Is it immoral to hoover up a spider?

Kermit.de.frog

Dunno. Feel kind of bad. In my defence It was a big one, really big, gave me a fright. Big black bulb body and leg span that could nearly cover an adult hand. After a few minutes I racked up the courage to confront it. No way was I going the glass and paper route. It was in my bedroom too and I was not tucking in with the light off and it in the room with me!

On the other hand one could argue it was minding it's own business.

I realise they do chores around the house but nope.

Do you let them hang out? Most years I see very few big ones in the house but this year I have seen quite a few since the weather's got colder and this was the biggest. More than usual.

bodhrandude

Not really, there's trillions of them, collateral damage and aw that.

fatbhoy

All spiders must die (if they're in my house or car). In fact, anything that moves that isn't me and has more than two legs but isn't a cat or dog, dies. I hoover all the mofos up. They better not escape. At least I give them a fighting chance to exist in the eco-system of the hoover bag, and they can battle it out amongst themselves. Spiders, flies, daddy long legs, moths, whateverthefuq.

Hippodrome Song Owl

Don't they just crawl back out? That's what I was told.

I am terrified of them but would feel awful to hurt one. I always go with the glass and piece of card and put them outside far away. I couldn't rest worrying about having hurt it with the hoover, or it getting back out. Hate the invasion at this time of year.

jj880

It will get out during the night and crawl up your bum.

fatbhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887016#Comment_123887016

Don't they just crawl back out? That's what I was told

Hush now. 😫

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887016#Comment_123887016

Those are generally common House Spiders. Putting them outside is condemning them to a slow death. It would be kinder to just kill it there and then.

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887029#Comment_123887029

Perhaps. In all likelihood they just come back in within a few hours, hopefully into my neighbour's though.

Mr.CoolGuy

I have a couple of points on this

1. They barely eat and they're more annoying than flys and other bugs which I rarely see, so ya I don't care about the work they do because eating one woodlouse every 3 months isn't sufficient rent in this climate. (And no, the flys aren't rare because of spiders. I have hardly any of either because my house is just newish and sealed)
2. Spiders hate each other. I don't really feel bad about killing one when they'd do the same to each other given half the chance. If anything the other spiders would be egging me on

SuperBowserWorld

It could be a reincarnation of someone.

Kermit.de.frog

A spider will often die if vacuumed due to shock, trauma from the brush and airflow, and suffocation in the dust bag, but some spiders, especially smaller ones or those with strong exoskeletons, may survive the initial suction and escape the vacuum later, particularly from bagless models. The effectiveness of a vacuum in killing a spider depends on the vacuum's power, the spider's size and type, and the environment inside the vacuum bag or canister. Factors contributing to a spider's death

• Trauma and impact: The powerful suction, impact with the vacuum's inner parts, and the spinning brush roll can cause physical trauma and break the spider's exoskeleton.
• Suffocation: A spider can suffocate in a full dust bag or dust canister where there is no air circulation.
• Thirst: Lack of moisture and the generally dry environment of a vacuum bag can lead to death from dehydration.
• Powerful suction: The rapid and dramatic change in air pressure and the force of the suction can be fatal to a spider. 

Reasons a spider might survive

• Strong exoskeleton: Some spiders have strong exoskeletons that can withstand the initial shock and pressure changes.
• Agility and speed: Spiders are quick and can sometimes sense the airflow and move away from the vacuum nozzle before being captured.
• Survival in the bagless canister: If the vacuum is a bagless model, a spider may survive and find shelter in the canister, later crawling out when it is emptied.
• Lack of prolonged exposure: If the spider is not exposed to the harsh conditions in the vacuum for an extended period, it may survive. 

This is what Google says. It does say the word "often" with the vacuuming though.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887034#Comment_123887034

Unlikely, to be honest. But salve your conscience by convincing yourself that the poor creature finds a happy home somewhere else.

Mr.Crinklewood

Just don't hoover up two!

Hamsterchops

Depends on the type and size of the spider. For example Daddy long-legs are fair game, to be sucked off and sucked up the vacuum pipe as they hardly qualify as proper spiders at all, due to their deminutve body size and ridiculously thin flimsy legs. By contrast house spiders (proper spiders) should be given the same status as house pets, therefore they should never be harmed or sucked up by the vacuum.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887249#Comment_123887249

Daddy longlegs are natural killers of house spiders. I have seen tiny Daddy longlegs destroy big house spiders in their webs and wrap them up alive for lunch with their spindly legs. Strange to see something so puny kill something so big in comparison. If you are afraid of spiders you probably wouldn't mind some of them around the house!

magicbastarder

i've shared the shed with a few big ones over the years. to give an idea of scale here, the tenon on the piece of wood below the spider would have been ~55mm across. i left her alone, she left me alone.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887292#Comment_123887292

mmm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbfMkh940Q

CalamariFritti

I dont know what the problem is they're hardly going to attack you or do anything to you really.

But if you must kill it, kill it properly. Hovering up is most likely a pretty horrible death and what has the poor thing ever done to you to deserve that?

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887360#Comment_123887360

But if you must kill it, kill it properly

Like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ybXse_yCOc

thenuisance

You do know what happens to you when you kill a spider- don't you?

Heckler

I do the glass and paper for the spiders. Daddy longlegs are really prevelant at the moment. When they are in the bedroom tik tiking off the ceiling I'll try to get them out the window but in 5 mins nope its the hoover. If resting i will try to catch and release. Had one recently survive a dyson and was alive in the drum. He got let go.

geographica

I only kill false widows (and boy are they rife now)

Heckler

I've only ever once saw a small spider wrap a fly up. It was on a recessed ceiling lightbulb and was both fascinating and blinding.

Esel

It's only immoral if you are a Buddhist.

Glenomra

Years ago I would have thought this poster was off his rocker. Think about whether one should or should not hoover up a spider. Then when my wife and I spent more time together in the house, we began to notice and admire nature much more including the spiders and their ability to build intricate webs in corners, as soon as we neglected a pace in the house etc. We have ended up regarding them as protected species. Indoor spiders are carefully caught and released outside. When we wash the outdoor windows we first try and move them on. They are given time to evacuate!!! I think it's we that are off our rockers now!

Sleepy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123887029#Comment_123887029

Or looked at from another angle: you're feeding the birds / other animals that predate on them.

I've always been a bit skeptical of this argument though. Has the "house spider" really evolved into it's current form during the hundred years or so of humans living in warm houses? Or did they previously survive in nooks and crannies in nature?

Based on the dozens of them I encountered while pulling down an old shed last week, it's my guess that they can survive in any dry environment so releasing them into the garden at the very least gives them the chance to start a new life under the shed / flowerbed / gas meter box etc.

magicbastarder

the spiders who live in my shed live pretty much at ambient temperature anyway. lots of cave spiders and the occasional large house spider like the one above.

Mo Ghile Mear

Yes it’s immoral.
I never, never kill spiders. Always either ignore them or do the glass/cardboard thing.
I do however hoover up cobwebs so maybe that’s a bit harsh , ie .. destroying their workplace and possibly their food stash.
At least when I release them in the garden I don’t feel guilty.
I know it sounds gross but we had an infestation of flies in the attic once and I started putting any spiders I found up there. I felt I was being really benevolent and eco friendly.

o1s1n

I use one of these guys on nastier false windows and the likes.

Good for getting them in hard to reach places

https://airsofteire.com/collections/bug-a-salt/products/bug-a-salt-3-0-black-fly-edition

magicbastarder

one of the problems with false widows is that there is more than one species of 'false widow'.

we have a species here, the cupboard spider (steatoda grossa), which can be easily mistaken for the 'false widow' (steatoda nobilis)

https://falsewidowspiderireland.ie/false-widow-spiders/cupboard-spider/

burgerKev

Always told to kill a spider was bad luck.

They're natural pest control.