Tarantulas in Cyprus?!

[mrssnow7]

We’ve booked a villa in Cyprus for end of August and I’m on the facebook boards for things to do/villa rentals etc and have been seeing an increase in posts of tarantulas in villas, in the pool etc.

I know that tarantulas are all across the Mediterranean yet I’ve never seen any during visits to Spain, Italy etc.

I am a severe arachnophobic and I don’t know what to do now about the holiday. I genuinely would have to book a flight home if one was in our pool/in our villa.

Please can anyone be honest with me if you’ve seen a tarantula/or any large spider in Cyprus in an apartment/hotel/villa.

Thank you!

Never seen one in Cyprus!

Ffs. I’ve never heard this!! 😱😱😱

I have been to Cyprus 4-5 times a year for the last 30 years and never seen one!

Climate change is a thing and we will experience more types of wildlife than we are used to in future. Of course we will lose a lot sadly too.

Quite a lot of people who are staying in villas are posting pictures of ones they’ve found. I think I remember a post on here years ago where they found a tarantula in their villa. People are posting videos of them walking down the road and across the street in touristy areas too. Now I’m petrified.

Never seen one anywhere in the Mediterranean. Large spiders, sure. Not tarantulas. Who will you be with? Might be worth investing in one of those humane traps (for someone else to use) just in case though.

Seen loads here in southern Spain, some the size of dinner plates.
that and the amount of snakes we see has been a real eye opener.
though we are in rural Spain

I like snakes, not bothered by any othrer “bugs” but big spiders I cannot bare

I’ve got family in Cyprus and have traveled there for many years and only seen one.

DH, our 2 children age 3 and 10 months, BIL and M&FIL X

In the house?

No, it was outside on a rocky bit of hill we were walking past. Never seen one inside thank god or I’d have been on the first flight home!

I lived there for 10 years and only ever saw 2 - never in a villa or home. One was on a stable wall in the countryside and one on the street in ayia napa at night a bit out of season. Even my in laws house on the outskirts of a villiage with extensive gardens and crop fields adjacent I’ve not seen one

Tbh @mrssnow7 i haven’t even seen basic spiders in Cyprus let alone tarantula

which part of Cyprus are you in?

if I were you I’d

• put spray for spiders outside the doors and windows
• Peppermint oil around doors and windows inside the house

i always do the above every time we go there (for cockroaches)

you re close to those big Jumbo stores? x

We were in Croatia for our holiday a couple of summers ago, in a villa up in the hills above Dubrovnik and we saw a spider, very similar looking to a tarantula on the outside wall. Terrified me, as I am not good with spiders.

Been to Cyprus a few times and not one tarantula seen.

We are flying into Paphos, DH has sorted villa so not entirely sure to be honest I let him take the lead as he seems to find lovely ones when we go away.

I use Ardap spray here around my windows and doors and haven’t seen a big spiders (touch wood) in our home since using it but I don’t really want to harm them, I just really have such a massive fear of them. I certainly wouldn’t want to try and take it in my case and cause harm to any over there but I will follow your suggestion of buying some spray out there although I’m sure a tarantula would laugh and walk through it 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

I never saw any when we went to Paphos. Id be terrified too!

Tarantula spiders are named after a region of Southern Italy where they were/are native, and the local Tarantella dance is supposed to help if you get bitten by one.

I'd imagine they hang out in fairly rural areas away from human traffic so I wouldn't be overly concerned even though I loathe spiders myself.

Read up on them so you know what to avoid.

I've been to Cyprus several times and have never seen one. Did see a tiny dead scorpion by the pool one morning, but our villa was quite rural.

Last summer in a villa in Droushia (between Peiya and Polis, up in the hills). The most gorgeous renovated village house with a secluded garden and private pool. Third night there DH encountered a fuck off huge black tarantula, managed to lure it into the pool net and rehomed it over the wall at the end of the garden. I then cried for 4 hours, went stuffing crack with bedding/cushions and then obviously burnt the villa down as anyone reasonable would.

I lived there for 15 years and never saw any spider. Lizards yes a few times, big geckos used to come into my hallway - maybe they ate the invisible spiders - saw a snake once but that’s it.

We were there in May and had one by the pool. Amazing creature, we relocated him to some land outside the villas as our friends were freaking out

Yes you wouldn’t need Ardap for spiders cause to be brutally honest you do need spiders to get rid of coachroachres, and some areas in Pafos do have issues with those 😑

but spiders are very sensitive to strong smells so peppermint oil is guaranteed to work ! Won’t kill them but they won’t go near you

if you go to Jumbo when you get there it’s huge and has lots of natural oils
plus stuff to put in the house first day , to make sure it’s insect free

https://share.google/mYMjdFwnUe2wByNlE

x

There are 2 native tarantula species in Cyprus. In Paphos, they are mainly found in the banana plantations. But it’s hugely rare to see them, these shy, non aggressive spiders are terrified of humans, especially as their bite is harmless to humans. I have been going to Cyprus for the last years, my family has owned property in Paralimni, Nicosia and Paphos, I have no recollection of ever seeing spiders in the homes or immediate vicinity of our villas. Having said that, we always feed any nearby stray cats so they probably do a great job of keeping spiders, snakes and lizards away. That might be the answer OP, adopt a colony of stray cats during your stay and the problem will solve itself!