Spider probs (Index: house, restaurant, moving)

[catycat]

Okay, so I'm new to the area, and wanted to hear from locals on what they do to combat spiders. Before anyone gives me the, "Oh, spiders are good for the environment," blah blah blah speech I'll just say, I really don't care. They aren't good for my anxiety, and we wouldn't be having this discussion if they just stayed the hell away from me. My sister found a big a$$ one in her bed the other night, so that's where I draw the line. I have two cats, one with a very sensitive stomach, so I don't really want him killing/eating them, and getting sick. What do all the spider haters do to combat this problem? Professional pest control? Any specific brands of spray? My cats are indoor mostly (sometimes they get leash time outside), but I don't want risk them ingesting toxic chemicals. I'm looking for indoor/outdoor control. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Seacove]

Spiders are a good thing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgE3pvY5W6k

[catycat]

Wow, your reading comprehension skills amaze me...Like I said, I don't like them, and I don't want to risk my cat getting ill from eating them. That's my main concern. I wouldn't have as much of an issue if the just stayed outside where they belong.

[Blitzmark]

victor spider traps - Bing images



eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil. I haven't tried either of those two. I too hate spiders. Its actually so bad that when I see one larger than a penny, i start sweating instantly and have to move away from it. Once, I seen a spider on my arm while at a restaurant, without even thinking I immediately stood up, shifting the table violently (accidentally) and spilling everyone's drinks...it was horrible

[flyingsaucermom]

Spiders are a good thing!

[Diana Holbrook]

They're moving inside now... looking for a place to hibernate, or lay their eggs and die. They won't be around long. They'll recede back into dark places.

Most are mostly harmless. We don't have bad poisonous bugs here. If you do get bit by one, it's similar to a mosquito... itches for a day or two.

I have never heard of a cat getting sick from eating a spider.

I think the poisons you're talking about would be more likely to make you and the cat sick than the spiders would.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by catycat

Wow, your reading comprehension skills amaze me...Like I said, I don't like them, and I don't want to risk my cat getting ill from eating them. That's my main concern. I wouldn't have as much of an issue if the just stayed outside where they belong.

We hear you. We also think you're being irrational. Cats cough up hairballs and stuff all the time - I've never seen a cat cough up a spider.

[mkarch]

Cats eat spiders and enjoy every minute of it.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by mkarch

Cats eat spiders and enjoy every minute of it.

My tawny tabby enjoys torturing them and leaving them to die slow, painful deaths. Last weekend he pulled the wings off of a huge fly rendering it flightless amongst my kids' LEGO sets. Spent several days jumping between the Ghostbuster's Firehouse and StarWars TIE fighter... so pathetic, I actually felt bad for it.

[Hemlock140]

It's the middle of our annual spider season. You can't really fight it, they will find ways to come into the house. An exterminator is going to use chemicals that will be far worse for the cats than eating a healthy spider. We don't have a lot of the bugs that people in other states suffer with, spiders are the only real annoyance. Well, besides slugs. You can try to
carefully seal up any cracks around doors and windows to slow down their entry to the house but if they want to come in they will. You can also keep the outdoor lights off at night, they attract flies and moths, which then attract spiders. Some natural repellents that can be scattered around the doors are eucalyptus, mint or lavender sprigs but again, they will find another way in.