Spiders invade – this means war!
Last year I promised to report on any spider repellents that worked.
Sad to say, a plethora of conkers at every door and copious spraying of No More Spiders deterrent spray (ha!) has had zero effect on this year’s invaders, of which, according to The Guardian, there are even more this year.
The eight-legged blighters are definitely bigger. We’ve certainly had three of the largest arachnids I’ve seen since holidaying in France gave me heart failure every time I had to use the bathroom.
Our home’s spider-finding general (my husband) is now on strike over using the cup-and-card method of spider-evacuation. The sucker-upper I bought last year is too small to suck up the size of spider we’re getting. The cat plays spider snooker when he sees one but refuses to take them outside.
As a lifelong arachnophobe, I’m left with no choice but to return to tried-and-tested methods! Now where’s that boot…
The only true spider repellent...
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- Good year for spiders sparks a surge of arachnophobia (guardian.co.uk)
Tags: Arachnophobia, Spider
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September 21, 2011 at 10:35 am
It must be tough if spiders really give you the creeps that much. But the fact is they are great devourers of flies, mossies, midges and other nasty, unhygenic creepy crawlies that also infest your home. My mother always said they were lucky and would never kill them, so I don’t. I also always remember a proverb I heard when back packing in Bali years ago: “Remember, the spider is always more scared of you than you are of him.” I believe there is only one native (orangy-brown) spider that can truly give you a bite you can feel, it feeds on woodlice, lives under stones etc has stumpy legs and moves slower than a wino at closing time. So you’ve got to be going some for it to hurt you. Good luck with the mission!
September 21, 2011 at 10:42 am
I know, I know! My guilt levels are rising. But it’s the scuttling around I can’t bear. I don’t like killing them. Not only is it a victory for flies but also makes a nasty mess on carpets. I just wish someone would invent a device for handling them at a distance that really works. Anything battery-driven has so far been useless. A friend of mine recommended an old-fashioned mop but the thought of one scuttling up the broom handle really puts me off!!! Oh well, roll on Winter.
September 21, 2011 at 1:30 pm
I’m sure you’d rather not kill them – clearly your fear drives you to arachnocide!
As you may recall I’ve been nipped by a large house spider, which surprised me more than anything else. It’s obviously because it really didn’t enjoy being transported by a giant prehensile, multi-fingered extremity (yes, that’s my hand).
I used to have a slight fear of arachnids so I do have some sympathy. If I’m anyone to go by it seems people can get over it.
Or failing that I guess you’ll just have to carry on with the boot.
September 21, 2011 at 1:38 pm
I spoke to a hypnotherapist once and she said it was a learned response and easy to reverse. My parents both loathed them and my brother and sister are equally squeamish, so I guess she’s right.
Maybe it’s time to take the plunge and try hypnosis. Anything is better than ‘facing your fear’ and being forced to touch them (oh ugh!).
September 29, 2011 at 4:00 pm
[...] Spiders invade – this means war! (alisonharmer.wordpress.com) Conkers, google, Spider Posted in: Google insights for search, Identifying trends &larr
October 3, 2011 at 10:39 am
I have found a new device! It’s from iwantoneofthose.com and it gets five stars for awesomeness – although I found it takes some practice and fast response times to be truly effective.
http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/spider-catcher/index.html