Wolf spiders and snakes in your house? (Denver, Fort Collins: hospital, new home)

[City Girl]

I was chatting with a friend today and told her I was thinking of moving to Fort Collins Co. Her mom and dad used to live there and said that they would get wolf spiders and snakes in their house sometimes. I went to the Colorado wildlife home page just to read up on wild life encounters. You can tell by the name I'm a city girl and I don't know these things yet lol. On the website it warned of snakes and wolf spiders and other types of spiders finding their way in to your home when it starts to get cold. The site also said to make sure your house and basement is sealed well. Even so I'm sure a critter would find it's way in.

Is that really true? has that ever happened to you? I'm not worried about me finding them I worry about my cats. They would tear them up all over my house.

[winglady]

City Girl,

I've lived in Colorado my whole life, and can tell you that we have very, very few encounters with spiders and snakes here. I had never even heard of a wolf spider before reading your post, but did look it up. When new areas are disturbed to put up new housing, critters that are very seldom seen outdoors may make their way into new homes for a while.

I don't know where you live now, but there's a good probability that you have far more bugs, spiders, and snakes wherever in the world you live than you'll find here in Colorado!

[City Girl]

HI wing lady! I live in southern California. I see maybe 5 spiders a year where I live. If they are not too high up my cat rips them to shreds. I live in a well developed city so there isn't a lot of sitings of snakes and animals. I've seen 3 racoons in my life. I have seen about 4 possums. 2 were dead. That's it!


Where are you in Colorado?

[ncrea]

City girl,

You're getting freaked out over nothing - really.

I have seen two harmless garden snakes in my yards over the past 26 years. I have never heard of anyone around here having one get in their house unless they are keeping one in an aquarium for show.

As the weather turns colder in the fall, spiders will try and find a way indoors. I haven't seen too many yet, and our nights are getting down into the upper 30's and low 40's.

I haven't seen a really large wolf spider since '91, and it was in a new neighborhood around some redwood deck lumber. Scared the you know what right out of me. Fortunately, I haven't seen one since. I HATE SPIDERS, even little iddy biddy ones.

Stay calm. The weather is great, the communitys are safe, the schools are good, ugly bugs are for warmer and humid climates, and wildlife keeps to themselves.

[City Girl]

HI Ncrea,
Thanks for the reply. I hate critters, but I' be ok if I found one. I was just thinking how gross it would be to have to clean up the mess. I have two hunters that live with me. They are boy cats and they have this competition when it comes to finding crickets, spiders etc... They play with it together and pull it apart. Sometimes they'll even eat it, but when they don't I end up cleaning the yucky mess. They would have a feild day with a snake. I was just curious. Thanks

[spleen]

It's a good thing that you aren't moving to Maryland. Here's a wolf spider I found in my bathroom last year, it startled me when I stumbled in there, sick with the flu. Here's a picture my hubby took, warning! It's extremely graphic and scary: http://danspan.blogspot.com/2005_10_...n_archive.html (scroll down to the spider post).

spleen

[dandxg]

I have been here just over 2 years, in Parker, from CA, and haven't seen a wolf spider yet. I have seen 2 5 foot snakes in my backyard, but I back to open space. The pros and cons. I have also seen families of deer and some foxes too. I would rather have the 5 foot bull snake then a disguisting wolf spider!

[City Girl]

OMg Omg Omg Spleen. YUCK!!! Gross!!!

Thank you for sharing that pic though. I can't even imagine how freaked out you must have been to come upon that when you were already feeling awful. That picture has me so creeped out right now I keep looking under my desk for spiders lol.

[california bullrider]

in southern california you need to watch out for black widows! there ever where. the city and country areas. i do remodles on homes and i find them hiding in the walls all the time. there hard to find. they hide real good. if they bite you they can put a person in the hospital. if they bite a small animal like a cat they could kill it. i have my house spayed once a month because of them.

[COflower]

I get spiders in the house but never seen one here where I live. Used to get regular old garden snakes in between the siding and the house when I lived in Denver but nothing too scary.

Reptiles and snakes don't bother me but spiders...that's another thing entirely.

In my neighborhood there's a friendly fox that trotts along the sidewalk. I've seen coyote as well. Lots of raccoons, skunks, squirrels and field mice.

I have seen wolf spiders in Grand Junction though that and ear wigs. (get earwigs here too).

I don't spray though, I have my animals to think about so I stay away from chemicals. The shoe, fly swatter and newspapers are good insect "repellents" though. HA!