Spiders

I would have bitten you too if you had rubbed my leg between your fingers rosesared

I wouldn't have done!

Yes, Eloethan I have been bitten by a spider in the house. I picked up what I thought was a bit of thread on the carpet [no glasses on!] and was talking to DH and absent mindedly rubbing the bit of thread between my fingers as I did so when suddenly it felt as if a pin had been pushed into my thumb. I dropped the bit of thread and it scarpered towards the door, the cat saw it, grabbed it and then suddenly spat it out again [it had bitten him as well] this small brown spider then shook itself and rushed off behind the wardrobe. We all fell about laughing.

Around this time of year, we regularly get very big spiders legging it across the sitting room. Used to frighten the cats when we had cats. You can't see where they come from or where they exit so we leave them to their own devices. I was told that they were females and just looking for a mate.

home.bt.com/news/sciencenews/britains-most-poisonous-spider-revealed-11363930209761
Coincidentally, this item featued on the BT home page this morning - don't view if you are phobic!

I've never been bothered about spiders and have quite happily picked them up in my hand and put them outside. My son's partner told me spiders can bite. I didn't believe her but when I did a search just to check, I found she was right. I'll be a bit more careful in future.

Has anyone on GN been bitten by a spider?

They don't come UP the plughole, they fall in an cannot get out. Leave a towel or tea towel hanging over side of bath then they can escape. Glass and a post card works to pop over and slide under. I see that escape routes for spiders already mentioned, must get one of those ladders for me and my mad friend.

I`m TERRIFIED of them, daren`t even turn the tap on over the bath, because the pesky little beggars always seem to run away before the water hits them. I`m scared of most insects and creepy crawlies though, the exceptions being butterflies, ladybirds and caterpillars. My husband thinks it`s ludicrous that I love picking up caterpillars and snakes, but will run away from a worm, and that I love butterflies, yet am scared stiff of moths.

I don't have a problem with spiders at all but I have noticed they seem to be getting bigger every year! I really don't remember spiders as big as they are now.

I'm very fond of spiders, and like Brendawymms, put a length of loo roll over the side of the bath to let them leave at their leisure. At certain times of the year, we get enormous ones here in the house - you can almost hear them stamping across the floor as they make their way through the living room! The cat stays well away from them, as does DH, but I assist them outside with the glass and piece of card method.

Down the plughole - what a shame, really. They are such useful and inocuous animals- and we should welcome them in our home. Ours are enormous, and all called Fred. If one gets in the way too much, I just put a glass over it, take a piece of card to lift it and put it back in the garden.

Do you know jollyg, where and when that fear of spiders happened to you? I must say I am so glad both my parents taught me not to fear spiders and other safe animals... as the fear from one parent is so easily passed on to generations.

I was really frightened of them as a child, but forced myself to try and overcome it when I had my own children. I now find them fascinating and also use loo roll to help them out of the bath. Not so keen on the ones with thin legs, they seem to eat the other sorts.

"If you want to live and thrive, let a spider run alive". This was said by my mother all the time, so it's what I do. DS2 can't stand them, almost to phobia point but I think he suffered what I believe is called 'formication' (skin crawling sensation) as a result of antibiotics as a child.

A length of string or similar hanging from the tap will work as a spider ladder, too!

I have a little ladder in the bath to aid their exit. (It was a joky present).

If I find a spider in the bath I put a length of loo roll in to reach the bottom and over the edge. Then leave for a while and the spider will climb up it and leave. No one or thing injured!

I read somewhere that if you wash them down the plughole they just cling on and come back up. I have a clear plastic tub which had mixed peel in it and use that to catch spiders. If I can get them into the tub with a bit of card over the top I can see where they are so that when I get them into the garden I know that they will fall out and not on to me !

My Bengal cat eats spiders, so I put her in the bath when I am not brave enough to remove one. The other day there was a medium sized one in my bed when I pulled back the covers to get in, I just brushed it off onto the floor. I don't worry as long as I can't see them!

My DH used to call spiders his pets!! I hate them with a vengence and usually hoover them up then empty the bag onto the lawn, I spray round windows and doors with "No More Spiders" which deters them. I bought it online from a company called Homecare Essentials but I think Lakeland may sell something similar

Found Shelob's love child when I was taking down a hay basket yesterday (fancy window box type thingy) and was a very brave girl and put it on the garden. DH loves spiders and calls them all Cedric and likes looking at them and I know he lets them be when he sees them in the house and he knows where they are living and doesn't tell me. when we had a dog he used to eat them and the crane flies.

I love spiders. All that artistry and hard work in spinning webs.

Keep your plug in ...?