# It's the spider season



## Redkite (Sep 7, 2013)

Autumn has definitely arrived.  This morning I had a horrid awakening  - felt something tickling my face (vaguely thought it might be the cat but he wasn't there), brushed at it, then felt something running on to my arm, opened my eyes and came face to face with a huge house spider   It ran under the duvet and I leapt up to shake it out, then it disappeared somewhere down the side of the bed.  

Then this evening we were having a game of Scrabble on the living-room floor when another huge house spider came racing out from under the sofa and straight across the Scrabble board.  Shrieks from me, but luckily instant action from our resident feline predator, Billy.  He pounced on it, and proceeded to play with it.  The spider kept pretending to be dead, on its back with its legs curled up, then leaping up again and making a run for it, but Billy kept it busy while I got something to squash it with.

But I don't think I'm going to sleep easily tonight!


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## Vicsetter (Sep 7, 2013)

Got one with my shoe the other night -it's feet went one way, the body another.  We do miss the dog, she loved catching spiders.


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## Steff (Sep 7, 2013)

Eww red I feel for u I hate the bleeders, worst thing ever when u know there's one in the house somewhere but it's scurried away and u can't see it


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## Cat1964 (Sep 7, 2013)

my skins crawling now with all this talk of spiders!!


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## Lauras87 (Sep 7, 2013)

I had a monster of a spider the other night & I did a loud scream & ran away from it.

To make matters worse while I was trying to kill it (it trying to attack me) the guy I have a date with this week told me he has a pet tarantula 

They really don't need 8 legs...


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## julier (Sep 7, 2013)

creepy crawlies and me don't mix well. my 12yr old found a monster in the shower and put it in a bowl in my sink, lol , it was so big it splashed as I threw it down the loo. YUK


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## Cat1964 (Sep 8, 2013)

We once had a garden spider came in under the verandah door and crouched in front of a box. Hubby didn't see it but I did and told him. He got up from his chair to get it with slipper in hand. I turned the telly off and could hear its feet patter across the floor as hubby ran after it and cornered it. Hubby turned away and I said whats up. He said a slipper will only stun that thing, I'm back for my Doc Marten to hit it with!!!


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## LeeLee (Sep 8, 2013)

I quite like spiders where they belong in the garden.  What I do object to is sharing my living space with them.  I don't kill them though, just use the upturned glass technique to throw them off the balcony (straight onto my neighbour's!)


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## Twitchy (Sep 8, 2013)

OMG they PLAY DEAD?!!  Don't tell me they are actually Cunning?!! 
(***runs away shrieking, wondering which domesticated pet is best at spider control!***)


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## David H (Sep 8, 2013)

You may be surprised to know that a number of spiders in the UK are capable of giving a nasty nip ? usually after rough handling or if they become trapped in your clothes. 
You can tell it?s a spider bite because it leaves little puncture marks. According to the Natural History Museum, false widow spiders, so-called because of their similarity to the more poisonous black widow spider, are the main culprits and typically give bites that cause pain, redness and swelling.


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## Redkite (Sep 8, 2013)

Twitchy said:


> OMG they PLAY DEAD?!!  Don't tell me they are actually Cunning?!!
> (***runs away shrieking, wondering which domesticated pet is best at spider control!***)



Lol!  Glad I'm not the only one!  Seems like lots of you are having arachnid visitors.

LeeLee you are very brave, sometimes if one is in the bath I might try and trap it, but no way when they're racing around the floor, otherwise they might take cover underneath or behind some furniture and then I'll be in a state of high panic about when they're going to come out again!

Laura, I hope your date keeps his tarantula very well locked up 

Cats are very good for catching spiders, but mine prefers to play not kill   However I made sure he was on my bed last night just in case.

The last two years we lined our skirting boards with conkers which are supposed to deter spiders, and it did seem that we had fewer.  But I got fed up of seeing a line of conkers on the floor so threw them out (foolish!).


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## Pumper_Sue (Sep 8, 2013)

So far have found two huge ones in the bath this week 
So autumn is def here.

I can remember many years ago I had Mum staying with me for a few days as she had kindly offered to doggy sit for me whilst I went to the Royal Welsh sale with one of my Welsh Cobs.

We were sat reading books when there was a distinct thud thud thud  across the carpeted floor. One very brave Collie dog jumped up and sat in the spare chair and watched it make it's journey across the floor 

We had to use a saucepan to remove it as a glass was far to small.


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## Redkite (Sep 8, 2013)

David H said:


> You may be surprised to know that a number of spiders in the UK are capable of giving a nasty nip ? usually after rough handling or if they become trapped in your clothes.
> You can tell it?s a spider bite because it leaves little puncture marks. According to the Natural History Museum, false widow spiders, so-called because of their similarity to the more poisonous black widow spider, are the main culprits and typically give bites that cause pain, redness and swelling.



On no!


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## Redkite (Sep 8, 2013)

Oh no Sue I hate hearing their feet pattering 

It seems Collies aren't the best pet for hunting spiders then!


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## Pumper_Sue (Sep 8, 2013)

Redkite said:


> Oh no Sue I hate hearing their feet pattering
> 
> It seems Collies aren't the best pet for hunting spiders then!



Oh he was fine for hunting them or telling me where they were. He just didn't do the pounce and kill of them.
He was good at bunny hunting and catching plus ratting  Oh and a fabulous guard dog.


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## LeeLee (Sep 8, 2013)

My daughter's German Shepherd is trained to catch and eat anything that flies/crawls.  He doesn't much like wasps.  Other than that, the house is pretty much an insect and arachnid-free zone.  

N.B. Babies are exempt from the crawling/eating rule!


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## Northerner (Sep 8, 2013)

Unless they are running straight at me I usually leave them be, reasoning that they will keep down the populations of whatever other creepy crawlies may be infesting the dark corners of my house.


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## Lauras87 (Sep 8, 2013)

Redkite said:


> Lol!  Glad I'm not the only one!  Seems like lots of you are having arachnid visitors.
> 
> Laura, I hope your date keeps his tarantula very well locked up .



I had a mini visitor in the shower during the night so it had a shower......

He's been warned about his "tame" tarantula otherwise my shoe will make friends with it (I've seen a pic of the tarantula & **** me it's huge)
A nice guy but he also has a snake & bearded dragon  & all 3 live in his bedroom


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## Vicsetter (Sep 8, 2013)

Lauras87 said:


> I had a mini visitor in the shower during the night so it had a shower......
> 
> He's been warned about his "tame" tarantula otherwise my shoe will make friends with it (I've seen a pic of the tarantula & **** me it's huge)
> A nice guy but he also has a snake & bearded dragon  & all 3 live in his bedroom



Oh Laura, you've made my day ROFLCGU (rolling on floor can't get up)
Double entendres or what?


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## Lauras87 (Sep 8, 2013)

Vicsetter said:


> Oh Laura, you've made my day ROFLCGU (rolling on floor can't get up)
> Double entendres or what?



*looks blank* 
But be careful on the floor, the evil spiders might get you!


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## Cat1964 (Sep 8, 2013)

Twitchy said:


> OMG they PLAY DEAD?!!  Don't tell me they are actually Cunning?!!
> (***runs away shrieking, wondering which domesticated pet is best at spider control!***)



Cats are good for getting rid of spiders. I get lots of cellar spiders in my house all year long. They have a tiny body and big legs. They make really messy webs too. I spend endless amounts of time going round my house removing their messy webs from the ceilings and corners. Since we got our kitten Lucy, she has made it her job to catch, squash and eat the spiders. Our bathroom is most popular for spiders in our house. Lucy has decided I'm her mum and wherever I go in the house, Lucy goes too. So, everyday she comes to the bathroom with me and does spider patrol. Checks for spiders behind and under the bathroom sink unit and loo roll holder, behind the door where I keep my clothes props and then she checks under the radiator. Then she jumps into the bath to check in he corners at the side of the tub and checks under the window sill. I give her her due she does her job thoroughly well. She has also come to realise that it's spiders who make webs. So when we notice her staring at the ceiling in the corners we know she's spotted a spider web. I found her one day last week on top of my electricity meter. I'd heard a noise of the ladders rattling in the hall and when I went out to the hall she'd managed to climb he ladders onto the top of the meter and was sitting with her ears brushing the ceiling and her face covered in a web!!! I don't know if she found a spider in the web


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## Steff (Sep 8, 2013)

My dog only seems to wanna kill and eat wasps for some reason.


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## AlisonM (Sep 8, 2013)

I used to have a pet tarantula... until I divorced him. 

Seriously though, I quite like spiders, they're among the more useful beasties in that they hunt some of the real nasties, like flies, bluebottles, moths and such. I saw one capture a daddy-long-legs the other day and cheered, I really hate those things.


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## Lauras87 (Sep 8, 2013)

AlisonM said:


> I used to have a pet tarantula... until I divorced him.



Hahahahaha!!!! That's made me smile Alison.


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## Cat1964 (Sep 8, 2013)

AlisonM said:


> I used to have a pet tarantula... until I divorced him.
> 
> Seriously though, I quite like spiders, they're among the more useful beasties in that they hunt some of the real nasties, like flies, bluebottles, moths and such. I saw one capture a daddy-long-legs the other day and cheered, I really hate those things.



I'd have cheered too. I can't stand creepy daddy-long-legs


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## LeeLee (Sep 8, 2013)

Cat1964 said:


> I'd have cheered too. I can't stand creepy daddy-long-legs


My daughter's daddy had (still has, as far as I know) skinny long legs.  Just the sight of him gives me the creeps!


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## delb t (Sep 8, 2013)

Betterware do a spider catcher! for those brave enough


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## Cat1964 (Sep 8, 2013)

delb t said:


> Betterware do a spider catcher! for those brave enough



Funny enough I was just looking through the Lakeland catalogue and they do a spider vac which gently sucks them up so that you can put them outside. I'll just let the cat eat them


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## HOBIE (Sep 8, 2013)

Like you alison i like spiders, They get the flies


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## spiritfree (Sep 8, 2013)

julier said:


> creepy crawlies and me don't mix well. my 12yr old found a monster in the shower and put it in a bowl in my sink, lol , it was so big it splashed as I threw it down the loo. YUK



Mind it doesn't jump up and bite your b*m when next on the loo!


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## bev (Sep 8, 2013)

Hi Redkite,

I usually keep conkers on the window ledge's to keep them away - works a treat.Bev


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## Mark T (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't mind little spiders in the house - as long as they earn their keep by keeping flying things to a minimum.  But prefer to keep the big ones in my garden.

Although, one of my friends (female) does actually keep a pet spider... and pet rats


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## Redkite (Sep 8, 2013)

Vicsetter said:


> Oh Laura, you've made my day ROFLCGU (rolling on floor can't get up)
> Double entendres or what?



He's not wrong Laura!


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## Lauras87 (Sep 9, 2013)

Redkite said:


> He's not wrong Laura!



glad i can assist!


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## Flutterby (Sep 9, 2013)

I am absolutely frightened to death of spiders and have to hoover them up if at all possible.  The worst night was when, home alone, there was a huge spider and I was hypo as well!!  So I  brandished hoover whilst eating jelly babies, I know it's not the correct procedure (!!) but I couldn't let the thing run away whilst I sat down!

My cat (Mr Sparkles) got one for me and I instantly had him knighted to "Sir Sparkles"

I hate this time of year.


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## Redkite (Sep 9, 2013)

Flutterby said:


> My cat (Mr Sparkles) got one for me and I instantly had him knighted to "Sir Sparkles"



Love it! . My cat got praise and a cuddle but seemed annoyed that I'd spoilt his fun by actually killing the spider instead of letting him carry on playing pouncing games with it!


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## Flutterby (Sep 9, 2013)

Ah yes, they do like to play.  The trouble is Sir S is unreliable - sometimes he's in the mood to get them and sometimes it's too much trouble.  That's why I have so many hoovers around the house!


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