Your spider season so far. (No pics, please; tyvm.)

[sammyc]

For those who do not wish to befriend and name their this year's house spiders, as suggested by the BBC, any horror stories so far?

Yesterday I did a double-take in my hallway and realized I was looking at a specimen that had, I kid you not, decided that an eye-level cube of the tall white storage unit I keep DIY stuff in at the moment was a good gig. Yes, house-spider in a white cube like some hideous art installation. If I'd had the stomach for it I could have photographed it for the next Turner prize, "Urban Paranoia with Grade 3 Sandpaper" or something.

Complicated 3 stage disposal followed, details upon request.

[g8ina]

Please respect the wishes of the OP if he asks for NO PICS !!

Folks with fears of spiders are quite real.

[flearider]

Had a few small ones...
But have 2 of those spider repelling things one plugged in upstair and one downstairs...
Might not work but helps me sort my head out

[stevie lee]

sisters started bringing her cacti collection in from the greenhouse, so am expecting quite a few of the hairy little things crawling off them.

she keeps saying "imagine the amount of other insects there would be if the spiders weren't eating them".

so its either the mild inconvenience of seeing a small 2" spider running across the carpet at 3am, or living with thousands of other unknown crawlies living in the dark recesses of the room, and in slippers.

[TooNice]

I've been waging war against stealthy blood suckers known as mosquitos and wished for some spider allies.

[MaddAussie]

After living in Aus for most of my formative years you'd think I was immune to the tinneny tiny ones you get over here?

No siree Bob!

Still freak me out...

I also have a fear of moths, well Aussie moths that are the size of small birds...

[sammyc]

Had a few small ones...
But have 2 of those spider repelling things one plugged in upstair and one downstairs...
Might not work but helps me sort my head out

I tend to have 3 'incidents' per Sept/Oct so after that I think, that's me done then. Unscientific but it boosts morale, so if something works on some level, I'll take it.

Granted up to a point they're useful, just don't want them in any proximity - I don't kill 'em, & all the other unknown crawlies are pretty much ok by me as far as it goes. Moths is an interesting one because visually I'm fine with them unlike the subject of thread, but not that keen on the way they bat round lights &c so I can imagine me and supersized ones might not be best mates.

so its either the mild inconvenience of seeing a whacking great 2" spider running across the carpet at 3am, or living with thousands of other unknown crawlies living in the dark recesses of the room, and in slippers.

^ Last edited by sammyc; Today at 7.57 PM. Reason; factual inaccuracy. 2" is not a little spider.

[g8ina]

[TooNice]

@sammyc

Out of curiosity you uncomfortable with all spiders (including those tiny ones) or only once they reach certain size?

Knowing that there are poisonous spiders that are toxic to humans stops me from grabbing one directly with my fingers, but as far as appearance is concerned, I can say that they bother me too much.

While on the subject of insects I would like to name drop the emerald cockroach wasp. Is there anything else as fascinating out there?

[Xlucine]

There's a super long-legged one that's set up shop on my bedroom ceiling - it's in the corner by the door, and I haven't seen it move in at least a month (it is alive, I just poked it with a pen and it did an impression of a blender). The legs make it pretty large (~2" across), but the body itself is tiny (maybe 2x2x5mm)

@sammyc

Out of curiosity you uncomfortable with all spiders (including those tiny ones) or only once they reach certain size?

Knowing that there are poisonous spiders that are toxic to humans stops me from grabbing one directly with my fingers, but as far as appearance is concerned, I can say that they bother me too much.

While on the subject of insects I would like to name drop the emerald cockroach wasp. Is there anything else as fascinating out there?

Wasps are interesting on a keep-it-away-from-me level. The crypt keeper wasp is neat, as not only is it a parasite on a parasite, but there' probably a third wasp that's a parasite of a parasite of a parasite - it's wasps eating other wasps alive all the way down
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/...asites/514211/

[sammyc]

@TooNice - Size, shape, colour, type and location. Tiny are fine, money-spiders can run up & down me if they want; not that keen on those somewhat beetle-y looking midsize sort; Pholcus phalangioides not too bothered, though the larger ones give a bit too classic spidery vibes; & so on. I can catch & release most sizes without toooo much hoohah but house spiders I have to work up to some sort of long-range method, & the more confined space the worse. Garage I'll take my chances, small shed not happy &c.

Not the spider's fault of course & unfair that I should find an acorn weevil or a woodlouse aesthetically interesting, but it is what it is.

Emerald cockroach wasp isn't specifically familiar but I have a good idea what I'll find if I google, fascinating plus grisly, I imagine. Fig wasp came to mind, as well. Not to mention zombie ants, in fact ants full stop - insect world is endless nature-documentaries' worth of jaw dropping, blimey well I never, wtf-ness.

cross-posted with Xlucine - I id your lodger as indeed a Pholcus, cellar spider, from your v good description. They actually prey on other spiders & other insects, when they're not doing the spinny thing. They also tend to have millions of tiny offspring so even though I don't mind them too much they get the same treatment as any other spider, ie I catch them and they go to a better place (over my neighbours' fence).

[smargh]

Last week: there's a huge spider living at the base of a little table in my bathroom. No problem - that's where it lives, no harm, it's been there ages.

Taking a dump one day, noticed another huge spider slowly walking towards the other one. Sh*t. No problem, I blew on it and it scurried off to meet its friend, they seemed to get on okay, so I left it at that.

Then I thought, wait, two huge spiders, they looked the same species. Best check for others. Had a quick look around and there was a *third* spider, equally huge, just chilling out behind the throne, and I *think* it was facing me ready to lurch toward my feet. Sh*t, how many more are there?! If it's not a family, then I'm pretty sure the first two are making babies and in a few weeks we might have hundreds of tiny spiders scurrying around.

Quickly finished up and went to sleep.

Haven't seen any since.. so far...

[sammyc]

Horror story. Your mistake was letting #1 get his eight feet under the table.. 2 of them 'getting on okay' is not what you want to see (well 1 is obviously not what I want to see, but that's stating the obv.) So the 3rd.. as it's before the point of spiders junior, and he wasn't just an oversized offspring.. where did that one fit in competition? Love triangle? Jules et Jim? Ugh, doesn't bear thinking.. bathroom is well up the list of "please, not in here."

Another dilemma is always, is it worse to see them on an expanse of something plain like a white carpet , or worse to have a floor they can camouflage against and you don't know they're there.. I spend a lot of time at this time of year thinking 'is that a knot in my floorboards', or... some of them look so convincing.

[Spreadie]

My spider horror moment:



Dat colour, on a Ferrari, urgh!


Our back garden, and therefore our house, is absolutely writhing with spiders right now, and it's a rare treat to take a bath or shower alone these days.

[TooNice]

Wasps are interesting on a keep-it-away-from-me level. The crypt keeper wasp is neat, as not only is it a parasite on a parasite, but there' probably a third wasp that's a parasite of a parasite of a parasite - it's wasps eating other wasps alive all the way down
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/...asites/514211/

Who needs Aliens when nature provides us such horrific yet fascinating entertainment Σ(ﾟДﾟ)

[Xlucine]

cross-posted with Xlucine - I id your lodger as indeed a Pholcus, cellar spider, from your v good description. They actually prey on other spiders & other insects, when they're not doing the spinny thing. They also tend to have millions of tiny offspring so even though I don't mind them too much they get the same treatment as any other spider, ie I catch them and they go to a better place (over my neighbours' fence).

That's the one! I think it's a male Pholcus phalangioides, probably immature