What's the biggest you've ever seen?

Some years ago our previous neighbour was heard to shout 'John - MASSIVE spider'!! Since then they've all been called John I don't like them but don't kill them and also have one of the long handled trapdoor catchers so they get removed and deposited outside.

Wasps on the other hand I'm terrified of! At the beginning of the summer I had to go into the loft for something. As soon as I put my head through the hatch I heard buzzing and saw something flying at the other side of the loft. I was out that hatch and had the ladder back up so fast I nearly fell down the stairs and told my husband I was sure we must have a nest up there so wouldn't be going back. Last week we needed something out of there so I made him go - shut all the bedroom doors and opened the front door just in case and stood prepared for flight as he gingerly pushed the hatch up. Nothing materialised thank goodness but I'm still not convinced so the C********s tree might be a bit sparse this year unless someone else goes up there to get the decorations down

I'd been having a lovely leisurely bath, reading my book and sipping a chilled glass of wine. As I got out and the water drained away, the most enormous spider floated by and disappeared down the plug hole. I can only think it must have been hiding behind the bath pillow I use and slipped in with me
I invested in one of those boxes on a stick with a sliding door to catch the little burgers, I haven't the heart to squish them (live and let live and all that), even though I'm scared to death of them but I never want to share my bath with one again!

Dave Allen on spider in the bath:
www.facebook.com/103858572998400/videos/2148467371945588/

You're mean.. I know I'm a wimp.

MissA, in answer to your question, I think it's for him/her to wave to us as she gaily goes about her business.?

Is it true that they serve us very well in helping to keep down the numbers of more troublesome house pests?
I heard that somewhere, and have seen spiders in a much better light ever since

We have one that lives under the piece of furniture in the corner. Around nine pm it marches out and marches straight across the floor, no shame, straight in front of us. I don’t know where it goes other than into the next room, but the next evening it appears from under the furniture again. This has been going on for several years, always in the autumn/winter time. The present one must be the great, great, great, great, great, grandchild of the original.

Years ago, our cats used to catch them and crunch them, but we’re a catless family now, and anyway during his last few years our last cat just lazily watched them, but couldn’t be bothered to move, let alone catch and crunch them.

We lived in Brazil when I was 12.

I am not sure you want to know how big some of the spiders were.

I really really wish I had never looked at this thread, I’m a bag of nerves, I won’t be back!

AAAAARRRRGHHH! NOO!
That's monstrous!

A couple of weeks ago we had a massive one sitting at the inside garage window, so much so that I took a picture of it.... from the outside... hence the poor quality of the pic taken through the not very often washed garage window.

In Kenya we had 'wall spiders' which were about the size of my hand, but were harmless except to mosquitos, so were quite welcome to live in my house - or at least in the spare room.

I have to admit that the words "Actress" and Bishop" dis spring to mind!!

It is unnerving when you actually hear their footsteps as they cross the room!
I used a beer glass to catch one on Sunday, and its legs barely fitted in the space - I could hear it knocking on the sides of the glass, trying to escape, as i carried it out (ok, I might have imagined that bit).

Well I could tell all but as I am a "lady"
I will keep it to myself.

Gosh I misread the title. Nearly put my weight ?

Aaaarrgghh!
That's horrible!

Why has it got one extra long leg at the front?!

It makes me feel queasy.

We had this one looking at me a few days ago, by the back door
Ours are all called Fred, but don't usually make themselves known until October, when they just suddenly appear in the middle of the carpet.

Oh please don't say that!
It makes me all quivery!

Oh yes, this is the time of year when big house spiders make their presence felt! But they are HOUSE spiders - tegenaria domesticum and their habitat is inside, not outside! The big 'uns are usually females, at this time of year the males will go in search of her in the hope of mating.

I had a HUGE one scuttle across the hearth last week, but thankfully they don't bother me, I'm just thankful they keep other bugs down.

They certainly seem bigger this year.

Surely they'd only catch flies if they built a big web?
Ugh!

‘Tis the season.....
I met a huge black house spider that was pottering along the corridor the other day, and another was clinging to my dressing gown ( I wasn’t wearing it, it was hung up!)
Where were these guys when we had flies in July and August?

I love spiders in the house as they kill all the flies, my DH makes it his mission to put them all outside. I watched the other day as he carefully place a large one just outside the patio door and it very soon scurried through the open window next to the door. I didn’t tell him? it is getting cold and they need to keep warm ?

We seem to be big spider central this year. Findat least one or two a day. Found granddaughter standing on toilet seat screaming as one had surprised her in the bathroom. We used to call them ‘Boris’ (Who fans will know why) but are having to think of an alternative now.

DH likes to leave food for them, they never eat it! He always names them, nearest he gets to a pet.