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They're here again! (That time of year)

(94 Posts)
phoenix Thu 28-Sept-17 20:38:14

The spiders are appearing indoors again, a monster one in the downstairs loo, and a quite impressive one was just spotted scuttling behind the sitting room curtains, yet another sign of the turning of the seasons.

Does the timing vary across the regions? (I'm in Devon)

SueDonim Tue 03-Oct-17 22:33:56

Let's hope for a sharp frost tonight, Katek!

Katek Tue 03-Oct-17 17:36:13

Success! Search and destroy mission discovered two of the not so little devils! One behind the bed and one behind the bedside cabinet along with a lot of fluff, a tissue, 2 paracetamol which I lost a while ago and the cap from my inhaler. DH has evicted them to the great outdoors where they can take their chances.

Chewbacca Tue 03-Oct-17 12:14:28

This is one of my house guests. He scurried out of the logs that are stacked up in the fireplace. Pretty ain't he?

Katek Tue 03-Oct-17 09:01:21

The cat and I spent a peaceful night in the spare bed - well it's actually his bed (so he thinks) so I was lucky that he deigned to share his sleeping quarters. DH braved the bed of doom muttering about it only being a spider. The hunt starts this morning......

SueDonim Mon 02-Oct-17 23:01:28

No, you don't, Katek. You get a blow torch and you burn down your house, just to be extra sure it's gone! grin

Telly Mon 02-Oct-17 21:48:07

Katek - I would go to the spare room and put something to block the bottom of the door. But that's me......

Chewbacca Mon 02-Oct-17 21:33:45

Katek yes!

phoenix Mon 02-Oct-17 21:32:58

Amazing/interesting thing today, my office is in the upstairs of a barn conversion, proper kitchen downstairs.

Boss came in, went to the kitchen to make tea. We were having a conversation when I spotted a pretty large spider on the floor.It was holding a tiny piece of paper between it's 2 front legs!

I was fascinated, and pointed it out to my boss. He wanted to stamp on it! Now, I'm not a great spider fan, but don't like killing them, so there followed a bit of gentle manoeuvring with a dustpan and brush (by me, my boss decided that he really must check his emails, big wuss!) and the spider was safely put outside.

But no doubt, it will be back............wink

Katek Mon 02-Oct-17 21:32:43

There is one lurking around my bed this evening-spotted it on the valance 10 minutes ago but it's now shot off under the bed. Do I decamp to the spare room??

Chewbacca Mon 02-Oct-17 21:10:33

I've just moved a bag off the floor in the living room and the biggest, fattest spider that I've ever seen has just scuttled out! Really don't mind spiders normally, but this one is enormous! I've got my feet up off the floor now! Time to try out the conker theory I think.

Legs55 Mon 02-Oct-17 20:38:45

Phoenix I'm in Devon too, had spiders around for a few weeks. They don't bother me at all, in fact one caught a wasp in it's web in the summer, spiders are my friends (I hate wasps).

I walked into my Lounge the other morning & a spider had spun a web from floor to ceiling, sorry Mr/Mrs Spider but that's not allowed even if my house remains fly free, I do have my rulesgrin

The funny thing is my DD is terrified of spiders, haven't a clue where that comes fromconfused.

SueDonim Sun 01-Oct-17 16:34:34

The mouse has gone! My stupid cats just sat and watched it go part way into a humane mousetrap then back out again and run around in front of them. hmm

Greed overcome it and next time it went for the peanut butter, the trap door shut. I released it into a field.

One of the cats then ate a minute spider that even I wasn't afraid of. grin

Elliebeth Sun 01-Oct-17 15:03:05

I buy spider defence from Amazon and also spray with lemon oil in water. Do it every three weeks here and at the caravan which is way out in the countryside. Apart from one or two dangly leg ones at home not seen anything else. Something seems to be working. I'm in Lancashire.

dolphindaisy Sun 01-Oct-17 14:43:16

On my last visit to my daughter in Australia I suddenly noticed an absolute MONSTER on her living room wall - she just shrugged and said "It's only a Huntsman - won't harm you" it certainly cured me of fearing the English varieties.

FarawayGran Sun 01-Oct-17 00:38:30

The largest spider I have ever seen was behind my pillows .
I called DH for help and he said he'd never seen one that size. he tried to catch it but it ran down the back of the bed.
I slept in the spare room that night.

Katek Sat 30-Sept-17 23:01:34

We have them in north Aberdeenshire-DH evicted 3 from main bathroom a couple of weeks ago. I inadvertently shared my shower with one last night, didn't see it when I stepped in then turned slightly to wash down left side and there it was! I exited the shower pdq - no bravery here - and sent DH into the front line. I managed to drop a plastic bowl on one when DH was out the other day-kept waiting for the bowl to move across the carpet. These things are huge!

Nanna58 Sat 30-Sept-17 22:49:50

First winter without my beloved and intrepid cat Archie, who could be called upon to deal with whoppers- he used to flatten them with a quick paw swipe then eat them- you are sorely missed old man.

maddy629 Sat 30-Sept-17 18:50:24

They have reached Cambridgeshire too, luckily my cat soon chases them away. I'm terrified of them.

sluttygran Sat 30-Sept-17 17:58:29

Don't mind spiders at all, and like radicalnan I enjoy seeing their webs all sparkling with dew on a crisp autumn morning. DGD was enchanted yesterday because the spiders had 'left their diamonds on the bushes!'

pollyperkins Sat 30-Sept-17 16:53:31

I too am a firm believer in conkers as a spider repellant, to the vast amusement of the rest of the family.

Craftycat Sat 30-Sept-17 16:01:36

I heard on a TV Wildlife programme that the males live outside all year & the females mostly indoors & usually upstairs. The males come into house at this time pf year to find the girls & then die.
Having has NLP phobia curing a few years back I don't mind them at all ( I used to be petrified of them) & am quite happy to help a male upstairs to find a mate.
We have had so many flies this year that they have been very welcome but I do get fed up clearing all the webs up.

SueDonim Sat 30-Sept-17 15:28:21

My daughter heard a spider in her flat the other day! shock She'd already spotted it but it disappeared amongst her uni books and notes. She then heard a strange noise and looked up to see it waltzing over one of those polypockets for paper!

It escaped again and she hopes it's gone down the floorboards into the flat beneath her.

The mouse is still in our house. We've spotted it a couple of times but haven't managed to catch it.

nipsmum Sat 30-Sept-17 14:42:13

Large spiders have arrived in Aberdeen I have already disposed of 3 this week.

brunswick Sat 30-Sept-17 13:32:44

Spiders reside in the fluorescent oval light outside my kitchen door, The hide under there and I see them peeping out. They come out at night and if I see them I brush them off with a broom! More always appear. And they used to come in at this time of year. I am getting clever now at spotting the eggs, and brush them off so that they cannot multiply. I tried the conker thing, but you need to make a hole in the conker for them to be effective. Recently I have purchased a an anti spider spray which is effectively chestnut oil and it seems to have done the trick. At the moment there are no spiders lurking atall.

Kathjohn32 Sat 30-Sept-17 13:32:17

We've had them since late August and I was hoping the mating season was coming to an end (I'm in East Yorkshire). Every year I buy No More Spiders from Amazon and spray
around daily and it seems to stop
them rushing across the floor.