Poorly chicken

[whoopsie]

Is it me or are they getting bigger too? I employed the hoover technique for a monster the other day. Thanks for the tip about using the brush attatchment - that was much more effective.

 

Of course I then had to empty the Dyson in the bin whereby I dropped the cylinder in it, fished it out and got covered in dust, and then had to take another shower in order to wash my hair - which had just dried.

 

Bloody spiders.

 

OH says throw a telephone directory at it. No I don't think it really works especially as he then leaves said directory for someone else to move and clean up later.

[patsylabrador]

Have you seen pictures of camel spiders from the Middle East - yucky!

In this month's Focus mag they gave a short answer to why we're scared of spiders in Europe. The theory is that spiders were ' mistakenly associated with disease in the Middle Ages - paticularly with the Black Death. This led to a cultural aversion which has been handed down through the generations ever since.'

The article has a funny little picture of a spider wearing a 'Friday 13th' mask.

[whoopsie]

Camel spiders are very wierd indeed - and the reason not to fall asleep under a tree in the Middle East!

 

It's the legs that cause problems for me - they just have too many!!!

[Ziggy]

I used to be quite bad, refusing to get in a room if there was a spider in it, even a tiny one... I'd scream the place down if finding one close to me anywhere... this isn't convenient when you live alone or DH is working abroad and not coming home for another 5 days and the spider is in the kitchen!! Then I had my first child and decided not to pass on my fear to them as it had spoiled so many of my evenings, sitting upright in a sofa with my knees to my chin and afraid to walk across the room...

I forced myself to look at one, from a far safe distance, then took the plunge and at a 'hands on' zoo animal centre place, held a tarentula (spelling??)... DH couldn't believe it!! I nearly did freak out totally when the lady put the spider on my hand, but the thought of dropping it and having the zoo taking me to court for harming their precious bug kept me still, so I just closed my eyes, felt the weight on my hand, with the lady at the zoo now looking at me in slight concern for her spider, and then opened my eyes and was fine... I actually liked the way it felt and looked...

 

I still don't like when a spider crawls past unexpectedly, or finding one somewhere where I've just rummaged with my hands, but I am much better, and my girls aren't so scared of them... one of them actually picks them up in her hands to take them to the garden, and is now the official 'spider removal rescue squad' in the house...

 

Now... there's a thought... anyone wants to hire her services??

[kinsk]

You have my absolute sympathy. The site of one makes me feel physically sick and I go all hot and clammy.

 

I think this is the worst time of year for them really isn't it, there always seems to be more of them and bigger than normal coming in.

 

You are doing better than me, no way could I squash one with a tissue, I couldn't even pick a dead one up with a tissue!

 

If I am on my own and needs absolute must I can just about manage to hammer one with a shoe. If I hoover them up I have to leave the hoover running and then get OH to empty it immediately as I'm convinced once it stops sucking they'll crawl back out. Catching them and putting them outside is not allowed as they just come back in, many an episode of me stood on the setee shouting "no kill it, kill it"

 

A few years ago I found an amazing spray. We'd had it ages and I don't think you can get it anymore, it was originally for pet fleas in carpets but kills spiders too.

 

I've heard that rosemary is pretty good for keeping them away as well as conkers.

[Lavenders_Blue]

If I hoover them up I have to leave the hoover running and then get OH to empty it immediately as I'm convinced once it stops sucking they'll crawl back out.

 

I used to do this too But I read somewhere (I forget where now) that spiders can't survive deing sucked up the hoover, their bodies are quite soft apparently and the force of the suction squishes them Okay, I'm grossed out now.

[kinsk]

If I hoover them up I have to leave the hoover running and then get OH to empty it immediately as I'm convinced once it stops sucking they'll crawl back out.

 

I used to do this too But I read somewhere (I forget where now) that spiders can't survive deing sucked up the hoover, their bodies are quite soft apparently and the force of the suction squishes them Okay, I'm grossed out now.

 

I'm still not willing to take the risk. Last week I was doing a mad dash round with the hoover before some friends arrived and sucked one up, unfortunately OH was outside and didn't come in until they'd got here. Of course he knew what was going on as soon as he saw the unattended still running hoover and informed our friends with much that he had to empty it right now otherwise the spider would eat all the contents of the hoover and re-emerge as a mutant spider hell bent on revenge

[Ziggy]

Of course he knew what was going on as soon as he saw the unattended still running hoover and informed our friends with much that he had to empty it right now otherwise the spider would eat all the contents of the hoover and re-emerge as a mutant spider hell bent on revenge

 

 

Oh dear... not much sympathy for our deepest fears... I guess phobias seem odd to people who don't share them, but then spider phobia is quite common!! I get irritated by people who are scared of mice, rats or birds, as I really like them, but then I suppose to them, a phobia is a phobia and they must feel terrified...

 

Edited to add... my OH taught me to get rid of spiders by trapping them in a glass, put a piece of card on top, and take them outside (as an animal lover, vegetarian, sentimental hippie and so on, I couldn't possibly kill them)... that was years ago before I was 'cured' of my spider fears... so after he taught me that, whenever there was no one around and no other choice, I'd go and pick the biggest vase in the house (and that was a big heavy thing, believe me, with VERY thick glass), and the Times World Atlas (our biggest, thickest book), and used those.... sometimes I lost the spider in the process, as it was too tiny to be found amongst those huge helpful accessories... I wonder what the neighbours must have thought, seeing me come out of the house from time to time with those big heavy things, put them on the floor and run away... maybe there is a social security psychiatric file about me somewhere

[CatieB]

For an update.

 

Some time later DH did a complete spring clean of the lounge and found bodies of spiders... I'm not sure any of them were large enough to be the original offender but then again I'm sure my imagination makes it larger every time I think of it.

 

I still do not feel at home or relaxed in my lounge and there have been a few more large ones running in from the SAME DIRECTION. Have I done something and they are sent to terrorise me. Plus they seem to be the fastest monsters ever. Has there been some sort of spider olympic championship nearby??

 

I have worked out that alot of it is the thought of them touching my skin. I feel more in control if my skin and feet are covered but still its a bad reaction. I can not bring myself to even touch a dead carcuss. DH thinks I've lost the plot

[karlotta]

hoovering a spider up and screaming at the same time...

 

This is EXACTLY what I do! I swear the last one hung onto the wall for a god couple of seconds last time... another palm sized one!

 

What a creepy thread - I'm itching just reading it!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

It was like the film "Arachnaphobia" in our living room last night . (That was available to watch too, but we watched Avatar instead!)

 

I caught a huge spider under a coffee mug, then ES saw an even huger one running under the telly . We managed to catch them plus a baby one and released them into the wild .

 

I'm not keen on spiders but can manage to catch them (as long as they don't touch me ).