This morning I was sleeping peacefully when I felt eyes on me. I shifted my weight in bed and turned toward the wall. My eyes popped open and I came eye to eye with a black spider. He was on the wall about a foot to the left of my table lamp. Sure, he was three feet from the edge of my bed. But still. He was in the house where I figure he did not belong. I mean, even if he’d been in the basement I would have given him some slack. But no he was in my space. And that called for action.
I lost no time putting my feet on the floor. I headed to the kitchen to find a weapon. I was no match for that fellow, Lord knows. I found a flip flop that seemed to be up to the job. Returning to the bedroom I noted he was waiting for me, same position, same glassy stare, same ugly black velvety body.
Here is a photo of where the stand-off took place. No pictures of the enemy as I would then be afraid of the photo and convinced that he was living in my camera. Nada. Nope. No photos of him.
First - scream! Then - charge! Then - whack! The flip flop provided an ample weapon and he went the way of all the other spiders I have chanced to encounter in this house recently, into the trash. He will be riding outside shortly in that large white bag with the rest of the trash and deposited in the garbage can with the lid tightly sealed, where he cannot come back alive and bother me anymore. Out of sight but, no, still not quite out of mind.
What a way to start the morning. R informed me the same spider had been in the bathroom earlier. He had escaped R’s invitation to get out of the shower and disappeared down the drain or under the shower ledge and out of sight.
Satisfied his job was over, R departed to the living room to get the morning news from TV and left me alone, to deal with the brazen spider. It was then the invader decided to take liberties and trotted on his many feet from the bathroom nearby to the wall by my bed where he scared the bejibbers out of me.
Now I’m faced with a dilemma. I recently bought spider bombs because there have been other spider sightings. My plan was to put the bombs off in the basement and vacate the house for the day, while the bombs did their job, getting rid of all the spiders and bugs who live behind the walls, in the vents, or wherever else bugs live in a house.
After reading the label on the spider bombs, I’m now as afraid of the stuff inside the bombs as I am of the spiders.
What do I do? Help! I’m in a quandary. Do I live with the creatures or endanger my life further by putting chemicals in the house? Do I move outside since all the bugs seem to be in the house. Jeez.
Has anyone had this problem? Do you mind spiders and bugs in the house? Do you use bug bombs?
All Comments Welcome!
And yes I'm sure I'll hear from my one friend who is a devout believer that we should leave all such creatures alone and let them go about their business as we go about ours. Even if they choose to stare at us from our bedroom wall.All Comments Welcome!
I don't know which is scarier, spiders or bug bombs, so I'm no help.
ReplyDeleteMy response to spiders is to yell, "Peter, will you come in here?" in a voice that my husband has learned to recognize as my "spider voice."
Maybe you could try spraying the outside of the house. That's what we did when we lived surrounded by a field. Nature is wonderful, but not on my wall!
Hate those ugly things. Too many legs, creepy bodies, gives me the shivers. You seem to have my technique for dealing with them. Ugh. Loved the post, Barb.
ReplyDeleteNo spiders in the house. Period. They can be outside all they want. They come inside? They die. Of course, we have black widows and brown recluse in the area, so we can't be too careful. I'm not taking the time to verify species so I don't kill a less venomous one by accident.
ReplyDeleteAnd I like spiders as a general rule. The two that have webs on our front porch have names now - Siegfried lives in the north corner and Roy lives in the south corner. But I won't hesitate to kill either one of them should they venture inside.
Oh, you asked a question... kill them when you see them rather than bug bomb them. Who knows what else that stuff will kill. Of course, if it were wasps, I'd gas their little brains out.
ReplyDeleteAs for spiders, I relocate them outside if they're larger than my thumb. If they're just small ones I leave them alone. Spiders eat all the other bad bugs that come into a house. I've had a few kitchen spiders who live near the sink and they've found all the ants that have come up from the rain. And those weird stink bugs, and other creepy nasty things. Spiders have to eat, so as long as they stay near the window, they can have their own buffet.
ReplyDeleteTip for catching them -- plastic cup over them and then slide a piece of cardboard under the mouth of the cup. Spider is trapped until he's relocated outside. They usually don't run so they're somewhat easy to catch.
As for the bombs, don't do it. They leave a sticky residue, you have to wash nearly everything (furniture, appliances, linens, curtains, towels, sheets etc) once they're finished. They stink, and you may kill your houseplants and your pets. Not to mention you can't have the a/c or heat on when you bomb. It's like putting napalm in your house. And the grandkids can't play on the carpet.
I say, leave the spiders in the house alone. Unless they're really big. I can understand how waking up to one may be a little ewwww, but we're all God's creatures just trying to do a job. I agree with Liz, spray the outside of the house, around the windowsills, and door frames, and where the foundation meets the bottom of the house. That should do the trick.
Okay. All good suggestions. I'm not sure which method I'll choose but I'm pretty sure it won't involve leaving them alone! Sorry. I'm just too paranoid about them. Not sure where I got this phobia or whatever's going on, but I need to know they are gone. AND of course you never can know for sure...another dilemma.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!
My hubby thinks the only reason I married him was because he'll kill the bugs and get stuff from any high shelves! Don't bomb...I heard if you put hedge apples around on the floor they'll keep spiders away. I also heard if you kill a spider it will rain...old wives tales? It's raining outside now...thanks.
ReplyDeleteYaya, Sorry for the rain. Still have not done anything re: bugs - still debating. Will probably treat outside of house. Will wait on the bombs.
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by. Ummmm hedge apples???
This made me laugh. We live in the country and I'm resigned to sharing my home with six and eight legged creatures, and I don't really mind. Although the year we were overtaken by box elder beetles, my hospitality diminished considerably. Once winter is in full swing, I don't see as many critters. Like everything else, they run in cycles. I hope you find a solution that works for you.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind sharing the outdoors with critters, but when they come into my space, they are likely to go to heaven a little earlier. For me, it's the vacuum cleaner that comes to my rescue. It's quick, efficient, and a spider's and insect's lungs are too fragile for them to arrive in the collection bag still alive. I don't like to kill them, but I'm allergic to bees and spider bites itch unrelentingly. Mosquito bites don't itch after a couple of minutes. Weird, huh? I don't like them either--threat of diseases. So, I'm on the warpath when most unwelcome critters come into my abode. However, if you ever have a bat in the house, I have a wonderful way to get a bat outside without harming it. Just let me know if you want me to write it...
ReplyDeleteYou could always get yourself a pet bat or snake. HA!
ReplyDeleteI like Anne's answer. Spiders don't bother me. I'm lots bigger than they are.
We have had so many spiders inside and out this summer but we have also had more bugs of all sorts. I think it is the rain. Anyway, I kill spiders as I see them and would never, never use a bomb in my house. I would likely die before the spiders. Those chemicals are terrible for humans. I'd spray outside, under the eaves, around the foundation, etc. but not in the house.
ReplyDeleteI've had almost everything you can think of in my house at one time or another. In south Georgia I had a snake, mice, huge roaches that live in the woods, and here in the mountains I've had lady bugs that drove me crazy, chipmunk that my cat brought in, and lots of unidentifiable insects that come in when I leave my screen doors open.
The freak me out, but soon winter will do them in.
I don't like spiders inside or outside the house! Unfortunately, it is getting close to the time of year when they make their way into the house to get out of the cold. And,these are usually the big ones! No more sitting on the floor for me. As for the bug bombs, I would not do it either. I don't like poison in the house.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't like to wake up facing a spider! I'm not allowed to kill spiders because my husband says we need them to keep the bug population down. So we often collect them in plastic containers and set them free outside.
ReplyDelete