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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

spiders are on steroids this year

147 replies

JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil · 09/09/2021 23:54

Went to the loo and turned the light on to see the biggest spider I’ve ever seen in the wild in the U.K. sitting on the toilet sit lid. I yelped ‘Jesus Christ!’ and woke up DH who wasn’t amused.

He went in there to look and also admitted if was massive. He’s Australian for context so he knows a big spider when he sees one.

AIBU to think that with all the rain and tepid weather this year that this spider season is going to be the most horrific ever? I’ve closed all of the windows, am not taking any chances.

OP posts:
gannett · 10/09/2021 15:36

I try to consider spiders as my friends. The more of them around the more those gross little flies hanging around all summer will get eaten. Fight the real enemy.

GreyhoundG1rl · 10/09/2021 15:43

@gannett

I try to consider spiders as my friends. The more of them around the more those gross little flies hanging around all summer will get eaten. Fight the real enemy.
The problem is, I've got both Angry. Big useless feckers.
AliceMck · 10/09/2021 15:45

One shot out from underneath my bed when I was getting ready to get in it 2 nights ago. Was just relieved my poor arachnophobia DH was t there as it was his side of the bed 😬 I’m still shocked at how brave I was grabbing it with loo role and flushing it. Took at least 6 flushes for me to feel safe, still havnt told my DH.

lils088 · 10/09/2021 15:47

They're massive this year! DH woke up with one on his back in bed 😭 he said he felt something for a long time but thought it was one of my hairs .. until it started moving very fast

Tara336 · 10/09/2021 15:51

Was watching tv in bed a couple nights ago with DH and a huge spider ran across the duvet, I screamed and jumped out of bed and DH husband caught it even he said it was a big one.

SolitaryTree · 10/09/2021 15:52

I’m so glad we have cats that like to catch things!

EdithGrantham · 10/09/2021 15:53

We've had 3 or 4 so far and yes they are huge. I had just finished changing my 6 week old DD on a mat on the floor the other night when one scuttled very close by. I jumped up and dragged the mat with very startled DD still on it out of the way, made a quick exit and shut the cat in the room to deal with it!

noblegiraffe · 10/09/2021 15:54

A false widow fell out of my trousers as I was putting them in the washing machine. I googled and “Europe’s most deadly spider” came up, so that’s nice to have one in the utility room.

mummabubs · 10/09/2021 15:59

@raindropsonmywindow

Yes, we've had to evict 3 tonight. DD had one in the bath with her last night, she screamed the house down and refused to go near the bath tonight. I can deal with your average sized spider, our house backs onto woodland so they're always appearing, but these are huuuge!
This is oddly reassuring for me. I'm absolutely terrified of house spiders (and not keen at all on any other varieties!) We moved to our hopefully forever home 3 months ago, which backs onto woodland. I was used to dealing with a house spider once every 12-18 months in our old house. In the 14 weeks we've been here we've had spiders nearly daily and some of the house spiders are absolutely f'ing massive. Literally the biggest I've ever seen. I got to a point of telling dh we made a terrible decision to buy this house, but now I'm telling myself maybe this year they're just freakishly huge and it will get better?... 😂🤦🏻‍♀️
CottageOnTheHill · 10/09/2021 15:59

Indorex is your friend. I spray all windowsills, around window frames, door frames, skirtings and every nook and cranny I can find. I also spray the bricks around the perimeter of the house. We haven’t had a spider in the house for years since I started using it. I hate spiders, absolutely loathe them and they give me panic attacks so I’m happy I’ve found something that keeps them out.

Lowlifeinhighplaces · 10/09/2021 16:00

I woke up the other morning and as usual threw back the covers, think I woke up one of the biggest spiders I have ever seen, just snoozing on the sheet right next to where I had been lying, scarpered under the pillows. How long had it been there, next to me, just right there, ugh..

Now I am used to big ones in my house and I am not scared of them, but this was big, I am convinced I saw fangs when I 'escorted' it off the premises in a glass out the window.

But have noticed more than the norm.....

mummabubs · 10/09/2021 16:02

@noblegiraffe

A false widow fell out of my trousers as I was putting them in the washing machine. I googled and “Europe’s most deadly spider” came up, so that’s nice to have one in the utility room.
We're in South Wales and found on of these above our front door a couple of weeks ago! DH initially doubted my diagnosis until I got a picture of one up and he literally held the phone next to it. Didn't do my nerves any good. 😬😬
Roundlampshade · 10/09/2021 16:07

Thank you for starting this thread OP. When does mating season end?

QuantumWeatherButterfly · 10/09/2021 16:10

Oh god yes. I am a recovering arachnophobic (treatment with a psychiatrist and everything), and this year has REALLY challenged me! We are in a new build and very rarely get them, but we've had two absolute whoppers in one week already.

Myusernameisnotmyusernameno · 10/09/2021 16:20

@Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse

I've had 2 giants in bed with me recently. The first one I felt crawl across my leg, DH said it was his leg brushing against me, so I ignored it. Then felt it crawl up my back. It was horrific. Second one was sitting on my pillow as I turned ove in bed. Both massive, brown googly eyed monsters!

Had a few crawl across the living room floor too.

Need to move furniture and hoover up more I think.

Horney Bastards!!

Omg!!
Alwaysfuckingsick · 10/09/2021 16:27

We have two huge ones in the living room, my so has named them beans and sausage, they are bigger than we usually get in the house that's for sure.

Myusernameisnotmyusernameno · 10/09/2021 16:32

@MumOfTwoChildren

I really regret opening this thread! I'm paranoid now and my hair keeps tickling my neck making me think something is on me Sad
Same here. I'm sat by a window and a bush moved in the wind. I saw it in the corner of my eye and jumped out of my skin! DP is away as well although he asks me to get them these days!
justasking111 · 10/09/2021 16:40

Last night a huge one on Ds door handle even he jumped in shock. One appeared the other morning as I made the bed bastards ran back down behind the bed. Ugh ..

Knittingupastorm · 10/09/2021 16:45

They rear up at you too, and I saw one jump!

Fuck. That.

Twitchynose · 10/09/2021 16:53

Found a behemoth of one sheltering up the far end of the bath after my shower earlier in the week.. He only just fitted into the pint glass and had to tuck his feet in to get in there. I evicted him out of the bathroom window, but he was so heavy he just fell onto the exterior windowsill. Shut the window pretty quickly and kept it shut for two days.
Back in the shower a couple of days ago and turned round after rinsing shampoo out of my hair to find another one trying to do the doggy paddle near the plug hole. Poor sod was too far gone to be rescued and as the water drained his legs were sucked under the edge of the silicone hair trap over the plug hole. I now have a decomposing body wedged there and can’t bear to touch it. Hoping another day and some very hot water will despatch the corpse before I vomit. Feeling queasy just thinking about it!

Gumbo · 10/09/2021 17:00

There was something on the BBC the other day about how the UK house spiders are related to ones that live in hot areas, so they only like warm dry places (ie. our houses)... and that they won't live outside, and the only reason they are outside in the 1st place is because someone else has evicted them! In other words, if people stop chucking them outside but squish the buggers instead there'll be less of them looking for a nice warm home Grin

Just saying...

Also, apparently garden spiders don't like being indoors, and the only reason you might find them inside is because they got lost and they actually want to be back outside.

SallyOMalley · 10/09/2021 17:00

A friend of mine was telling me that their resident spider gave birth last week. She had a sort of pouch of babies which burst and they all ran out in different directions.

She thinks it's fascinating. I'd bloody move out.

Pebbledashery · 10/09/2021 17:02

Urgh I saw one earlier this week at work on the wall outside someone's office. It was hideously big, looked so evil.

Ijustknowitstimetogo · 10/09/2021 17:04

why do they have to come inside to mate?

It’s warm? House Spider and Giant House Spider…so I suppose that’s just their thing?

Mating’s the game, human abode’s the name.

stairway · 10/09/2021 17:05

We had a massive one in the paddling pool a few days ago, it had a huge red abdomen. Anyway it must have been in the pool overnight it was all crumpled and looked dead. I tried fishing it out and it came back to life. I did not know spiders could spend hours in the water and survive.