags, I don't want to see graphic images of them. I am capable of reading!

I'm a big believer of keeping spiders in the house. As a student we had a huge one who lived under the sofa and came out and culled the woodlouse population every so often (very damp house).

This opinion does not sit well with my OH, as she hates spiders, so I have to get rid of them outside, but I try to give them ample opportunity to escape first.

Had one yesterday who was in a very awkward position on the wall behind the TV so I said I'd get him in a bit when he'd moved. Little sneaky ninja bastard made it all the way across the room across the ceiling and parachuted down onto my head. I will admit to a slight scream. This has not helped my case on keeping spiders in the house at all.

Also, can you all stop naming your spiders the wrong names please! All spiders are called Boris, even the female ones.

@ChainJane how can they earn their keep if they’re killed on sight?!

Oh nooo please don’t use sprays. That is really horrible.

[quote SmidgenofaPigeon]@Rc123467 still shit to just kill them though, Im really glad the majority on this thread are kind and teaching their kids to be kind to them too.[/quote]
My mum dislikes them and has always squashed them. However, my young children won't let her do it now they're on the scene. I also told her to hang on to her cellar spiders if she's scared of house spiders. She's converted now and is landlord to a big cellar spider called Cedric, who lives in her en-suite. He goes walkabout sometimes and she misses him and is always relieved to see him back.

We let ours stay. Although I did find a big cellar spider carrying an egg sac. She was gently relocated to the shed, along with her unborn babies. Spiders are very good mothers, aren't they?

But OP, how did you know your large spider pet was the same little one you invited back in??

We have a conservatory full of false widows, and while they do sort the fly situation, I’ve had a bite from one and it was bloody painful.

We tried to get rid, but within a few days more have moved back in. There’s a huge one that been there for two years at very top. It has somehow managed to avoid all the culling

Cellar spiders I’m ok with. House spiders can do one.

I’m not at all scared of them. (Compare that to wasps, I’m scared stiff of them! .) But I’m not fond of them either, and for some reason my DDs are petrified of them, so we have to put any we find outside. (It’s for their own good, though, as we do have 3 cats!!)

I keep reminding my DDs that they’re giants compared to spiders and that the spiders are more afraid of them than the other way around but they’re very unconvinced!!

We have many spiders here, I tend to put the house spiders out when they get big enough for you to hear them run across the wooden floor. The cellar spiders can stay until they multiply by too much. They do eat the big spiders, I have a video I’m of such event but it’s not easy viewing.

The only annoying thing about the cellar spiders is they don’t eat their old web like other spiders do, so it just builds up into dusty mess.

I really don't know why I not only clicked on this thread, but also continued reading the whole thing and opened all the photos.

I'm clearly a glutton for punishment because now I think there are spiders everywhere. Why do I do this to myself?

Great. This thread has actually cursed me!

After not seeing an evil cellar spider in years I had 2 of the bastards in the living room this morning. DH carried them out by their legs.

They better not have been "enjoying themselves"

@ChainJane I could have written your post. I'm in awe of all of you that can live with them IN YOUR HOUSE. I hate the bastards (spindly ones are tolerated but must never come anywhere near me and cannot be too big, would NEVER have on in my hand EVER) I loathe them and would rather face flies than have an eight-legged tyrant in my flat. And honestly how many flies does a spider actually eat on a daily basis? I've been kept company by a fly all morning, he's hanging out on my screen checking in, not slowly/silenty lowering himself and his eight giant legs down behind me ready to attack (ok that's extreme we don't live anywhere where they are dangerous) but OH boy do i wish i was as strong as some of the pp on here.