[Merged] - Spiders everywhere!

MaeveD

We always had the odd one come calling but in the last three weeks we've had 9 huge spiders in our 2nd floor apartment... I'm talking from 2.5 inches to a monster of 3.5 inches leg to leg (we measured it with a ruler).

I don't like BIG spiders

Anyone any ideas as to why we're getting so many?

kleefarr

No idea why we're getting them.
We have also had a few biggies about. Just an hour ago I caught one legging it across the floor and as you said, it was a good 3/3.5".
Must be something to do with their diet that's making them bigger I guess, but flies seem to be normal size. :rolleyes:

Actually, I thought it was the same one coming back all the time!

bounty_hunter

Some massive spiderage going on here too, I've scooped a fair few monsters out the front door in the last week. No idea why they're suddenly so huge.

Goodshape

I've got the biggest spider I've ever seen (outside of Zoo's, etc.) sitting perfectly still on the carpet about two meters from me :eek:

I'm not the squeamish type, but this thing is feckin huge and so pensive and still it looks like it's just waiting for some pray.

Am I right in assuming there's no dangerous spiders in Ireland? I'd be perfectly safe scooping this thing up on a sheet of paper and chucking it outside?

And what is it with spiders and making us mighty humans cower in fear? Just too many legs for comfort I think.

Wishbone Ash

I've seen some huge ones this year also - don't know why. They are harmless.

MrJoeSoap

Unless it has escaped from somewhere I'd say its harmless. As for why people fear them, I haven't a clue. Have no problem with them myself, but mice are a whole different ball game!

Ruu_Old

No dangerous spiders in Ireland afaik. Maybe this thread will give you some more insight. *shivers*

nickcave

probably just a house spider. females can live for 7 years afaik. Relatively harmless; they'd bite alright but i'd imagine it'd just sting for a while. But I'm no expert. She's probably much more scared of you than you are of her, which is cliched but true. Go for it, I say.

edit: I defo had one of these guys in my room a few weeks back:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_house_spider

Black Swan

It's probably a boggart. Think of something humourous, grab your wand, point it at the creature, and command "Riddikulus!"

Wishbone Ash

MrJoeSoap wrote:

but mice are a whole different ball game!

Mice are OK. I'm trying to catch a rat at the moment! :eek:

MrJoeSoap

Yeah rats are definitely worse, mice are just pesky lil feckers!

Rb

Take a pic OP.
I'd say its absolutely harmless and quite passive so I'm sure you could pick it up and put it out the window or somewhere it won't be trampled.

Goodshape

nickcave wrote:

edit: I defo had one of these guys in my room a few weeks back:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_house_spider

Yea.. that looks like the chap alright. Picture attached.

Scooped it up and chucked it out anyway.. as I see it there are rules to being a house spider, one of which is don't be seen. You loose my giant house spider friend, you loose. Good luck with the elements.

Guy:Incognito

They can swallow you whole if you stay still long enough.

FranknFurter

These are the ones we keep getting, bloody huge feckers! :eek:
Same size as photo and seem to be bloody aggressive too.

B

Rb

I very much doubt they'd attack, unless in defence.
Though, the Hobo spider is the aggressive version of the House Spider (or so I've just read) and seemingly you don't want to get the two confused.
Hobo Spider.

Since its mating season, the males will be out roaming so thats why you're probably seeing more of them around.
They never bother me in the slightest though.

The Hill Billy

Those big, big b@stards are probably Giant House Spiders. We've had them in our house for the past couple of years. One of the buggers 2 weeks ago had a leg span larger than a 20 pack of B&H (before the missus got him - see pic)!

They generally appear inside around the middle of September when it starts to get a bit chillier & are gone by the middle of October once the heating has been on & has dried out their haunts.

I haven't seen one now in the past week & we were disposing of them at a rate of 3 or 4 a night a few weeks ago.

This week we be mostly having the Daddy Long Legs Spider which is OK. Not to be confused with the flying Daddy Long Legs which give me the flaming heebie-jeebies!

morgana

Yeah we are getting a lot of those big feckers too. Luckily, one of our cats seems to have developed a taste for them, saw her crunching away on three of them yesterday . Sorry spiders, rule of the jungle in my house. I don't mind them really but if the resident cat takes a fancy who am I to argue :rolleyes:

MaeveD

rb_ie wrote:

Take a pic OP.
I'd say its absolutely harmless and quite passive so I'm sure you could pick it up and put it out the window or somewhere it won't be trampled.

Pick it up :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: you must be joking!!!

That's my boyfriends job... he spent 10 years in Oz so doesn't mind them at all... has told me some awful stories about Huntsman spiders hiding under the sun visors in cars, apparently they cause loads of car accidents over there... and they are HUGE!! If that happened to me I think my brain would just implode, I'm never visiting Australia!
He calmly picks them up by one leg and they wrap around his finger..... yeuch!!!
Passive....the biggest one was an intelligent feicer, took about ten minutes to catch him.

I know it stupid to be scared of them, I don't know why I am.... give me a rat or mouse anyday.

Rozie

They're just Greater House Spiders. They've had them in the UK for years. It's kind of funny hearing people get worked up about them.

They are, however, among the fastest, if not the fastest Spiders on earth. Which makes them a bugger to catch.

I actually really like Spiders. But I'm always afraid of hurting them or swallowing them! I don't mind one crawling on me, I let them do that anyway sometimes. I think they're cute, to be honest... though the Greater House Spiders are kind of dirty and greyish brown looking and their legs are tapewormish. I'd prefer we got nicer Spiders but then they'd probably be poisonous... maybe slightly poisonous ones...?

Time Magazine

I don't like spiders. I don't like trapping them in a glass and leaving them out. They're ugly little buggers that make you think you're approaching the seventh layer of hell.

Now, this is distinct from being afraid of the little twunts. I know very well all that's needed (if necessary) is one big stomp, but I usually get somebody else to get rid of them from the house.

The way I see it, they're like pieces of crap, just sitting there on the floor. You're not afraid of them, but you'd rather they not be there and would prefer if someone else took care of it for you.

OfflerCrocGod

Great thanks to this thread now I'm feeling paranoid; I am terrified to walk around without boots on

Rozie

FranknFurter wrote:

These are the ones we keep getting, bloody huge feckers! :eek:
Same size as photo and seem to be bloody aggressive too.

B

Feel sorry for anyone running 640x480...

artieanna

Rozie wrote:

Feel sorry for anyone running 640x480...

I think that spiders have become larger as a result of the heating in our houses, 'The reason I say this is if you look at spiders from tropical climates they are quite large, so a spider living in a warm cosy house is practically livin in similar conditions.

I'll never forget a black beetle that fell out of a heat vent, he was hhhhuge:eek: , was carried outside so he lived, but maybe not for long, it was cold and wet out at the time:(

RaiseTheBlinds

been away in Perth for a month over Christmas,.... seen this bad boy one night at a barbaque
ask ur by/friend what it is ??

Shane190

Spiders like that are great for feeding to turtles..

Puddles

Rozie wrote:

Feel sorry for anyone running 640x480...

We had a couple of those in our previous house. We moved house nearly 2 years ago and Our current home is drier and warmer. I haven't seen any of them since we moved. MOH lifted one up to put it outside and he could feel it biting his hand. He couldn't believe it.
I'm not afraid of spiders (My sister is deathly afraid of them) but this boy was just a little too big for my liking. We're not too used to big spiders in this country but I think we're gonna have to get used to seeing them get bigger. I agree that it seems to be linked with warmer climate.