Spiders!

[depravitea]

They're invading! Now that the cold weather is starting it seems like I'm running a boarding house for them! I was wondering if anyone knows of a non-chemical solution for this situation. With a baby in the house I'm reluctant to nuke them in the usual manner.
THANKS!

[LindenIsland]

Hmmm. Me myself, I don't really mind spiders, but as for a nonchemical solution, a shoe or a hardcover book works for those big hairy ones. :3 Unless, of course, you live in a warmer climate with spiders that actually, you know, cause harm.

We just have a bunch of those little spindly-legged spiders that hang out in the bathroom and bedrooms. Kind of like little boarders. They help get rid of the silverfish, at any rate. XD (Old lady that swallowed a fly, spider, all that)

I don't really know, but if they bother you that much, I suppose that the best course of action is a flyswatter and a plastic baggie. Poor spiders, though, they ain't hurtin' no one.

[geeber1]

We have tried the sonic devices, which seem to work for a while, but I think the spiders get used to them. I'm not very nice to them, I squish 'em!

[depravitea]

I don't mind wasting them individually, and it is a fun use for a bb gun, however, I was wanting to waste them all in one fell swoop
Or at least deter them from setting any one of their eight feet in my house. Oh well, the resistance stands strong!

Oh, and the spiders in question, they're huge, and the cold drives them indoors, but typically don't mind them much either, they do keep other insects in check, however these spider are pretty bold, and come right out in the open. I'm only bothered by it because my son plays on the floor when we're not outside.

[Riene]

We follow a "catch and release outside" plan with all spiders, except for the brown recluse. Those die, as quickly as possible. Ugh.

Our problem is scorpions. I hate them, hate them. They get into the house and they're aggressive.

[LindenIsland]

We actually have a big grey spider with striped legs that set up a web in our back doorway. We call her Big Momma, 'cause she had a boyfriend and then she eated him so I suppose she'll have babies maybe.
I have morning conversations with her. Funtiems.

Also, ack, SCORPIONS?! That is not "funtiems".

[Herb_Master]

Spiders have soft bodies and can easily be eaten. This makes them prey for many predators. Some nematodes and mites are parasites to spiders. Birds, lizards, scorpions and insects such as wasps, ants and centipedes catch spiders from the ground from their web.

Some wasps (Pompilidae), are specialized in spider hunting and use the captured spider to lay their eggs in. The larvae consume the spider from inside to emerge.

Spider flies (Acroceridae) attack spiders and deposit the young fly larvae into the leg of a spider. These larvae then penetrate the book lungs resulting in death of the spider.

Ants can sometimes been seen dragging a killed spider. The praying mantis can eat any insect or spider, even other praying mantises.

buy a pet, a praying mantis!

but only 1

[Intuit]

Seems like the ultrasonic deterrents actually do work, but take time. Every year I've lived here in the PNW drylands, Fall spider invasion was an annual, major issue (got bitten badly a couple times on face/neck at night)- until I took the step to eradicate exterior wall contact with large bushes/shrubs and removed all debris from around the foundation where they nest/hang out in the warm months. I trimmed back the plants that harbored them, and they stopped being an issue. No sprays needed.

In a temporary residence, between moves, did the same thing at friends house...no more spider problems, no spraying, no ultrasonic devices.

[JillDragon]

I generally don't mind spiders, but usually around August we get an invasion of these frickin' HUGE (we're talking bigger than 7 cm across) brown spiders. I don't know what species they are but they're big enough that when they bite it hurts. To deal with this I usually try and keep the floor and all the corners well-vacuumed, especially under furniture and places that don't always get a lot of traffic like storerooms. When all else fails a nice book (trashy romance novels are great for this) or a rolled up magazine works just as well.

We do get black widows here, but they generally stay outside and once they build a web they stay there. So as long as you follow common sense like wearing gloves when you raid the woodpile they're usually not a bother.

I've heard anecdotal evidence of horse-chestnuts and bitter apple repelling spiders, but I've never tried it though it may be worth a shot.

[chamekke]

Our policy is catch-and-release, always. (Hey, it's definitely a non-chemical solution!) But then we've never had an "invasion" of spiders. I don't know if we'd be quite as soft-hearted if there were scads of them...

[beecrofter]

One half of insect biomass is consumed by spiders annually, which of their food sources would you prefer? flies? roaches?

Trap them under a glass and slide a piece of paper underneath and return them to the outdoors.

[Chip]

+1.

[Zanaspus]

One half of insect biomass is consumed by spiders annually, which of their food sources would you prefer? flies? roaches?

Trap them under a glass and slide a piece of paper underneath and return them to the outdoors.

Couldn't agree more. Unfed spiders can't take refuge for long. If they are fed, I'd much rather have the spiders around the baby.

[Intuit]

"but usually around August we get an invasion of these frickin' HUGE (we're talking bigger than 7 cm across) brown spiders. I don't know what species they are but they're big enough that when they bite it hurts. "

The common name for the species is the Aggressive Brown House Spider.

See Funnel-web spiders section in the information page below.
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/ ... b1548.html

Latin name is: Tegenaria agrestis

This is the other spider genus that invades homes in the PNW in late Summer and Fall: Hololena. These are usually nonaggressive.

Other Funnel-Web Spiders.
You got a sizable spider that RUNS AT YOU in attack mode on the bathroom floor when you get up to take a leak in the middle of the night, that'll change your do-gooder mind about corralling one of these suckers to tote outdoors to safety.

*spider laughter sounds like really quiet chittering* Catch and release, yeah sure. They're right back indoors, same entry path they used in the first place by the next day. These are MOBILE, fast moving and sassy spiders.

*squint* A fed spider will still bite you or your baby, if you roll over on it while sleeping at night or pull on an article of clothing when one is inside an sleeve or pant leg.

They inflict a painful bite and it's NOT your typical nonaggressive domestic house spider found back East.

[Mrs. Chip]

I generally don't mind spiders, but usually around August we get an invasion of these frickin' HUGE (we're talking bigger than 7 cm across) brown spiders.

UGH ... I generally DO mind any spider, no matter what the size!
We have a generous supply of spiders in our neck of the woods everything from teeny tiny, to the beautifully colored black and yellow garden spider to those huge wolf spiders.

I find a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment works well to get them out of your home. Once, honestly we had one so large it actually 'clunkled' as it was sucked up the hose. Yeah, pretty disgusting and I almost threw up w/how large it was. Just want you to know that I do not go around indiscriminately killing spiders.

Give me a snake or any other creature as a matter of fact, but spiders actually give me the heebie jeebies, I really don't like 'em!

The only way I like 'em is dead and outta my home. And yes, this definitely runs contrary to my hubby's opinion, but we do comprise sometimes, as long as he can quickly get them out of my sight.

And FWI, any spider bite can be potentially harmful, as different folk react in different ways!
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