Spiders

They deter spiders but attract mice. If you wish to live and thrive let a spider run alive. Heaven knows where my mother got that from.

Slightly off piste, but the resident spider in our hall is currently enjoying a crop of harlequin ladybirds that were caught in the rather large web. Sweet justice for our native ladybirds perhaps?

Forgot to add it gives me a good reason not to clear cobwebs too often!!

The big pet store near where I live sells tarantulas. I was in there recently whilst they had one out of its glass cage to show a prospective buyer. I was mesmerised by it, it is a magnificent creature with beautiful colouring, it was covered in auburn "fur".

I didn't have the courage to handle it.

When my Ds was about 7 years old, I got a phone call from school to say that he was upset as he's been bitten by a Tarantula, I laughed and said that he had a vivid imagination and it would be an housespider
They rang back five minutes later, insisting he had a Tarantula under his bed so I ran upstairs and there in a clear, plastic box was a huge, hairy, red-kneed spider. ???
He'd swopped it for his pellet gun with a friend's big brother. ???

Craftycat
^You can get your phobia cured.
I did. It took about 20 minutes. Love spiders now.^

How did you do that?

Robert the Bruce had the right attitude to spiders; "if at first you don't succeed....etc."
You'd love OZ; Funnelwebs in NSW; Redbacks and Huntsmen (reportedly not venomous, but I don't take chances!) in VIC.
In the era of outside dunnies (still around) with no electric lights it was customary to take a stick at night to rattle around the pan to frighten off any lodgers, to ensure a more pleasant experience!, there's a saying for that, "a pain in the etc.."

OZ spiders have a ‘are you lookin’ at me?!’ Attitude
Shudder.

OZ spiders have a ‘are you lookin’ at me?!’ Attitude
Don't fret, lemongrove; It's when they say " Here's looking at you kid" it's time to run.

But don't worry; I haven't come across any called "Rick" or "Humphrey"!

^ Huntsmen (reportedly not venomous, but I don't take chances!) in VIC.^
and elsewhere - and very ready to bite!!

At the start of this thread I was going to grab back the conkers I left at my GCs the other day and distribute them around my house. Now I'm told it doesn't work and I might get mice!!! So I won't bother. Given a choice between spiders and mice I'l take spiders anytime. They do catch flies and you can scoop them up with a glass and card. Mice on the other hand are a b****r to catch.

spiders = conkers = mice = a cat
The list goes on.

I have a 'spider catcher' on a stick but can't remember where I bought it.

I used to have a great spider catcher ( a cat) he swatted them with a swift paw, and then ate them.
Watch Simons Cat on YouTube, there’s a hilarious spider episode.

Just want to say that the conkers are working here too as a spider deterrent.

I have tried various sprays, cinnamon. and conkers. to no avail. This autumn I had a wonderful idea. The spiders come in under the front door into the lobby. (My house is 215 years old). I got a man to put draught blocker strip at the bottom edge of the door. From the lobby into my hall are double glass doors. All around the edges I have put Sellotape. I have put a folded newspaper just under the half door I don't open and then pushed a heavy doormat up to the edge of the one I use. No spiders!!!

As for people who can sleep knowing that there is a spider in the room I do so admire them. If I woke up with one on me I would expire...

I use a really heavy duty spray, well, actually two.
One stops 'things' from going over it, and the other kills anything which dares to.
It almost kills me when I'm spraying it, too, but I hate spiders.
Horrible eight legged monsters!

Oh, and I almost forgot the greatest invention ever.
The electric tennis racquet.

I distributed the conkers left by my DGC around my living room. I've never seen a spider all winter. There is a spider lurking in my downstairs shower/utility room, and boy, is he a big one!

I think you're very cruel people - spiders are wonderful!
I encourage them because they trap mosquitoes which are much worse. And other flying creatures.
I don't brush down their webs, but having said that, I haven't seen any yet in this house. We had loads when we lived in the country, many different types.

ps only joking about being cruel .
As a child I was scared of spiders, so made myself collect a few and put them in a matchbox. I watched them a bit and then let them go, as I saw they were harmless.