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.

Ant Powder also kills spiders just fyi

Fear of spiders isn’t something that’s simply learned from a bad experience (like being savaged by a squirrel), it’s evolutionary, which means it’s innate for a lot of people. Studies have shown that even babies can show a stress response to spiders.

Also, there’s no point in putting a house spider outside. They can’t survive outside. It will either manage to get back in, or it will die a slow death. It’s probably kinder to hit it with a shoe.

Some scientists think that evolved from a fear of scorpions. In any case, it’s not logical because it’s not something that someone decides, or that is necessarily based on experience - it’s inborn.

I can’t believe I nearly missed this thread! Thank you @Dangermoo. *clears throat…

Creepy eight-legged bastards, jumping out from behind bookshelves just when you’re relaxing at night or lurking in a darkened room, just ready to give you a jump scare.

We’ve had three big bastards in here the last week.

When the first one appeared I jumped off the sofa vertically and hurdled the footstool, displaying an athleticism not seen since school sports day 30+ years ago. I actually think I may have temporarily levitated.

The last one caused a panic as it seemed to be marching determinedly towards our dog’s arsehole. As both are black and hairy, I had terrible visions of what might ensue so I shouted quite a lot of enthusiastic encouragement to DP from the safe confines of the hall. DP definitely appreciated my helpful shrieking.

We are renovating so have lots of boxes still to unpack. They have been undisturbed for around 18 months. I’m actually dreading what might be in there. I opened one box last week and found clothes moths eating my alpaca wool stash. I swear if there are spiders amongst my personal possessions I won’t be held responsible for my actions.

OP, I have roped in strangers, neighbours, and family to deal with spiders for me. I don’t even like the emoji that pops up when you type the word. There is no shame in finding a brave soul to help you.

I don’t like killing spiders either but as per my username, if they didn’t act like such total arseholes, people might be able to cope better.

Blame the spiders. It’s their fault entirely. There are no other creatures that sneak out and randomly make a beeline for wherever you are with the sole intent of scaring you, That’s definitely what spiders do. Shitheads.

😆 🤣 love the commentary!

They'd have eaten the clothes moths long before their babies got to your expensive Alpaca wool if you weren't acting like (quoting your own words here) such a total arsehole and killing them.

The amount of systemic nerve poisons, pyrethrins, pyrethroids and neonictotinates being sprayed around people, pets and the environment is doing so much damage. And all because a little spider isn't aesthetically pleasing to a subset of humans.

Yeah, they can make me jump and yes, of course I've squawked when there's one on my shoulder. I also won't pick them up because I'm scared that I might hurt them - the glass and card is for their safety, not mine. But they are exquisitely beautiful, infinitely varied, superbly adapted to particular environments, are responsible for some of the most amazing structures with their silk and keep other actually harmful just by existing insects at bay.

But then you might end up with a mice infestation like I did (they LOVE conkers apparently)

You have my sympathy op! I’m absolutely terrified too. We’ve had 4 so far this month! We get a lot of average sized spiders but these ones are huge. Too big to put a glass over. Luckily dp will get them but if it’s the middle of the night and he’s half asleep he has been known to drop them.
This time of year I cannot relax and dread when it starts to get dark.
I am tempted to get a spider catcher but not sure what one would be best. I like the vacuum ones but imagine grabbing it to get a spider and the battery runs out!

Which ones of your eight legs did you use to type all of that ?

@bekeenraven that's the course I did and I can honestly say you will be a changed woman! Some people were crying in reception before it started but every person managed a glass and card eviction by the end of it. It's honestly changed my life, even just the talk at the beginning broke down my worries

Good luck for your course!

Indorex spray flea treatment.I spray liberally everywhere in spider season.In nooks and crannies especially. I got the recommendation from a thread on here and it really works.

Came here to say this. Has really been working for me.

No she’s right.

I can have some sympathy for people with phobias as a fellow phobia sufferer(Not spiders. I love spiders) but I lose any sympathy when they are pathetic and arrogant enough to insist on killing perfectly harmless and indeed extremely useful creatures just because they refuse to seek help or use tools to deal with it. All the “burn this house down” rhetoric when someone even mentions spiders just feeds people’s fears. We’ve lost enough insects and arachnids in this country, and they are so incredibly important to the ecosystem without encouraging killing spiders whose numbers have been greatly depleted as it is.

I have more sympathy for those who have at least tried the courses/therapy. I’m sorry that it didn’t work for one poster but many people don’t even consider trying to help with their phobia.

completely recommend the spider programme at London Zoo. I was terrified to the point I couldn't even look at a picture and now can deal with them perfectly calmly with a cup & bit of card to relocate them outside.

Nobody is suggesting going out into the wild and killing spiders. However, there’s a big difference between spiders living outside and allowing them to colonise your house!

@SquishedMallow I've heard a new one important consideration for break ups ! Who will catch the spiders !! Excellent point.

I could never ever use a spider catcher ,no way.
What if it runs up the thing.

I also joined a Facebook group on spiders and I had to leave it. I saw too many posts with people saying argh look at mummy protective over her babies and it was false widows.

False widows are really gentle and sweet just like all over spiders and they won't go out of their way to attack you .
BUT...they colonise , kill native spiders and have large nos which increases the risk of being bitten which can be extremely nasty.

So I had to come off.

Oh blimey, well then she’ll need to get a cat….

There is no need to kill them in your homes either and homes and outbuildings are exactly where many spiders are designed to live. Regardless of where you are killing harmless spiders it’s detrimental to the ecosystem and there is no need for it just because you are irrationally scared of them.

My free (ie, not copy) typing speed's around 160wpm at any given moment.

So all of them.

Brilliant answer, thank you 👍.

You’ve clearly misunderstood on several counts here.

Firstly, it’s the spiders that are arseholes.

Secondly, the clothes moth eggs hitched a ride in on some raw alpaca wool that has been locked in the dark in a sealed container. There’s much easier food in my house for spiders to munch on - such as the countless bastard houseflies. Also bees and wasps which keep flying in. We also get countless butterflies but they seem much more adept at finding their way back out.

Thirdly, I don’t kill spiders. That would require getting close to them. Not a fucking chance mate. I don’t even ask DP to kill them - I ask him to put them outside. There’s plenty of other houses nearby they can go and invade.

There’s no spraying of anything in this house. Plus there was nothing little about the spiders in my living room. Monsters is the word you’re looking for.

Also, it’s not because they’re not aesthetically pleasing. It’s because they scare me so much I fear I may have a heart attack.

I’m happy you’re so cool with being jumpscared. I’m absolutely not. I don’t even watch films that have jump scares. I’m not having any creatures in my house that are deliberately setting out to jump scare me. That’s definitely what they do. I think they actually enjoy it.

Shitheads.

But where do you put them? House spiders can’t survive outside - as you say, they are adapted to live in houses. If you put them out then they will still die, but probably more slowly. Many of them aren’t even native to the UK.

I don’t think that there’s anything irrational about not wanting giant house spiders breeding in your house and producing zillions of babies.

I’ve had two bites from spiders and I’m in Scotland, I ended up in hospital on IV antibiotics both times so we take no chances now. This probably isn’t a popular opinion on here but it’s me or the spiders! We use Indorex on the full house at the beginning of August and February and haven’t seen one in years. I see dead bodies but never live ones. Spray all skirtings, cupboards, around ceilings, window frames and door frames as well as nooks and crannies inside, we also spray the window and door frames outside and spray behind all furniture. I go out with the dogs, DH sprays the house then we let it air for an hour. I still have the scars from those bloody bites and I was really ill in hospital, at one point they were talking about taking me to theatre to remove the infected flesh. It’s all out war in this house when spider season comes around.

Also, house spiders aren’t endangered. If anything, it’s quite the opposite. The population has exploded because the sneaky bastards have capitalised on us building houses. They are territorial and only a tiny proportion would survive if there there weren’t nice comfy warm homes for them to live and breed.

Fortunately, I rarely have to deal with spiders as my cat will catch them and eat them 🤢