Spiders and Flies

With the onset of spring, I have noticed one or two baby house spiders running about the place. I take this as a sign of bigger things to come. The warmer weather has also brought out a few early flies, which, although not as sinister as spiders, can be a lot more annoying. I do try to get rid of them when they turn up at my residence, but each requires a different approach when it comes to evicting them.

I keep an empty cream carton and a square piece of card handy for the spiders. It’s just a matter of popping the carton over the spider and then slipping the card underneath it. Very straight forward, but it tests my nerve a bit when the spider is a particularly big one. It’s an irrational fear, I know, but I can’t help imagining that, should I not be on target with the carton, the spider will somehow retaliate, and perhaps launch a counter attack.

Flies, on the other hand, hold absolutely no fear for me. God, in his wisdom, made flies far less frightening than spiders, but then, as if to compensate them for that, he made them far harder to catch. This is why a different technique is necessary to get rid of them. Flies need to be persuaded to leave of their own accord. There is a problem, however: while flies are strongly attracted to closed windows, they seem to be completely oblivious to open ones. Anyone who has tried to shepherd a fly out through an open window will know this only too well.

So, to summarise: with spiders, you need a good aim and a certain amount of bravery, and with flies, you need lots of patience and persistence. You could, of course, just whack them with something and dispose of the body, but I really don’t like to kill things.

Re: Spiders and Flies

Flies really are the most stupid, dim-witted looking creatures on the planet (apart from Kier Starmer).

Re: Spiders and Flies

And flies are also much harder to ignore.

Re: Spiders and Flies

I've had a few early flies coming in too. They are so annoying aren't they.
I've also had one small-ish spider, and one big one come visiting.

But what bugs me more than anything are the darn wasps. I've had some whoppers come in already, big 'uns, which I assumed were the Queens looking for nesting sites.

I bought a couple of those fake wasp nest thingy's (Waspinators) and have now hung one in my back doorway, and one in my shed doorway, so we'll see how much use they are.
I have seen reviews saying they are brilliant, and others saying they made no difference whatsoever, so I thought I'd find out for meself.

https://waspinator.co.uk/

Re: Spiders and Flies

Yes they are. I've had one driving me mad for two days; I finally managed to get rid of it this morning. The only problem is, it knows where I live now.

Re: Spiders and Flies

Don't like either spiders or flies and both will be ejected promptly and without ceremony.

Alive, that is....!

Re: Spiders and Flies

Firm but fair, Pixie. I like your approach.

Re: Spiders and Flies

Spiders eat the annoying flies, that's what they are for, but if I see one I do evict it though.

Re: Spiders and Flies

Personally I encourage Huntsman Spiders in the house as they kill lots of nasties like cockroaches and flies. They don't make webs either which is nice, the only disadvantage is that they can get nearly as big as your hand which has scared the odd UK visitor.



There has been a family of Redbacks living in my garage door for nearly the whole of its 40 years of existence, they can give a lethal bite if untreated but I have never been bitten. Rarely get Funnel Webs in my garden though I had one in a place i rented when I first moved down here.




I don't think anyone has died of a spider bite since the antivenom was created in the 1960s

Re: Spiders and Flies

This reminds me of Crocodile Dundee. When I was in the UK I used to smile wryly when people reacted to spiders there. I remember one Scottish woman who was staying in the same house as me in Brentford. We rushed in when we heard her scream at what she referred to as a "huge" spider. I kept my amusement to myself as I got rid of it out the window but I wished I'd had a great big hairy(dead) funnel web to hold up saying.."That's not a spider..THAT..is a spider" Huntsmen are wonderful creatures. If they trust you they will crawl up your arm and go to sleep in the crook of your neck. THey are a welcome sight as you know you don't have to worry about some other nasty critters when they are around.