PeteByrdie
Privateer in the service of Princess Frideswide
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2014
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- 3,517
Is it my imagination, or is anyone else in the UK finding an awful lot of spiders and spider webs around this year? We seem inundated.
Funny you should ask that Pete, because only this morning I was thinking that I have hardly seen any large spiders at all this year, except one biggie that I spotted on the wall of a friend's garage a few weeks ago. And I have been doing a lot of clearing out of sheds, and attics and such like. A couple of years ago was a bumper year round here for what my dad used to called 'racehorse' spiders, i.e. the ones so big you can hear them approaching! So far this year, nothing.... though I expect I have spoken too soon....Is it my imagination, or is anyone else in the UK finding an awful lot of spiders and spider webs around this year? We seem inundated.
Well, we are coming up to mating season for these big boys and girls.Funny you should ask that Pete, because only this morning I was thinking that I have hardly seen any large spiders at all this year, except one biggie that I spotted on the wall of a friend's garage a few weeks ago. And I have been doing a lot of clearing out of sheds, and attics and such like. A couple of years ago was a bumper year round here for what my dad used to called 'racehorse' spiders, i.e. the ones so big you can hear them approaching! So far this year, nothing.... though I expect I have spoken too soon....
I've mentioned on this forum before about the amount and size of spiders we get in this house at this time of year. Huge buggers, the size of my hand.Well, we are coming up to mating season for these big boys and girls.
Conkers are supposed to deter spidersI'm giving that a try, definitely. On my dad's boat we use electronic spider scarers, and they seem to work. But we have three on a boat less than 40 foot, and the batteries need changing frequently. So, I'm not filling the house with them.
Conkers are supposed to deter spiders
So I've heard. I've also been in one of those houses where they leave conkers around to deter spiders, and watched a big house spider crawl over a conker, laughing, sticking a middle finger up at the conker. Well, he may not have done the finger thing. But I'm sure I heard him laughing.Conkers are supposed to deter spiders
That's exactly what the spray I buy smells like - peppermint. Dont know why spiders dont like the smell of peppermint though ????A friend of mine uses about 10 drops of essential oil - usually citrus or peppermint in a spray bottle of water and a few drops of liquid soap to make the oil mix with the water. From what she'd told me it seems to keep them away.
Or it was just a shed, and it is now biggerI had to go down to the Annexe this morning, where old furniture is stored. I've heard it's incredibly creepy, and of course the first thing I saw when I unlocked the door and opened it was a massive-arse spider hanging on the inside of the door. Fortunately it was dead!
Thank goodness I cured myself of the worst of my arachnophobia, because that's not a nice thought!Or it was just a shed, and it is now bigger![]()
Massive-arse spiders are easily my least favourite.I had to go down to the Annexe this morning, where old furniture is stored. I've heard it's incredibly creepy, and of course the first thing I saw when I unlocked the door and opened it was a massive-arse spider hanging on the inside of the door. Fortunately it was dead!
I use to have 2 tarantulas, the biggest was the size of my handMassive-arse spiders are easily my least favourite.
What species did you have? I'm currently dreaming about a modest collection of the following:I use to have 2 tarantulas, the biggest was the size of my hand
I had a Chile rose,What species did you have? I'm currently dreaming about a modest collection of the following:
T. vagans
A. geniculata
A. seemanni
C. versicolor
That covers terrestrial, fossorial and arboreal, which seems reasonable to me. Something has shifted for me with the genic, they used to give me the fear, even after I'd become interested in keeping. I'd maybe add in B. emilia and/or C. cyaneopubescens to round off the half-dozen.
[Huge disgusting spiders] Aswell as 2 Imperial scorpions, 2 fire salamanders, a sand boa, a chinchilla and a cat.
Pet tarantulas ..... OMG NO ,,,!!! My worst nightmare .
My current abode is a 2 bed ground floor apartment, it's a grand old Victorian house that's been carved up into flats. Its my flat that's attached to the cellar , it's incredibly creepy.... Complete with a stone table that was once used for the servants to do baking/cooking prep on ( I think) , although it reminds me of a Victorian morgue table , like the one with the dead prostitutes on it in "From Hell " film. .... Creepy.
Said cellar is infested with harvestmen , them skinny spiders. I can cope with them. See about 10 about the house daily .
My previous house was very rural and we used to get inundated with Giant British House Spiders..... Big buggers running wild around the skirting each night.... Hate them!!! My ex partner I lived with there, is very old school and just would pick them up and kill them in his bare hand ...... Yuk! I'm like HOW CAN YOU TOUCH THEM......Awful.
At least the things are harmless unlike false widows, glad we have not encountered them. Kids have had limbs amputated after a bite with those monstrosities!
I only saw 1 monster spider here last season...... Good. I killed it with the spider electrocuter from Poundland. Looks like a tennis bat. Works on wasps n all nastys.
I shall try the peppermint spray. Might keep the harvestmen in the cellar.
I may do a vid of my creepy spidery cellar if anyone wants to see it.....complete with stone morgue table.,
What a weirdo.Oh should have mentioned. An ex neighbour of mine used to eat spiders.
If ever I was out of the house and Mrs DT spotted a Cardinal, she would knock next door and he would come round, pick it up, pop it in his mouth and chew and swallow the bloody thing.
He was an ex copper though, so I’m thinking zero tolerance with spiders in the house, and zero tolerance with chavs on the streets – I like that way of thinking![]()
What a weirdo.
Harvestmen arent actually spiders and are a quite fascinating creature.Yes harevestmen are the skinny ones. I didn't know we are not supposed to kill them now,.... Got me feeling guilty now !
The 'skinny ones' could be cellar spiders, which are actual spiders, or harvestmen, which are a different order of arachnids. Both are known as 'daddy longlegs' in different places, although in the UK that name generally refers to the insect otherwise called craneflies.Yes harevestmen are the skinny ones. I didn't know we are not supposed to kill them now,.... Got me feeling guilty now !
Yes, cellar spiders have multiple body segmentsThe 'skinny ones' could be cellar spiders, which are actual spiders, or harvestmen, which are a different order of arachnids. Both are known as 'daddy longlegs' in different places, although in the UK that name generally refers to the insect otherwise called craneflies.
Strangely, neither of these creatures set off my arachnophobia. Also, both of them 'dance'. Sometimes, if you knock near to a harvestman, it'll dance, and sometimes, if you disturb a cellar spider in its web, it'll rapidly vibrate for a while. But the weirdest thing some harvestmen do, I think, is gather together and pretend to be hair.Yes, cellar spiders have multiple body segments
View attachment 44189
And harvestmen have a single body segment.
View attachment 44190