spiders in this house, what to do?

[Begonia]

I will, of course, do some research on this, but as some of you may remember, the family and I moved into our new house last fall. Well new to us, but built in '81. Retro 80's everything, yayyyyy.

We also have spiders in the house. Not so yayyy.

Bit 'o background...

The area I live in has a lot of birds and wildlife. Especially birds. I love birds of all kinds. We have our very own princess at home, Princess Zee (pearl cockatiel) and it is shits and giggles to watch her reaction to all of her cousins outside.

I've also noticed that there are a lot of bugs. We have a few major parks, water sources. plenty of trees and plenty of bugs. So, lots of nestlings. Love nestlings.

Spiders outside everywhere. Inevitably some of them are in the house. Quite a lot actually. All colors, shapes and sizes. I'm totally okay with our spider friends outside and get great amusement from watching one little dude come out every night and repair the web, and continually check the perimeter for bugs. The most industrious little fella.

Inside, not so much.

I don't want to spray anything inside, and horse chestnuts don't seem to do much.

Any thoughts and what I can do to discourage my little creepy friends from coming in the house?

The little house spiders are alright I suppose, but the wolf spiders and ginormous crab spider I caught this am... not so much.

 

[Ally T]

Have you tried a barrier spray? I used one around door frames & window frames when I lived in New Zealand which mostly did the trick. They don't like the scent so won't cross, but once the spray is dry you can't smell it anymore. And it lasts for months. I went from coming home each evening to around 6 or 7 large friends dotted around, to none but occasionally 1, which was a huge result as I hate them

 

[luv2sparkle]

Oh my gosh, I would probably spray, so I really have no ideas. I would freak out. Little spiders maybe ok, big ones, freak out time. Right up there with snakes. Yikes.

 

[TooPatient]

I have an all natural pest control service come out quarterly. They spray along the outside of the house (down by the foundation, where the roof & walls meet, chimney) and carefully at each door and window. That pretty much takes care of the problem. Maybe once a year or less I need them to come inside and do a specific area (usually garage or basement area).

They use this great stuff that is NOT harmful to cats/dogs/birds/etc. The guy actually sprays without any protection on himself and has no problem with me wandering around barefoot as he sprays. If I can find the brochure that breaks down what he sprays I'll post the name for you -- it is just different natural things like rosemary oil and clove oil.

 

[JewelFreak]

I can't add anything to this thread but SCREEEECH!!

 

[dragonfly411]

I'll be interested to see what the solutions offered are. We have a TON of spiders in our new home. I understand they are a given, we have woods and acreage and trees and mulch. But Seriously. I do not like flying out of the shower naked every time I open the shower curtain to take a shower, or waking up to one on the wall staring me down as I snore. Seriously. Most of them are wolf spiders, and I'm not sure what we are to do. We've sprayed. And sprayed. And sprayed. Pest control says they come down the chimney, or sneak in our sliding doors.

 

[ame]

I'd spray everything on earth. I want NO spiders, no critters in my house.

 

[Begonia]

I noticed as soon as we moved in that there spiderlings everywhere. I let them go at first, and then wondered at the sheer number and started to suck them up with the vac. I can't keep up.

Those wolf spiders have attitude. Some crazy behaviour out of those bad boys.

Alrighty then, gonna call my pest guy. He had to come and take care of the carpenters...he's worth a thread in itself. Funniest, wackiest, quirkiest British pest guy. Hollywood couldn't make this guy up, he's that hilarious (in an absolutely good way). He tracks the bugs and wanders around for such a long time. Getting in the bugs head so to speak. He knows what he's doing though, has the carpenters under control. Just an interesting person.

thanks for the tips so far...

 

[packrat]

There is no emotie depicting the crazy knee up arms waving eyes popping out of the head high pitched screeching that I do if I see a large spider, so I'm not going to be any help. Not that just posting the emotie is lots of help..but it would be funnier.

I am worthless when it comes to spiders, as mentioned above.

Large spider in the basement a couple weeks ago-I'm talking LARGE, like the body itself was a couple inches long not counting the legs. I had to call my aunt to come take care of it for me. Since the kids came, I'm better about killing smaller ones b/c I feel like I have to protect my kids but those big ones holy Hannah that sucker had me in tears.

I terminate with extreme prejudice.

 

[AGBF]

I am terribly, terribly phobic about spiders and was going to avoid this thread. I opened it just to see why anyone would start a thread about spiders. After having read all of it, I had to go look up, "wood spiders" because no one had mentioned them and everyone was talking about, "wolf spiders" which I had never even heard of.

I thought that maybe all my life I had been terrified of, "wood spiders" and that really people around me had been saying, "wolf".

That is not the case.

There are, "wood spiders". They came up in my search and look exactly like the horrible ones that I have seen in real life. The computer let me know that they are also known as, "wolf spiders", however. Another term that differs from region to region? <shiver>

Deb/AGBF

 

[Begonia]

Not too sure about Wood spiders (will look them up), but we have Wolf spiders. We have the Hobo too I believe. We also have tarantuloids, which is (if memory serves) are a small spider that is related to tarantula and so look like small tarantula's, although I saw one that was a fair good size...

I think I talk about them cuz I have a phobia too.

Maybe not as much as some people...

And the brown recluse and black widow...

 

[packrat]

I can't look them up b/c there will be pictures.

We have some that we call corn spiders. And some that we call garden spiders, but others call them something different. They're black and yellow. Nasty. Corn spiders are thick, thick legs, thick bodies. Nasty.

I call them all brown recluses, across the board. Drives JD nuts but hey, maybe if I use a little drama you'll hop to it and get rid of them when I ask yeah? I even wrote him a letter from a brown recluse living outside our front door and he still didn't take care of it, so it ended up in the house and my uncle had to come down and get rid of it lest my then pregnant self be committed for hysteria.

 

[Gypsy]

I have 6 cats, so that takes care of a lot of creepy crawlies. Several of them love to munch on the bugs. But for the most part, the stuff that they do not like...we have our management (we rent) spray for. We ask that they spray outside, regularly. Spray inside if it gets bad (not even once a year). But we don't live in wooded areas. And what we get the most of is ants. Although to be fair, the spiders are a crunchy cat favorite, so... when we do get them, they don't last long. Although the cat antics can threaten the lamps.

You can get non-toxic to pets and kids spraying, that's what we do.

And you can get a cat... a kitten would learn to be nice to your birdie, and live with it. And take care of the bugs for you.

 

[TooPatient]

Not too sure about Wood spiders (will look them up), but we have Wolf spiders. We have the Hobo too I believe. We also have tarantuloids, which is (if memory serves) are a small spider that is related to tarantula and so look like small tarantula's, although I saw one that was a fair good size...

I think I talk about them cuz I have a phobia too.

Maybe not as much as some people...

And the brown recluse and black widow...

I would have my pest control guy out weekly if that is what it took! EW!!
Is there any way to block the chimney to keep the worst of them out but still let smoke/heat out safely?
Our pest control guy also checks outside/inside for areas of the house that aren't tightly sealed and lets us know so we can take care of it to reduce unwanted guests in the house.

If that doesn't work, can you sell the house and move? (I would seriously do this if we had spiders like you're describing!)

 

[Begonia]

TooPatient - whoops, got carried away there when I was describing what is available locally.

The tarantuloids aren't around the house, but in the woods, and the recluse and black widow are rare. I've not seen them (recluse and bw) in this house yet, but it's likely only time. Saw them in the last house, which oddly enough, had far fewer spiders. So, what I'm dealing with are the many small varieties, wolf and crab spiders. Not the whole magilla.

I wasn't very clear there...

A kitten...that might be fun. I remember (growing up) that our dogs used to make short work of spiders like your cats do Gypsy. Sounds like you haven't had any problems, but do you think any of those creepy crawlies could make your kitties sick? Mind you, they do talk of how the protein of insects could feed the world...you should have seen that article. Some cultures, bugs are the norm...

 

[Laila619]

Oh, I'm so sorry!

I too hate spiders. Where I used to live, I would get these big black jumping spiders with hairy legs in my CAR! They'd jump out while I was driving and darn near give me a heart attack. Being in a car with them is horrible, because you have nowhere to run.

 

[AGBF]

And you can get a cat... a kitten would learn to be nice to your birdie, and live with it. And take care of the bugs for you.

I have mentioned before on Pricescope that there is a wonderful for children by the author Cynthia Rylant. (She has written many wonderful books for children including two series of books. One series is about a boy named Henry and his dog, Mudge, and another series is about an old man named Mr. Putter and his cat, Tabby. Both series are quite popular and famous.) The book that I have mentioned is about a visit Henry must make to his grandmother's house. He is worried that his dog, Mudge, will not be able to sleep with him and that he will have to sleep alone. When he gets there the worst comes true; he has to sleep alone and he is tormented by a giant moth. Luckily, he conceives the idea of sleeping outside where Mudge can be by his side, and Mudge eats the moth.

Deb/AGBF

 

[Begonia]

The Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby were our favourite books, and the illustrations were hilarious. What was the little old ladies name...something and her good dog Zeke.

 

[AGBF]

The Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby were our favourite books, and the illustrations were hilarious. What was the little old ladies name...something and her good dog Zeke.

Well, it turned out I didn't have to look up the title of the Henry and Mudge book I loved so much because the title suddenly came to me. (It is, Henry And Mudge And The Bedtime Thumps. My memory loss is like that. Suddenly the things I have forgotten come flying back to me once they are no longer of any use.) At any rate, that freed up some of my time, so I looked up the name of Mr. Putter's neighbor instead. The owner of the good dog, Zeke, is Mrs. Teaberry. She's the one they bake the cake for.

Deb

 

[House Cat]

Spiders hate citronella. You can keep the candles in your garage without burning them and the spiders will flee. Maybe there is a way to use the oil in such a way to keep them out of the house?

I would be prepared for the bugs to move in if you eliminate the spiders. You have described an environment with lots of bugs outside and many spiders inside. The spiders are eating something, and it isn't one another. Believe me, they have no qualms with doing so when the food supply is short. Right now, they are doing a job.

I really hate to say it but if you truly want the spiders gone, you will probably have to explore getting an exterminator out there for regular service. You can always ask that they spray your house only for the most minimal impact possible.

 

[Begonia]

I'll try citronella

We've always tried to have our yard as santuaries/habitats. The last house we had, little native (and some introduced) lizards took up residence. At one point we may have had 75 or so lizards in the yard.

I adored those lizards.

The lizardlings were an inch long and used to peek in the window . We don't have them in this part of town. I'm tempted to go back to the old house and lizardnap a few. I imagine they could eat a ton of bugs. Hmmmm...

Well, I'll ask the pest guy for something non-toxic. More along the lines of deterrent.

Thanks for the helpful advice everyone!

 

[OreoRosies86]

We had an infestation at our house of black widows (those spiders that look like big shiny 8 balls with a red hourglass on their back). We had to have someone spray the townhouse inside and out, it was quite an ordeal.

 

[monarch64]

I'm sorry, Begonia, it doesn't sound very peaceful. I really don't have any advice to offer because I'm kind of a spider lover. I know. I know.

When we moved into our house 2+ years ago, it was pretty infested. We had someone come in to do a deep clean, and also hired someone to paint the entire house. The spiders are still here. But the good news is, they catch a ton of bugs during the 2-3 days I'm not running around with a shop-vac sucking them all up and disposing of them.

I've never come across a species like the brown recluse or black widow here, but I always check shoes I haven't worn in awhile just in case. The other day there was a giant hairy legged bastard (biggest one I've ever seen in the house) on the patio door and I grabbed an empty cardboard beer container to scoop him up and set him outside. I know. I know. I'm nuts. But they eat the nastier fellows, I swear!

I refuse to spray anything or have an exterminator come in. I do not feel comfortable with the chemicals used and don't want them getting into my veggie gardens (which are at this point all around the house) because we eat the fruits of those plants nearly every day.

I hope you can find a remedy soon so you can rest easily.

 

[Begonia]

Thanks Monarch

I agree with you on so many points. We have very few bugs in our house, although I know we have silverfish, but the spiders are doing their level best with them, so I don't see as many as I think I might.

I think I actually bonded with that little overachiever that made a web by our hot tub. This from a gal who has a spider phobia (albeit minor).

Emproctor: an infestation of bw's? Jeez Louise. No kidding about the "ordeal" part. Where we are, the hourglass is more of a pink to rust color (and rather faint at that), which is why I didn't know what they were at first.

I don't bond with black widows.

It's a tough one, this whole spray issue. Well, been busy with two boys out of school for the summer, but I'll see what our options are with pest guy. He's like something out of Monty Python, he is just that quirky/funny. Every so often you meet someone that makes a big impression on you, ya know?

 

[monarch64]

Thanks Monarch

I agree with you on so many points. We have very few bugs in our house, although I know we have silverfish, but the spiders are doing their level best with them, so I don't see as many as I think I might.

I think I actually bonded with that little overachiever that made a web by our hot tub. This from a gal who has a spider phobia (albeit minor).

Emproctor: an infestation of bw's? Jeez Louise. No kidding about the "ordeal" part. Where we are, the hourglass is more of a pink to rust color (and rather faint at that), which is why I didn't know what they were at first.

I don't bond with black widows.

It's a tough one, this whole spray issue. Well, been busy with two boys out of school for the summer, but I'll see what our options are with pest guy. He's like something out of Monty Python, he is just that quirky/funny. Every so often you meet someone that makes a big impression on you, ya know?

Aw Begonia...I really am sorry you're dealing with this. Life is just never what it's supposed to be.
So, the hot tub overachiever-probably will go away once she gets things done as far as eating a ton, and laying eggs somewhere. I remember watching a significantly sized spider weave her web about every single night when I lived in Chicago between the deck rail and the patio umbrella. She was a large one, and we were kind of in awe slash scared as hell but watched her anyway. After about a week she was gone. They come and go that fast.

If you can find the nests and remove them, that will help your issue.

I don't think anyone wants to be pals with brown recluses or black widows. Yikes. I knew a guy in college who was bitten by a BR and had part of his leg amputated. No fun!

The spray thing...you do what you feel is right for you. While I don't approve, it's still not ok for you to be living in a home you've worked hard to pay for and feel unsafe in with your kids and husband (or even if you were on your own!) You should be able to have a dwelling that shields you from harm. So if you have to have someone come and spray, by all means, do so. No judgy pants here.

Good luck. I really hope you get everything squared away and you end up feeling safe and happy in your new home.

 

[Octavia]

Begonia, you're somewhere in the PNW, right? We have similar issues in our house and I was a bit freaked at first. There's a professor at UW (I think) who has a great website about spiders in this area, I wish I could remember the name but I found it through Google. Anyway, my solution was to fill all the cracks I could find in baseboards, along doorways, etc with the cans of insulating foam from the hardware store. Get the low-expansion kind, though! It can be sanded and painted if it shows too much. Anyway, that cut down on spiders by like 50-60% in our leaky 1950s house, and the scariest ones seem to be gone. The rest, I mainly leave alone. Our cat hunts them sometimes, too. Fighting them seemed a little pointless so we learned to live with them, happily or unhappily...the only time I really deal with them now is if spider-phobic friends are coming over.

 

[Begonia]

Yup Octavia PNW

Citronella and foam.

Gotcha.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[packrat]

The dining area of our kitchen is an add on, so the basement doesn't go underneath that part of the house. The people before us had a closet under the basement stairs and the walls weren't completely sealed, and also there were pipes and those ductwork things that were under there and came out at the top of the wall/ceiling. When we finally had to redo the basement b/c of the flooding a couple years ago we tore the wall down that made the closet and opened it up, then sealed that wall completely-and that had a huge impact on the bugs in the house. We also encourage snakes and frogs in the yard, which helps. I take the frogs out of my gramma's pool every year when the season starts, and I've taken them from other people who don't like them, and snakes from other people too.

 

[LAJennifer]

Something bit me on Tuesday. I didn't notice while actually being bitten, but I noticed raised, red skin while I was changing clothes. It bit me twice, but I only saw fang marks on the worst bite. It never itched or anything, but I thought it was strange so I showed my husband. The bite is on my lower back/upper hip, just below the waistband of my clothes. It was either in my clothes, or bit me through my clothes. Over the next two day, it blistered. Today, it looks like a crusty ulcer (not oozing) and the surrounding tissue looks like a red ring and is sore to the touch.

What do you guys think? What kinds of spider bites look like this? The pic was taken today.

 

[packrat]

I had something similar and Dr. told me it was a spider bite, so that's what I would say for yours. Mine was on my boob, and thought it was an ingrown hair at first. Then it looked exactly like your picture.