Spiders!!

I have a spider phobia-yes I do understand about their place in the world and won’t harm me and all that but. . .they give me the heebie jeebies! I keep the windows shut at this time of year in the hope I can just keep them out and away from
me!

I'm afraid any that come into my space get whacked with my electric tennis racket.

Glad to say I haven't seen any of the big hairy ones so far this year.
I did however buy this 'seasonal' birthday card the other day, for an upcoming male birthday!

3dognight -
As you say, maybe we have to leave it up to Mother Nature.

Just come in from watering patio plants, and there are some big webs about. One spider had just caught a honey bee and was wrapping it up. I felt bad for the bee to be honest, so I sprayed the spider with water, it hid under a leaf. Then I felt bad for the spider! As some one above said , it's all about the balance of nature, and I will leave them them alone when I next water.

Like others I like spiders and would never kill one. They trap and kill more dangerous insects.
Especially mosquitoes, which I dread.

A massive one scuttled down the passage the other day and tried to go under the garage door - I caught it in the trapdoor catcher I've got and it only just fitted!! Put it outside but it probably ran round the house and back in under the garage door!

We regularly watch Bondi Vet on tv and last week a family called in a vet friend after seeing a big spider in their house - he finally located it behind the TV and caught it in a box - it was the deadly funnel web. He then said it's female mate must be around so they set to and finally found it in a hole in the garden. He brought them both back in to show the children so that they would understand and not be afraid but have a healthy respect for them. I'd have been hiding upstairs!!

Yugh not Hugh thanks autocorrect

I love spiders as they catch flies. I have a particular spot in my bathroom where spiders spin a web and lay their eggs (?) in a little sack. It’s fascinating to watch the sack grow and then one day there are little bits of ‘fluff’ in the web. They hang around for a few days and then they are gone, mostly never to be seen again. On the flip side my DD works in AandE and had to pull a spider out of a man’s ear, Hugh.

It would be better to concentrate on filling gaps and draught proofing - to prevent them coming in! They all try to at this time of the year.

Thanks to all who care for spiders and say so. This helps to dispel spider phobia, and is true.

Never kill one (except by accident) but can’t bear having them around. Catch them and put them outside. If they want to get back in they’ll have to climb up two flights of stairs ?

I agree that all wildlife including spiders and insects need our protection. I would never kill a spider no matter how small or large. I catch them and put them outside. If you are worried they will come back inside then deposit them further away from the house. Don't forget they are important for keeping down flies and other pests.

I would never kill a spider, I had to wrangle one in my daughter's bathroom this week, took it down stairs and placed on a bush.

They are part of the ecosystem/food chain and help keep natures balance.

oops I’m with you?

We need all the insect life we can get our hands on in this world where species are being destroyed at a catastrophic rate.

My home is spider heaven. I would never kill one. We have a tiny ladder dangling from the bathroom taps for any escapes that may be needed. At present we have an amazing web from the garage wall to the side of the house so we are avoiding walking that way. I think most houses have plenty of spiders inside. They will do no harm

???. We enjoy watching them dash from hiding place to hiding place. They do disappear though, not sure where.

I do occasionally catch them and put them outside, but mostly leave them to their own little world.

Caught two big ones this week. Both in the living room. They got sucked up the vacuum cleaner.

Aren't the horrible big ones the females anyway?

Whichever, I don't like them much either, especially when they're dangling over the bed at bedtime! DH (sometimes me) knocks them down into a box and throws them out of the window so that it's safe to go to bed.

My understanding is the the ugly big hairy ones are male spiders who come in at this time of year looking for a mate!

For the past couple of years I have been vigilant at removing any spider I see in Spring and Summer, especially the daddy long leg type as I think they are the females. My theory is that if there are no female spiders in my house, the horrible big ones will not come looking for them!

It seems to have worked as I did not see any last year, but then is it just that my eye sight is worse?

I once watched a TV programme about spiders who were gently put outside the house only to immediately crawl back inside!