Terrifying spider - that's it, the house is doomed right?

[ZeldaPrincessOfHyrule]

I just put a spider out of my house. The shiny, bulbous-bodied, TERRIFYING arachnid was waiting for me when I went downstairs for a glass of water. I trapped it in a cup and put it outside, all the while talking to it so I didn't further anger it. Then, having never seen a spider like it before, I did the worst thing I've ever done in my life.

I googled it.

I think I've established it was a cupboard spider: google it at your own risk. So, now I won't be sleeping for the next day or two, help me plan my next move. AIBU burning down the house? Or do I need some kind of spider-killing guard dog to protect me from further Shelob attacks? I'm not usually scared of spiders in the slightest, but this one looked darkly into my soul, and I'm certain it could've killed me on the spot if it had wanted to.

What if there's more? God, there's more isn't there. AIBU abandoning my family and moving somewhere with no spiders?
WHERE HAS NO SPIDERS?

...

@ZeldaPrincessOfHyrule

The human reaction in our house is a mild 'oh hey, a spider'. Honestly do not get this overreacting, they are beneficial co- residents. I would only put one out if it was otherwise in danger of going down the plughole

I have found the cure for arachnophobia. I used to suffer with it badly but then lived for 18 months in India in a roach infested block. Massive roaches with great hairy legs dropping out of the a/c vents at night. I now don't mind a British spider

There was a thread a few years back with a poster chronicling(?) the adventures of various spiders in their house, which gave me a newfound appreciation for the thin spindly fuckers that our flat is now inundated with. Wish I could find the thread again to link here.

The big shiny-bodied ones can get to fuck though, I agree.

Found the thread! Turns out the spindly guys actually eat other, scarier-looking spiders. I have a lot more respect for them now. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3361482-pholcidae-cellar-spiders-care-advice-picture-warning

Only option, burn down the house & live somewhere else - a box, anywhere else where the spider is.

I remember walking in the house after a holiday once, massive spider in the living room. Me & husband looked at each other said "nope" and walked back out the house then sat in the garden 10 mins debating if we could manage Iiving with my parents 🤣🤣

Eventually he had to go in and remove it.
I wanted to burn the house down and rebuild 🤣
I would have lived in a box than go back in.
I don't mind little spiders but this one was enormous.

Had a situation at work once, it was bigger than my head, I refused to go in the staff kitchen until it was removed - I actually asked if I could work from home (I was admin) but luckily someone came & removed it that day.

I have found the cure for arachnophobia. I used to suffer with it badly but then lived for 18 months in India in a roach infested block. Massive roaches with great hairy legs dropping out of the a/c vents at night. I now don't mind a British spider

Extreme exposure therapy. 😬😅

@WorraLiberty. How did you know the OP is a woman? There was nothing in the OP to suggest it. You do know the username is not the OP's real name, I take it? So it turns out, she is indeed a woman, but you didn't know that with your very patronising first post. Shame, because I usually respect your opinions!

A minimalist, white home.
White walls so you can see them as they're setting up shop in the corner.
White duvet covers so you can see them to flick off as they crawl up to your face in the middle of the night.
White carpets so you can see them scurrying across when you're watching telly in the evening.

@Bellend101

Clearly you've been selfish and not left your laundry on the line for it to rub its willy on.

Don’t worry, if there’s no laundry on the line it’ll rub its Willy on your pillow instead.

[quote Somethingsnappy]@WorraLiberty. How did you know the OP is a woman? There was nothing in the OP to suggest it. You do know the username is not the OP's real name, I take it? So it turns out, she is indeed a woman, but you didn't know that with your very patronising first post. Shame, because I usually respect your opinions![/quote]
So it turns out, she is indeed a woman, but you didn't know that with your very patronising first post.

Huh? Yes I did 🤷‍♀️

I mean granted, I didn't carry out a doorstep genitals inspection but she's been on Mumsnet for years.

I mean granted, I didn't carry out a doorstep genitals inspection but she's been on Mumsnet for years.

😂 These days, even that wouldn’t confirm anything anyway. Apparently women can have penises. 😬🤷🏻‍♀️ What a weird thread this has become.

@WorraLiberty. Ah, OK, I suppose I'll let you off then. Plus your 'doorstep genitals inspection' comment made me laugh, so I'll forgive you your grumpiness too.

I'm sure you'll be very relieved to hear it

Please please don't make doorstep genital inspections a regular MN requirement 🤣

Raid cockroach killer is your friend.it is the Novichok of the spider world. You can spray them from several meters away. One drop on them and they are dead. It doesn't matter if they try to scuttle off or hide. They will die. You can spray it around every few months and it is the gift that keeps on killing.

@SupermanWithTheGreyHair

I have found the cure for arachnophobia. I used to suffer with it badly but then lived for 18 months in India in a roach infested block. Massive roaches with great hairy legs dropping out of the a/c vents at night. I now don't mind a British spider

Extreme exposure therapy. 😬😅

It was!

Honestly, I have been amazed at how much better the common old spiders seem by comparison

We live in a farming area with lots of bugs and flies, so I have a silent agreement with the spiders that they can live in my house so long as they (a) stick to the ceilings and out-of-the-way spaces, (b) tolerate me dusting away their webs and (c) agree to be rehoused to the far reaches of the garden where the birds can eat them if they come anywhere near me.

On a related note, I used to have chickens. They were free ranging in the garden one day as I tipped a particularly large house spider onto the lawn. They descended upon the poor creature like something from World War Z and ripped it apart in front of me.

I have a massive phobia of spiders however girly or a let-down to woman kind that makes me!
I can be close to them outside, but indoors, I can only deal with spindly ones or pretty small ones. Others I cant be in the same room. Embarrassingly, at least 3 of my neighbours have been enlisted to evict one in any way they see fit. (Usually its humane and they patiently and calmly talk me through what to do)

• I know they cant hurt me
• I know they are allegedly useful against other insects
• I know they are possibly scared of me
• I know numerous strategies to pick them up safely and deposit outside
• I have a spider catcher (but it still requires me to be arms length away from them)

I JUST CANT DO iT!!

In our house it's DH that's the hysterical one, the funniest most traumatic for him was a massive one on the edge of the bath while he was in the shower, I was at the other side of the house and could hear the banging and shouting. Turns out he was doing battle with it using a large can of hairspray (to whack it not spraying) but had forgotten that the base of aerosols are concave so it was doing nothing! He eventually emerged and announced in all seriousness that we are moving house.

YABU for putting it outside alive. What do you think spiders that get put outside do? They come back in, they breed, the problem gets worse.

KILL THEM. That's the only sensible thing to do. Kill every single one of the filthy things.

When I see a spider I go all warm and bubbly inside thinking of their fly eating capabilities.

Hate hate hate hate hate flies. I would have no qualms about killing them but don’t like pesticide sprays and squashing them makes me imagine an eruption of their germ infested bodily fluid going everywhere so instead I coax them out the window shouting in rage at how thick they are that it takes them so long to work out how to exit. Stupid, plague infested, flesh rotting things.