Just a personal blog which I anticipate mainly using to feel my way around Imzy, for starters!
Well, it's happened.
I looked up and saw a Thing high on the wall. The lights are pretty dim right now, but I'll be very surprised if that isn't The First Giant Spider Of Autumn.
Unfortunately, it doesn't usher in the season by bringing presents...




You're a little behind us. Our Things show up in early August. I'm well-armed with sticky traps and live traps.
A friend in London had them turn up last week. I wonder if rainfall is the trigger; it was very wet today after a prolonged dry spell, and I see from Wikipedia that they live in dry places...
Since it's the males out looking for girls before winter comes and they die (the males, the girls don't die), I assume they sense a change in the weather patterns and know it's autumn. Because our weather pattern was odd this year, I started to see smallish ones rather earlier than usual, then a few big ones, and then a lull. The weather is changing again and I expect more in the next few weeks. You should look into getting sticky traps. They're a lifesaver and non-toxic. Duct tapes works, too, or so they say, but the traps are easier.
I would never have thought of sticky traps, but that's a brilliant idea, particularly since they tend, in my experience, to have preferred routes...
You won't catch all of them but if you have the traps in the right places you'll reduce the population. If they're crawling around on the walls, all bets are off, but if you place the traps along the skirting boards or near where you think they're coming in, or in dark areas, it should help. It's generally quite obvious where they're coming in. Just to give you an idea - these are the ones I use: http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=44955&cat=2%2C51555&ap=3. If you're not too phobic, the live traps are excellent. Spiders have to stop for breath so when they do, you can bung the trap over them and put them out. I use this one: http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=44895&cat=2%2C51555&ap=3. It's flimsy but effective although you have to be careful not to guillotine whatever you trap in it. :D
Oh, that's handy the way they're folded with the sticky part inside - it'll stop the cat walking through them!
You catch more if you place them flat but there's a certain ick factor and they're incredibly sticky. Mind you, I had a spider escape the other day. It was sitting a few inches from the trap looking rather frazzled. I live-trapped it and put it outside.
Update: I got distracted by Ripper Street for a few minutes and the thing made it a quarter of the way round the room! Now making useless entreaties to the cat to locate it.
Further update: we have no idea where it is, but if previous years are anything to go by, we're going to rediscover it (or it us) in absolutely terrifying circumstances in a few days' time.