Spiders

[bellalou1234]

Help I’m so scared of them. I have moved into my own flat following a break up of a 17 year relationship. I can’t cope with them. Just came in from a 13 hour shift to be greeted by a bloody tarantula I’m shaking. Any tips to keep them out.

Definitely hoover them up. They will die in the process. No point catching them to put outside, they die anyway if they are house spiders. House spiders do not come in from outside, the big long legged hairy ones with boots on live in your house all year and only come out to mate. And yes, the spindly ones catch them and eat them. I often see them entangled in the spindly ones webs. Amazing.

wtf ! Is that true ? The spindly ones called harvesters eat the fat hairy ones? How is that possible? They just look like a dot with really long legs

I feel so bad for spids...they can't help what they are and they are not capable of malice. I've read they sometimes run towards humans because we provide the shadow/shelter that they need to feel safe.

I still shit myself when a big one skedaddles out unexpectedly, but they deserve life too.

It's spider season. All the big females are coming out to mate. They'll disappear again soon enough. Theyve been there all along and haven't bothered with you. They do excellent pest control.

If you live near a zoo that offers it and you can spare the money I would recommend looking into friendly spider courses. I actually was getting terrible spider related sleep paralysis/waking nightmares, I was awfully phobic. Did the course and im now totally fine with the massive fat ones in my house.

I tried all the killing methods but if your house is a spidery house I think it's hard to get rid of them all.

Yes, hoovering will kill them. I have researched extensively. The vacuum means they cannot breathe plus they get battered about (sorry).
leave the hoover for a minute or so afterwards just to make sure.

My daughter had loads of conkers in her house when she moved in - we thought it a bit odd. I didn’t realise they were a spider deterrent. She has a cat who happily kills all spiders thankfully. It’s that time of year OP. Spiders coming in when the fields are cut. I would buy a spray and give your bedroom a really good spray and close the door for a few hours. You could also rig up a fly net over any open windows.

My poodle likes to play with them.

@PumpkinPie2016 @Tolber
I am the same i have asked just about every neighbour (and a complete stranger) to get a spider for me.
Even reading this thread is making me on high alert.
People recommending spider catchers dont seem to understand there are different levels of fear. If I see a humongous one, I can't be in the same room let alone 2 arm lengths away from it using a catcher (i have short arms!) And what if the catcher malfunctioned and it fell out? My neighbour got me a clear one with a "lid" that slid down. Of course I couldn't use it at all but the lid seemed to move way too easily. I'd be worried I'd hold it the wrong way and it would just slide open!

I don’t like killing them but I can’t live with them I’m scared and can’t settle. My ex partner used to humanely throw them out of the window

I can’t be in the same room if anyone tries to get one, I’m at the other end of the house, just in case it vanishes or runs.

Learn more about spiders so you are not so scared? Get hypnosis anti phobia treatment! Sometimes just knowing more about a thing can help it be less scary though.

Yep I'm a spider hooverer. Quick and effective way to rid them for my anxiety.

I feel your pain, OP! They make the unreachable ceiling above the stairs look like a Halloween display when they start moving in!

I have fly screens, and even that doesn't seem to deter them. I'm going to stick mesh over any holes behind sinks and pipework and things, but I'll probably still find them sidling through extractor fans. I just want peace when I come home, not a new housemate invading my bathroom!

I feel your pain. I'm terrified. So much so (and I'd love to say I'm joking here but I'm not ) when my marriage was going through a really bad period, it's one of the factors that made me think twice about splitting up: the fact I'd be dealing with spiders on my own! (Luckily we're in a good place now me and DH)

Also, now and again (he's older) I think of things like how I'd deal with clearing the loft out/garage if he died 🙈😯 and the thought makes me panic (because of encountering large spiders )

I'm really horribly phobic.

I've joined a spider group on Facebook and it does help a little (I've gained more knowledge and people talk in positive language about spiders and it does kind of psychologically help with reconditioning ) I'm also now ok with them outside. And can leave small and medium ones indoors mostly alone.

I've identified two types I am petrified of : GHS (giant house spiders) and segestria Florentina. Those ones trigger a full blown phobia response.

I dread every September and late August (looks like we're there now 😬) because it's spider season. I don't even know how people do the paper/glass thing. There's no chance I'd get that close.

Nothing particularly works to deter. I have bought lemon diffusers and stuck them round the house as apparently they are repelled by citrus. But ... I'm not holding out too much hope

Keep windows closed if able. (Females are already resident in your home if they're there - it's the males that come in , looking for the females)

Cellar spiders (spindley ones) are great to keep and let breed : they will attack and kill the biggies believe it or not. Luckily we've got loads of them. I never kill them.

Indorex spray is meant to work. But people on here will disapprove as technically it's cruel. I've never dared try it as I have children and my son had asthma when young.

Another vote for a cat

We have cats and they are great for getting rid of them but it’s sometimes worse as they will play with them and let them run before catching again which a) seems cruel but b) prolongs the spiders being in my house! I’ve tried everything; courses, hypnotherapy, went to some lectures on phobias, aversion and immersive therapy nothing has worked for me. Conkers, peppermint etc did nothing. Only thing that helps is the cats

This is the only thing that has ever worked. I actually love the cellar ones. I know they keep me safe from the scary chunky fuckers.

I grew up with a cat with hardly any teeth. She would suck the life out of them and then spit them out on the stairs. Definitely became a household who put the light on after the first few times she did it. Disgusting cat.

I’m also curious - where do they put those monster spiders they’re eating? They are a tiny dot on legs. I’d love to know how this works.

I’m also team spider. They freak me out but I try to leave them, or trap and release the big ones I can’t bear to ignore. They pay me back in fly control.

DH travels a lot in September annually. This year I will be shutting the windows as the cat, the 6 year old and 4 year old children are absolutely useless and refuse to remove them for me. The cat just watches them with boredom and the kids like to find their fake spiders and torture me with them as they are lifelike

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly...

I really shouldn't tell you this story... But word of warning, my mum and dad had a large house spider in the airing cupboard. Dad wasn't home. Mum sucked it up with the hoover. She was timid about emptying it the next day. Her sister was round the house and said "don't be silly it'll be long dead, give us that here !" And as she emptied the hoover bag, the great big spider ran up her arm 😱!!! She apparently dropped the whole bag in the bin pretty sharpish and screamed!

So never assume it'll be dead. Keep the hoover running for a good 5 minutes after you've sucked it up. I know it's cruel to kill them, but when you've got an actual phobia it's the only way relief is offered from it. Even when DH puts them outside I'm terrified they'll come back in (and it's happened before)

One of my best ever investments! In fact, I once started a post about it on here. But the spider fearers, bless them, said that the long handle was too short 😁

Apparently they can wrap them up pretty sharpishly in their webs. I believe it's the speed in which they can entangle them in their webs. Then they just wrap them tightly and Jobs a good un. I can't remember whether they inject them with venom at that stage or not. I'll have to recheck. It's not a myth though,: they really do get them .