Spiders

[leenewham]

Has anyone noticed this morning that there are a LOT of spiders everywere, and they aren't the normal ones, they are small and black with strange complex cobwebs and like to hang upside down. They seem to be all over the place!

Ahhhh! I hate spiders.

[Rachael]

Huge number of spiders in my garden this morning, all shapes and sizes. I have a row of nine perfect webs the size of dinner plates running along the railing on my terrace, all made by one little brown spider. Another web, over a foot wide, had a very large fat spider in the middle of it munching on a still-live moth. Also lots of funnel webs on the bushes and even in the grass, which were more obvious than usual because of the dew and fog. And the dangling spiders that just hang around on a thread being cool. Sometimes they cast a long thread from one side of the garden to the other and hang in mid-air right in the middle of my lawn where I can walk face-first into them. I think it's their idea of a practical joke.

It's mating season for spiders. The females are busy fattening themselves up to attract a mate and ensure a good litter, which is why they are all more obvious at this time of year. I have to say that there do seem to be even more than usual this year.

[Tim Lund]

And it's the misty mornings leaving dew on them which shows them up. Beautiful, really.

[pip]

Keep your eye out for one of these dangerous little critters.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10696 ... ea/?ref=mr

[marymck]

Here is some further information about the false widow spider.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2007 ... 11767.html

Indoors, they're more likely to be found on the first floor, as they like being high up! Shudder.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[michael]

Lee,
Can I recommend that you don't go to the Capitol in Forest Hill. After the inundation of families with children as reported by CellarDoors, he now brings news of spiders taking over the upper levels.
http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8696
Is no pub sacred?

[marymck]

I just found a false widow spider in the utility room. I scrunched it up in a piece of kitchen roll and threw it in the garden.

Scared to go upstairs now, as I've had the balcony doors (directly above the utility room) open all day.

I have health issues that mean a bite from one if these wouldn't be fun.

Lee from the description in your OP it does seem as though these might be the spiders you have. They hang upside down in messy webs.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Rachael]

Mary (and Lee) - get yourself some Spider Stopper Spray. All natural and really works. We haven't seen a spider indoors since I started using it last year.

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/51529/Spider-Stopper

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[leenewham]

Apparently they don't like citrus smells (no idea why). We just bought some citrus oil. They ran off the webs!

[marymck]

That looks great Thanks Rachael, I'll definitely get some. I'll also get some for a friend who, though well out of the false widow zone, lives in a Cotswold cottage that is spider central.

I have three of the itsy bitsy ones watching me from the wall/ceiling junction of my bedroom now. I think they're just babies, but fear I just evicted their mother and they'll make their move when I turn out the light.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Annie.]

Conkers on the window cill seems to work well, just leave them there let them all dry up,apparently the older the better, have only seen 1 big spider in my house for years.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[LivesNearby]

Conkers on the window cill seems to work well

Aaah! That old chestnut...