to kill all the spiders?

[bessarabiantiger]

We live in the country, we're very lucky with our house and we've been here two years. There's a lake on the property and with lakes come mosquito hoardes (fine, live and let live, we knew about this when ee took the place, and with mosquito hoardes come spiders.

I am alright with most types of spider, I allow Huntsman (? Spindly legged) in every room as they're no bother and keep the mossies down when we have the windows open. Brown recluse get ejected with a glass & cardboard or eaten by the cat.

This year we have a problem with false widows and a kind we've never seen before. They are awful. Striped and with extra long front legs, they shamble across the ceiling as if they're drunk & often fall in your drink/dinner/hair.

We now have around 80 of the fuckers in the kitchen. They are making nests. For many people this wouldn't even be an issue. But me being me I've said to myself, well the windows are open, they aren't scaring me on purpose (even after the night I walked into the kitchen without turning the lights on and had one who was making a web land on my face. ARGH!) Etc. Etc.

We've used every natural repellant going. From plug-in spider scarers (knew they were bullshit but was at wits end last sept) to conkers, peppermint oil, spider hoover, removing them all outside (shudder. That was a horrible day) only to find a new gang there in the morning.

After me and DH being bitten this week (him on the neck, me on the hand WHILST ASLEEP IN BED! Hand swelled up for the next 24 hours, yes, it was a spider, found it crawling down my leg) I have finally and very reluctantly bought spider poison.

I am hoping someone can offer a better solution before I have to use it. DS has mild asthma and am worried about the effect on him (we will evacuate for the day after use) and it's an aersol as well as a poison. It sounds silly, but I've only ever used aerosol twice- the ozone layer was so drummed into me at school it feels akin to pooping straight down a whales blow hole!

AIBU to kill the spiders so they stop biting us? Has anyone got any other solution?

We break webs and remove visible offenders bi-daily BTW.

whiffled love it.

Yes! I'm glad that you understood my mental images from my inane ramblings (Scaramanga!!!!). And that's a perfect whiffly beast for the purpose.

Nigel is rather sweet. I like his moustaches. My DD and her bf have a dog called Nigel (interesting but not relevant fact)
Perhaps there is a business opportunity here in Rent A Basilisk?

There was a sizeable black arachnid in my kitchen sink this morning. Could have at least done the washing up while it was there, freeloading bastard.

I feel your pain. The bathroom Charlotte had an Isembard right next to her yesterday and did nothing about it.

I stormed past hissing "this is NOT how our agreement works Charlotte" and then gave her a stern look as I had a resentful wee.

Gerbils are what you need. At least 2, they work as a pack and hunt down spiders and eat them with relish.

Unfortunately we have more scorpions than spiders and I don't think the gerbils would cope. You need meerkats for that.

I absolutely love this thread, although haven't read all of it yet,

We also have a very full house of spiders, giant house spiders, daddy long legs, lots of unidentified, false widows but unfortunately kill them on site (only had one big one and a couple of babys)

This is a picture of Ninja Norman(named by the ninjas on the ninjas thread) he was in the utility yesterday.

The other two were having a stand off this morning, but by the time I took the picture, the shed spider? Had chased of the wolf spider?

beachcomber Do I have to supply the relish?

Nice spiders there tfb
beach what about hamsters? DS1 wants a hamster for his birthday. Will it eat the spiders? I don't have any Charlottes at the minute

This thread is fuuuunny

Bess I've decided you're like a MN version of Mary Poppins who wafted in to active convos on a giant spider Web and will make everything jolly and more spider tolerant before suddenly disappearing one foggy morning, leaving just scary photos in your wake.

Dunno about hamsters IMO they are bitey fuckers so have never let the kids have one.

It is horribly fascinating to watch gerbils hunt a spider. They are ruthless. Bess you just have to provide the spiders, gerbils will bring their own relish

Hmm, I'm now very tempted to put a spider in a cage with a hamster just to see what would happen. I'm imagining a boxing match of sorts.

Scary photos and a whole new spider identification system. I feel we've all done excellent work FOR SCIENCE so far. We've also tripled sales of candle powered Moomin go-rounds.

Keep it up chaps. I'm off to the gym.

Where I live the spider sized cat would be a .......cat!

My cats happily take on scorpians, would even try their luck with a basilisk (my psycho kitty took down a jaracara when she was only 10 weeks old) but the spiders hold some kind of spell over my cats. I reckon they have a pouch of catnip, throw it down and then scuttle past with a chuckle and a wave!

I don't know what they'd use on hamsters! I can imagine a hamster on it's wheel and a spider standing over it with a spider sized whip.

Fat Albert has disappeared.
Comfort me.
I don't know where he is anymore

Fat Albert has read the thread and has packed his bags to go visit Bess and avenge his cousin's death by Debretts.

He's behind yoooooooo

I never say this lightly demented but I think that I hate you

I'll never have a peaceful pee again fat chance anyway with two Snack sized wonka bars following me everywhere

This is the spider that lives on a web between my tree and the fence in my garden. I do not like it.

I was expecting a Jaracara to be a bird.

It is not.

Fatty I don't like that spider either, it is inconveniently placed. I do however think I'm in love with your tree.

My tree is pretty. It has red leaves.

Where is Thumbwitch? I'm becoming mildly worried that she has been enslaved by bees.

Oh no! Maybe if we shout really loud she will hear us and break free from their mind control

THUMBWITCH!!!
WHERE ARE YOU?
COME BACK TO US!

nah in the upside down world here birds serial killers take out cats.

I love the tree!