The above is the name of an old movie, and it feels like I'm living it right now. My back yard had become basically one huge web except for the small area where we let the dog go out to pee. And any day now I expect that part to get covered too, and we'll have to fight spiders for my puppy ....
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Good old DDT.
When I was a child, the adults would just slather on a bunch of DDT and that would take care of the buggers. Just wait for winter and the outside spiders will either die, or move indoors with you. Maybe you'll wake up in a spider silk crysalis? Muuuaaaaahhhhhh!
Khadijah
Harmless
In Canada, the kind of spiders that spin webs atop grass, with funnels down to their lairs, are harmless. They do seem to multiply quickly, but disappear almost as fast. A garden hose will remove their webs.
wasp and hornet spray
wasp and hornet spray gives immediate knock down to spiders. take care not to get it on any plants you wnt to keep it will knock them down as well.
or your dog, but that goes without saying...
ed
ed
Arachnophobia
Please, Please, Please don't go around indiscriminatingly killing spiders. They form a valuable service in trapping and killing many insect pests. There are just two spiders you need to worry about, and they are probably already in or under your house. These are the Brown Recluse and the Black Widow. The brown recluse is the lesser known of the two, but probably causes more medical problems than the Black Widow. My significant other was bitten by a recluse, and it was pretty nasty. Read up on it on Wikipedia. There's not enough room here.
Portia
Don't forget brown widows
It seems here in the southern states of the us we have a new type of spider a brown widow it's a cross between the black widow an brow recluse. I don't mind garden spiders myself but any dangerous spiders(other than daddy longlegs) I kill. I've also see n some big black widows before. I know 1 time I was workign for a construction company out at the local air force base an me an the jourenyman where cleaning up by the tool trailer an he'd just fliped over a sheet of plywood an there was this huge black widow on the underside. Thing was big enough that sitting on the forklift I could just make out a small black spot.
Don't kill spiders
if you do you'll upset the balance in your garden, there must be enough insects to feed them, unless they're eating each other, which they will do.
As for pesticides, the organo-phosphates did trememdous damage to the environment especially to predators in which lethal doses built up in fats, they also did damage to humans as top of the food chain.
Angharad
A member of the British Arachnological Society.
Angharad
Kill them with fire
Spiders are the most evil things on this planet and therefor must be killed with fire, preferably hairspray and a lighter.
Then run screaming because the spider's ghost will take up residence in your hair. Or at least it will feel like it when you look down to inspect it's corpse and get the heebie jeebies.
Oh and despite what others say the only good spider is a dead spider. (also includes mosquitoes, roaches and any creepy crawly thing)
Spiders should only be
Spiders should only be allowed to live in haunted houses, to leave creepy, yet artistic webs.
Bad garden karma
That is to kill spiders unnecessarily. Not a problem here at present but seriously aggravating in the Summer months. Spider webs do not feel nice when suddenly walked into, especially in the dark. Still even if it is just a little icky to have a spider crawling on you and a reflex swipe can do serious harm to said crawly, deliberate massacres is not the go. Very few will do any harm beyond at worst an itchy bite. don't forget it's a defensive thing, they object to big lumbering whosits destroying their home and they do keep the bugs down. Balance n all that. I'll just go meditate now... cough.
Kristina
Kim and I Love Our Spiders!
We seem to have only one species in or house. They look like Daddy Longlegs with a bigger (actual spider) body and slightly shorter thicker legs. We don't have many house or larger flies around here, but we get mosquitoes and various fruit flies and other insects about the same size. The webs do not get in our way and it's nice to see friendly spiders ever morning. I feed them knocked down insects some time, of course the insects should be living so they can vibrate the web strings and get the spider's attention. I really appreciate all the bugs they catch that would either bite us or mess up our ripening fresh fruit.
Outside there are usually black widows some place or other. I usually don't look for them: they hide pretty well. If I see their webs, I just don't put my hands near them.
I'm embarrassed to say that I do kill scorpions in our house, but we never use any plant or animal poisons, inside or out. I leave them alone outside.
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee
I have it on good authority...
...that they think you're adorable as well. I welcome them unless they happen to be crawling on my arm, in which case I shake them off as best I can. We have a different predatory arachnid that is specific to New Jersey; not at deadly but likely as frightening as the Black Widow...the Bleach Blonde Divorcee' spider. (usually accompanied by the brown-jacketed solicitor)
Love, Andrea Lena
Bad Luck Spiders
It's bad luck for an Arkansawyer like me to kill a spider. I told my sister-in-law this, she's terrified of the little beasts and had to call my brother up from his office downstairs to kill a spider in her upstairs bathroom. "Lucky for you he was born in Missouri," I told her. "He can kill spiders without causing meteors to hit the house." :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.